Canon-McMillan Wrestling Alumni Association
24-25 Season Primer

The 24-25 wrestling season is upon us. How will CM fare?

Canon-McMillan Wrestling Alumni Association
Thanks Coach Slack
Thanks Coach Slack
Canon-McMillan Wrestling Alumni Association
Congratulations Aleeya and Bri'Ella!!!
Congratulations Aleeya and Bri'Ella!!!
Canon-McMillan Wrestling Alumni Association
First ever PIAA Girls State Champions!!!

The boys and girls varsity took their skills to the PIAA state tournament.

First ever PIAA Girls State Champions!!!
Canon-McMillan Wrestling Alumni Association
First Step of the Post Season

On the path to state championships.

First Step of the Post Season

CM Wrestlers

A Look Back at the CM Wrestling Season

A Look Back at the CM Wrestling Season

Canon-McMillan’s 90th Anniversary season is over, and Coach Havelka and his Big Macs did not disappoint on making this season an exciting one. Coaches Havelka, Bowman, Crivelli, Maisner, and Steele coached the team to a 15-3 record. Some of the exciting matches along the ride was a win over Kiski on Alumni Night, a rematch with the Cavaliers in the WPIAL finals, and matches that were too close for comfort against Central Dauphin and Seneca Valley at Team States. The grapplers won the program’s 17th straight Section title, claimed silver at the WPIAL tournament, and took 4th at the PIAA tournament.

PIAA State Tournament Recap

PIAA State Tournament Recap

The Big Macs put on one final performance of the season at the PIAA State Tournament. The team brought three wrestlers and placed two of them. After four years in pursuit of a State title, Logan Macri accomplished his goal by plowing through the 120 lb. weight class. With the finals win, Logan became CM's 44th State Champion. Gerrit Nijenhuis also made his way onto the podium with a bronze medal. Though he lost in the semifinals on a controversial call, Gerrit wrestled back for 3rd at 160 lbs. CM’s final wrestler, Tim Hritsko wrestled for his first time in the Individual State tournament and earned two wins before falling in the bloodround to go to placing. While Tim did not place, his points accumulated with his teammates earned the team a respectable 5th place team finish with 53.5 points behind Kiski (60 pts), Bethlehem Catholic (68.5 pts), Cathedral Prep (72 pts), and Nazareth (87 pts). Below are the match-by-match scores, as found on FloArena:

Mat Madness 2018: And Your Winner. . .

Mat Madness 2018: And Your Winner. . .

After two weeks of voting, Mat Madness 2018 is completed. 64 of the best wrestlers in Canonsburg and Canon-McMillan wrestling have been narrowed down to just 1 champion. With a record 246 votes throughout the tournament, the champion of Mat Madness 2018 is. . . Mark Angle!

The Boards: Present Victory, Eternal Glory

The Boards: Present Victory, Eternal Glory

Roaring crowds, shining gold medals, thrilling emotions, and a flood of congratulations make a victory in the present a feeling unlike any other. But what happens after the fact? Does a win stay forever rooted in a particular gym only to be remembered by those who witnessed the act? Maybe not in today’s society with live streaming, photographs, and videos that can be saved and rewatched for years to come. However, the moments from the 1930’s may be hard to come by.

Mat Madness 2018: Final Four

Mat Madness 2018: Final Four

Four rounds of voting have finally decided the Division Champions. Joe Solomon (Gunners), George O’Korn (Blue), Mark Angle (Gold), and Colin Johnston (Modern) have been crowned individual division champs of their respective eras. Now comes the tough part: cross-era matchups.

Mat Madness 2018: Division Finals

Mat Madness 2018: Division Finals

Mat Madness continues to stun fans with more upsets. It was apparently clear-cut for the Blue Age to host the #1 and #2 wrestlers in the finals, but the other three divisions were not so straightforward. #3 Manuel Pihakis edged out NCAA All-American Elias George to advance to the Gunners Division Finals. On the opposite side of the bracket, #6 Bruce Cridge advanced with a second upset against NCAA Champion; however, he now faces the wrestler with the most votes in the tournament thus far, Mark Angle. And in the final division, #4 Johnston pulled out a close victory over the only #1 seed not to advance, Solomon Chishko.

Mat Madness 2018: Division Semifinals

Mat Madness 2018: Division Semifinals

Upset city! All four #1 and #2 seeds are moving on, but that doesn’t mean that they’re safe.  #4 seeds Bill Hulings (Gunners) and Jim Biringer (Blue) found that out against their respective #5 seeded opponents Vic DeFelice and Emil Deliere. Bruce Cridge has plowed through the competition an upset win over JUCO Champion Rob Benjamin, but he faces a resilient NCAA Champ Sylvester Terkay next. The only division to come out unscathed with all 4 of the top seeds still remaining is the Modern Age, though Wiercioch battled in a close contest against Kyle Deliere.

Mat Madness 2018: Round 2

Mat Madness 2018: Round 2

Thanks to all of those who participated in Round 1 of Mat Madness 2018. Last round there were some tight matches and three upsets: #9 Darrel Patterson over #8 Tony Compeggie (Gunners), #9 Nick Catalano over #8 Cody Klempay (Modern), and #11 Kyle Deliere over #6 Brendan Furman (Modern).

Jr. High Qualifies Record 14 for PJW State Tournament

Jr. High Qualifies Record 14 for PJW State Tournament

Not only was this weekend a phenomenal weekend for the High School team, but the Jr. High had a great showing at the Area IV Regional tournament. Coach Slack's squad qualified a record 14 wrestlers for the tournament, beating the previous record of 12 in 2016. The young men will compete next weekend in the PJW Jr. High State Championship at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena in Johnstown, PA (3/3 - 3/4).

Section 4 AAA Recap

Section 4 AAA Recap

The Big Macs didn’t disappoint in the Section 4 AAA Championships this weekend, qualifying 10 wrestlers for the WPIAL tournament next weekend at Canon-McMillan High School starting Friday (3/2). The team ended with the most 1st place finishes in the tournament (5) over Waynesburg (3). Logan Macri earned his 3rd straight section title, while Nijenhuis earned his 2nd championship. Below are the results from the championship and consolation matches

Mat Madness 2018 - Who is CM's Best Wrestler of All Time?

Mat Madness 2018 - Who is CM's Best Wrestler of All Time?

Welcome to Mat Madness 2018! It’s been asked on Facebook, at matches, and behind closed doors, “Who is the BEST wrestler to come out of Canon Mac?” Well, it’s time to decide in March Madness bracket style.

Nicknames Origins

Nicknames Origins

The wrestlers, fans, and coaches of Canon-McMillan Wrestling have had a variety of nicknames given to them over the years. The origins of a nickname can be silly, historic, cultural, or sincere. A truly great nickname can stick with somebody for life, and for certain individuals in the CM Wrestling program, it certainly has. Some nicknames of note are: Superfan Stanley “Stush” Sadowski, cameraman Aaron "Buck" Caldwell, legend Manuel “Buz” Pihakis, Jr. High coach Brian “Slack” Krenzelak, and former head coaches Andy “Pooch” Puchany and R.J. “Roc” O’Connell. We got together with two of these guys to discuss the origins of their nicknames.

Wrestler of the Week: Dimitri Pihiou

Wrestler of the Week: Dimitri Pihiou

All good things must come to an end, so the CMWAA is concluding our WotW series with one final installment. We’ve highlighted eight of the fourteen total wrestlers on the HS team, and now we’re moving into our ninth line-up spot at 152 lbs. Congrats to our final Wrestler of the Week, Dimitri Pihiou!

Alumni Spotlight: Angelo Broglia

Alumni Spotlight: Angelo Broglia

Last week we highlighted Mike Hull, an athlete that had successes in a sport other than wrestling after high school. This week, we’re taking a similar approach by giving the Alumni Spotlight to Angelo Broglia.

Canon-McMillan’s Top 8 Greatest Team Rivals

Canon-McMillan’s Top 8 Greatest Team Rivals

Penguins versus Flyers, Yankees versus Red Sox, Rocky Balboa versus Apollo Creed; these are some of the greatest sports rivalries of all time. A rivalry is filled with competitions that have a sense of familiarity between opponents. Wins and losses are shared back and forth throughout years of history. Fans cheer loud when nemeses compete because emotions rise when the stakes are high. With a rivalry, bragging rights are sometimes more important than the trophy itself.

Wrestler of the Week: Giomar Ramos

Wrestler of the Week: Giomar Ramos

CM wrestling fans have been treated to bios of the 106, 113, 120, 126, 138, 145, and 160 lb. weight classes in our Wrestler of the Week series. But, where are the heavier weights? Well, this week we move up to the biggest weight class that there is with this week’s Wrestler of the Week, Giomar Ramos.

Alumni Spotlight: Mike Hull

Alumni Spotlight: Mike Hull

So far in this series, we’ve highlighted past CM wrestlers who have become college coaches and Division I wrestlers. Taking a slightly different approach this week, the Alumni Association is removing our headgears and picking up helmets as we tackle 2010 CM graduate, Mike Hull.

Wrestler of the Week: Michael Binni

Wrestler of the Week: Michael Binni

The Big Macs celebrated Senior Night last Wednesday with their last home dual meet of the year. The seniors helped push the team to a 62-12 victory against Central Catholic, so we would like to spotlight one of these 12th graders.