Vote: Who should be SBLive's Upper Weight National Wrestler of the Week (3/12/2024)?
It's time once again for you to help us decide who is SBLive Sports National High School Upper Weight Wrestler of the Week.
Below are the details on the candidates we have selected for your consideration. Share this post with your friends, family, teammates and classmates and encourage everyone to support the wrestler they find most deserving. You can vote as often as you like and the winner will be announced in next week's poll. Voting ends on Sunday, March 17th at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific).
Congratulations to last week's winner: Brody Kline of Berk's Catholic (Pennsylvania).
Here are this week's nominees:
Asher Cunningham (State College, PA) 160 – Cunningham is ranked 12th in the nation at 157lbs. His opponent in the AAA 160lb State Final, Central Dauphin’s Ryan Garvick is ranked 10th at 165. Cunningham edged his rival for the state gold, 2-0.
Vaughn Spencer (Pine Richland, PA) 172 – Spencer captured the 172lb AAA state title with an 8-4 win over Bode Morgan (Trinity). To reach the finals, Spencer upset Owen J Roberts honorable mention Sam Gautreau with an unexpected pin as time was running out on the second frame, 3:54.
Carson Thomas (LaSalle, OH) 175 – Thomas is ranked 18th in the nation at 175 and his DI state finals opponent St. Edward’s Tyrel Miller sits in the No. 16 spot. Thomas had little trouble with Miller, capturing the gold with a 10-3 decision.
Matt Kowalski (Springboro, OH) 190 – Kowalski is an honorable mention grappler in our 190lb rankings. In the DI state finals, Kowalski pulled of a big upset of No. 14 Jarrel Miller (St. Edward), 6-1.
Rune Lawrence (Frazier, PA) 215 – Lawrence is ranked No. 3 in the country, so pulling off an upset was not in the cards for him. But was in the cards for Lawrence was becoming the 14th member of Pennsylvania’s four-time state champion club, which he accomplished with a 6-3 decision of No. 7 Austin Johnson (Muncy) in the AA state finals.
Sean Kinney (Nazareth, PA) 285 – Like Lawrence at 215, an upset win was just not a possibility for No. 7 Kinney. What he did do, though, was capture his third AAA state crown with a 15-0 dismantling of No. 20 Dean Bechtold (Owen J Roberts). Kinney finished second the year did not win it all.
Brennan Morgan (Central Valley, PA) 285 – Morgan is a honorable mention wrestler in our rankings and took out No. 24 Mark Effendian (Faith Christian Academy), 5-1, in the quarters. In the AA finals, Morgan beat No. 23 Brody Kline (Berks Catholic), 6-4, for an unexpected state crown.
