Takedown Report

NEPA, Wilkes show off wrestling credentials with Team USA event

WILKES-BARRE — Northeast Pennsylvania has hosted some big wrestling events in the past. For instance, in three of the last six years Wyoming Seminary has hosted Blair Academy in meetings of top-ranked high school teams in the country. Each time that dual was held in Kingston, the gym was at capacity. In two of the last three years, the Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling State Tournament was held at the Mohegan Sun Arena with wrestlers from all over the state journeying to Luzerne County. If that wasn’t enough to prove that NEPA is indeed a wrestling area, what was held on Monday put the region over the top.

More than 2,000 fans packed Wilkes University’s Marts Center for the Team USA 65kg Final X Series Wrestle-off between Zain Retherford and Yianni Diakomihalis. Yes, there were plenty of friends and family from Diakomihalis’ Cornell University and Retherford’s Penn State side. But there were much more local fans as plenty of past and present high school, collegiate and junior high coaches were on hand to see the historic event. “The passion and love for this sport in our area is immeasurable,” Wyoming Valley West coach Ryan Vassello said. “They couldn’t have picked a better place for this match having it in our backyard.” Vassello was instrumental in making the entire day an event for wrestlers in the area. Prior to the match at Wilkes, Olympian Ken Chertow made a stop by Wyoming Valley West’s Middle School in Kingston to hold a clinic where dozens of wrestlers got instruction from the former Penn State and Ohio State coach before going to watch the match. Rest of the story at
https://www.timesleader.com/sports/754570/nepa-wilkes-show-off-wrestling-credentials-with-team-usa-event?mc_cid=1788af9e74&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

September 5, 2019 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized