Could this be the year that Joe Waltko finally realizes his goal of winning a WPIAL wrestling championship?

Waltko, a senior at North Allegheny, is a three-time WPIAL Class AAA runner-up. No wrestler in the 74-year history of WPIAL wrestling has ever won four silver medals.

"I've joked with [North Allegheny coach Jamie Kyriazis] that I'm going to get to the finals and throw my match so I can be the WPIAL's first four-time runner-up," said Waltko, after he earned a fourth consecutive semifinal berth with a 19-6 victory against Albert Gallatin's Jacob Lowry.

"Actually, that's the last thing I want. I've worked very hard this year with the goal of winning a WPIAL title. I will settle for nothing less than a gold medal."

Waltko takes a 35-1 record into this morning's 130-pound semifinal match against Latrobe's Ryan Walters (21-12).

"The last three years have been a learning experience for me," Waltko said. "One thing I've learned is that you can't overlook anybody, even if you already beat them earlier in the season."

Hempfield's Jake Kemerer can sympathize with Waltko. Kemerer was a WPIAL runner-up twice before finally winning the 160-pound title last year.

Kemerer (42-0) faces an even bigger challenge as he attempts to defend the title he won last year. Also entered at 160 is West Mifflin's James Fleming (36-2), a three-time WPIAL champion.

Kemerer and Fleming moved one step closer to their probable matchup in the final with victories in the quarterfinals. Kemerer pinned Gateway's Dan Anderson; Fleming pinned Avonworth's Ben Kramer.

Kemerer and Fleming are among seven returning champions. All earned semifinal berths last night.

The others are Penn-Trafford's Shane Young, Franklin Regional's Nico Megaludis, West Mifflin's Sam Sherlock, North Allegheny's Dave Cawley and West Allegheny's Troy Reaghard.

The biggest upset of the evening came at 171 pounds. Trinity's Kyle McWreath recorded a 4-3 overtime victory against top-seed P.J. Tasser of Belle Vernon. Tasser sprained his ankle in the second period but continued to wrestle.

Derry, Penn-Trafford, Hempfield, Connellsville, and Latrobe each had four wrestlers advance to the semifinals.