Seven wrestlers entered Saturday night's WPIAL Class AAA championships with a chance to win another title. Only five were successful.

Butler's Cole Baxter and Hopewell's Matt Hundenski were the returning champions who did not repeat.

Baxter (36-1) dropped a 3-2 decision to Chartiers Valley's Tyler Wilps (37-0) in the 171-pound final, a weight class that featured two of the WPIAL's remaining three unbeaten wrestlers. Baxter won the 145-pound title last year.

"I knew I had it in me," said Wilps, who placed second last year in the same weight class. "It didn't matter that he was a returning champion. I came so close last year and didn't want [a loss] to happen again."

Wilps was named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler for his upset.

Hundenski (37-3), the defending champion at 152, dropped a 4-1 decision to Kiski Area's Zack Shannon (37-2).

"I came into the championship match with nothing to lose," Shannon said. "He was the defending champion. There was no pressure on me. The pressure was on him."

Franklin Regional's Nico Megaludis and West Allegheny's Troy Reaghard won titles for a third time. Megaludis (32-0) recorded his 80th consecutive victory with a 6-3 win against Waynesburg's Derrick Nelson (30-3) at 119.

"It's good to be a three-time champion, but I wasn't totally pleased with my performance in the finals," Megaludis said. "I have to put more points on the board."

Reaghard (36-2) captured his third gold medal with a 5-2 victory against Bethel Park's Nick Bonaccorsi (36-6) at 160.

"This was the toughest of the three," Reaghard said. "I was real nervous before the finals. Everyone was counting on me to win another title. I was certainly feeling the pressure [of being a two-time returning champion]."

Derry had two returning champions who won gold medals again. Jimmy Gulibon (32-1) moved up from 103 to capture the 112-pound title with a convincing 20-6 win against Hempfield's Paul Bewak (34-6).

"It was tougher winning this year," Gulibon said. "My weight class was probably the strongest in the WPIAL."

Travis Shaffer (29-3) defended the 135-pound title he won last year with a 3-0 decision against Canon-McMillan's Nick Catalano (29-3).

The other two-time champion was Connellsville's Nate Gaffney, who claimed his second 215-pound title with a first-period pin of Ringgold's Neal Rands.

Central Catholic had two champions for the first time in school history, as Tyler Zymroz (130 pounds) and Lorenzo Thomas (140) won gold medals. Zymroz (40-4) decisioned Latrobe's Ty Lydic (36-5), 4-3, and Thomas (43-3) had a 12-4 major decision against Canon-McMillan's Sam Lombardo.

"Watching Tyler win his title really pumped me up," Thomas said. "It got me ready and got me in the zone. I lost in the finals last year and I didn't want it to happen again."

Also winning titles were Connellsville's Ethan Kenney (42-6) at 103, Waynesburg's Zach McGinnis (32-6) at 125, West Allegheny's Aaron McKinnney (36-4) at 145, Latrobe's Eric Shaffer (37-2) at 189 and Bethel Park's Adam Lazenga (40-1) at 285.

Been there, done that. Seven returning PIAA Class AA Southwest Regional champions repeated Saturday night at the Cambria County War Memorial in Johnstown, Pa. The WPIAL won eight championships and qualified 29 wrestlers for the PIAA tournament. The top five wrestlers in each weight class qualified for the PIAA championships that begin Thursday at the Giant Center in Hershey,Pa.

Geoff Alexander and Matthew Cunningham, Shady SIde Academy teammates, each won their third regional title, as did A.J. Schopp of Tyrone. Nick Roberts (North Star), Phillip Steinberg (Central Cambria), Shawn Perich (Portage) and Ronnie Garbinsky (Tyrone) each won their second regional titles.

Garbinsky's win came in the feature match of the night, preventing Shady Side's Frank Martellotti from winning a second title. Garbinsky earned an escape early in the second period, then rode Martellotti, a PIAA champion, through the third period for a 1-0 win.

The only pin of the finals came from Burrell's Dave Makara, packaging up Anthony Elias of Shady Side at 1:54. Burrell's Brian Beattie also won for the Bucs, who won the team points title at the tournament. Shady Side Academy finished second.

Charleroi freshman Cody Wiercioch avenged his only loss of the year, beating Travis McKillop after losing to the Burrell junior in last week's WPIAL finals. Sam Guidi of Fort Cherry won the Rangers' first regional title in a dozen years. Jeff Tarley of Beth-Center won his first regional titles.

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