Norristown Leaves Hershey with Three Medals

Some that come to compete at Hershey take what they can get, and are happy with that. Plymouth Whitemarsh’s John Michael Studenmeyer took what he wanted—a PIAA AAA State Championship.

They say to be "The Man," you gotta beat "The Man." Well, in this case, it was more like “I AM The Man because I said so!” There were no ghosts to chase, no rivals to overcome, no past losses to avenge, just a PIAA gold medal, and the desire to go and take it.

And take it Studenmeyer did, with fury. He treated his opponents like they stole something, and when the dust cleared, there was no doubt about who “The Man” was. He mopped up the 171-pound weight like he was Mr. Clean.

The PW senior is one of the hardest working wrestlers that I have come across, and his performance proves what hard work and desire can do. Studenmeyer is a great kid from a great family—keep an eye out for little brother Justin over the next two years.

Our area had another PIAA state finalist—Brandon Clark from Methacton at 215 pounds. Somehow, this 215-pounder snuck up on everyone, and the next thing you know, he’s in the finals. Clark went to states as the number three qualifier and left Hershey with a shiny silver medal in his pocket. Clark was the first PIAA finalist from Methacton in 20 years.

Clark's 112-pound teammate Rob D’Annunzio was equally impressive. He had a fifth-place finish at districts, and many fans had written him off, but D’Annunzio would not go away quietly. In fact, he wouldn’t go away at all. He made it to the big dance and stayed until the music stopped. His fifth-place medal had him smiling from ear to ear when I saw him Sunday at Chocolate World.

Joe Mazzi from Upper Merion territory finished up his high school career with a fourth-place medal. It was Mazzi’s third trip to Hershey and his second PIAA medal. His teammate, Shane Springer from Norristown, earned his second PIAA medal with a fifth-place finish. Springer was a finalist last year and will have one more try for a gold medal.

Norristown finished the tournament in 12th place, with three medal winners of the four that qualified for states. Zack Fuentes (103) was a fourth-place finisher. After losing his first match, Fuentes wrestled all the way back through “The Valley of Death” for his PIAA medal—a total of six matches. It was his first trip to Hershey, and he’ll have two more tries at the gold.

Brett Harner (152) also lost his first match and took the long walk through “The Valley.”  He, too, earned a fourth-place medal, his second PIAA medal. (Harner placed eighth last year.) Harner will have two more shots at the title. He also has two older brothers with several PIAA medals—Tim Harner and Jim Hardy, both with three medals each. Those are some big shoes to fill, but Brett Harner has the feet to do it.

Then there's the big guy , Gavin Queenan—the junior 285-pound pinning machine. Queenan won not one, but two awards at Hershey. First, he had a 23-second fall in the seventh-place medal match to earn his first PIAA medal. Then, he won the PIAA Pins Award for having the most pins during the PIAA tournament in the least amount of time. Queenan will have one more shot at it all next year.

After winning the awards, Queenan asked me how I was feeling. After seeing all of this great wrestling, I could only say one thing, “I feel great!”

Norristown will have several wrestlers returning next year, with some newcomers and some more great coaching.

Watch out Southeastern PA! Watch out state!

Zack Fuentes (103) (Sophomore): Finished with a fourth-place medal, his first PIAA medal

Brett Harner (152) (Sophomore): Finished with a fourth-place medal, his second PIAA medal

Gavin Queenan (285) (Junior): Finished with a seventh-place medal, his first PIAA medal, and winner of the “Pins Award” for having the most pins in the least amount of time

Joe Mazzi (130) (Senior): Finished with a fourth-place medal, his second PIAA medal

Shane Springer (160) (Junior): Finished with a fifth-place medal, his second PIAA medal

John Michael Staudenmeyer (171) (Senior): Undefeated PIAA State Champion

Rob D’Annunzio (112) (Senior) : Finished with a fifth-place medal, his first PIAA medal

Brandon Clark (215) (Senior): PIAA state runner-up, his second PIAA medal

Chuck Springer is the man behind the Norristown Wrestling website norristownwrestling.shutterfly.com. He's also coach of the Greater Norristown PAL Wrestling Team. You can contact him at CoachSpringer@gmail.com.