HERSHEY – McKaden Speece vows to be back bigger and better next year for his last shot at a state wrestling gold medal.
He made good on that promise this year, moving up three weight classes and stepping up one spot on the state podium.
Speece, a Wilson junior, finished fourth in Class 3A at 145 pounds Saturday at the PIAA Wrestling Championships in the Giant Center. He was fifth at 127 last year after reaching the state tournament at 107 and not placing in 2023.
“I definitely felt better than last year,” Speece said. “Fourth place doesn’t reflect on how I’ve gotten better throughout the year. I was in a tough bracket and felt I performed really well.”
Speece was the highest-placing of seven Berks County boys medalists. Conrad Weiser’s Kaleb Britting was the only other 3A medalist, finishing eighth at 285.
In 2A, Berks Catholic had three sixth-place finishers – Brayden Hartranft at 133, Gunnar Maciejewski at 139 and Carmine Lenzi at 172. Hamburg’s Chase Homan placed sixth at 121 and Schuylkill Valley’s Ian Vitalo placed seventh at 152.
Speece, 43-6, reached the semifinals before being knocked out of gold medal contention Friday night. He rebounded to reach the third-place match, losing to West Scranton’s Michael Turi 7-0 in his final bout of the season.
“It was a great season,” Speece said. “I jumped up a few weight classes and felt great.”
Speece, the only Berks boys wrestler to win a regional title this year, said he expects to compete at 160 or 172 next season. He said he plans on lifting weights and wrestling in freestyle and Greco tournaments in his quest to move to the top of the podium next year.
“I’ll be back next year to try to win a state title,” Speece said. “Just keep on practicing and getting better.”
Britting, a first-time state qualifier, made major improvements throughout the season. Despite being pinned by Armstrong’s Philup Rearick in his seventh-place match, Britting had few complaints after finishing 39-11 and with a state medal.
“At the beginning of the season I wouldn’t say I expected it,” Britting said. “Coming in that was my goal, so I’m happy I got it. But I feel like I could have won another match here or there and placed higher, but I’m sure I’ll get over it.”
Homan, 18-7, had a lot to get over to leave Hershey with his first state medal in his third attempt. Injuries prevented Homan from wrestling his first match this season until Feb. 7.
“I have knee problems all the time, you just have to battle through it,” Homan said.
Homan, a junior, reached the semifinals before falling to N.C. State recruit Dominic Deputy of Chestnut Ridge. In the bout for fifth, Homan lost 7-0 to Line Mountain’s Brock Rothermel.
Berks Catholic’s trio of medalists also lost their fifth-place bouts.
Hartranft, 45-12, lost 7-2 to Gavin Green of Delone Catholic, Maciejewski, 46-11, lost by technical fall to Gideon Bracken of United, and Lenzi, 47-10, lost 2-1 to Max Wirnsberger of Warrior Run.
“I thought they did really well,” said Berks Catholic coach Derek Sola. “They were really competitive in their matches. The five kids that finished ahead of them in all three of those weights are really tough kids.
“It’s definitely something to be proud of being on the medals stand at states. I’m happy for them.”
It was the second state medal for Lenzi, who also placed sixth last year. Hartranft and Maciejewski earned their first state medals.
Vitalo, 40-6, received a forfeit in the seventh-place match to earn his first state medal.
Source: Berkshire mont
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