Faith Christian Survives Walsh Ironman Chaos as Bo Bassett Joins Four-Time Champions Club

There was an expectation coming into the Walsh Ironman Tournament in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio on Friday morning that Pennsylvania’s top-rated Faith Christian Academy may tumble from their perch with a new number one wrestling team emerging.

That did not happen as the Lions had the team race sewn up ahead of the championship finals. With no concern for team ramifications, it left the spotlight on the individual exploits, none bigger than No. 1 Bo Bassett’s show closing quest for his fourth Ironman crown.

Bo Bassett Wins Fourth Ironman in Gritty Show-Closing Battle

Tournament organizers began the standalone final round at 157 pounds, so Basset’s 150-pound match would end the night. In recent years, the first-place match has been contested alongside the other placement bouts offering non-stop chaos.

Bassett’s match was one of the coveted numbers one versus two showdowns with No. 2 Joe Bachmann of Faith Christian. In a twist we haven’t seen in a while from Bassett versus high school competition, Bachmann would not fall by Bassett’s customary technical fall.

In fact, Bachmann pushed the senior harder than anyone at Ironman since a 5-1 win over Dublin Coffman, Ohio’s Omar Ayoub in the finals of his sophomore season. Bachmann secured the first takedown on a spin behind at the edge of the mat to electrify the crowd.

“When you wrestle as hard as I do, you sometimes let him get points,” offered Bassett. “I am ok with that and just get after the next point. I pride myself on being able to sprint every second of the match. What people don’t know about me is I have an extra lung and it allows me to push hard for the entire match. It’s definitely a benefit.”

Bassett would break free but not score any additional points, to close the first period in a strange spot, down in the count, 3-1. Basett was in deep on a few shots but unable to finish. That changed in the second when he put two takedowns on the board to gain the advantage.

Bachmann started on bottom and was let up then added two more escape points after Bassett takedowns. Three points were given to the Crusher on stalling and a technical violation to give him an 11-6 lead going into the final frame.

“I had all bonus points victories so I didn’t think getting back on track would be hard’” remarked Bassett. “Bachman was going for his third Ironman title. I hope I get to see him a few more times. He’s a great opponent. I will score a lot more points the next time. There is no doubt about it.”

Bassett chose down for the third and was granted two more penalty points before escaping for the final points of the highly entertaining 14-6 bout.

“When I come back after a big win, I celebrate briefly and then right back to work,” Bassett added. “I almost trick my mind into thinking I lost. What I mean by that is, when people suffer a loss, they come back hungrier and more motivated than ever. I do that every time whether I win or lose.” 

Bassett became the first boy to win four Super 32 titles in October and is now the third member of the Ironman’s four-timer club, joining David Taylor and Zahid Valencia. The Virginia Tech commit’s freshman crown came over Stillwater, Oklahoma’s Beric Jordan, 9-0. Last year’s was earned on a 22-4 tech fall of Carlos Stanton (Sunnyside, Arizona).

“They were all special,” reflected Bassett. “(I) Love having my dad in my corner and competing with my McCort teammates. This year was fun, but I wish that match didn’t have all those stoppages.”

Bassett's father and Bishop McCort head coach, Bill Bassett, reflected on the accomplishment.

“The Ironman is the toughest tournament during the season,” said Coach Bassett “Super 32 being the hardest preseason. When Bo lost his PIAA chance to win four. He shifted to trying to be the first to win four Super 32 and third ever to win four Ironman titles. 

“This was a huge goal, but it was amazing watching him chase it down. Bo loves wrestling so much and I don’t know if there is another person who loves the process more than him. His energy and focus every day is incredible. He focuses on evolving every single day and is always locked in. “

Jayden James Outduels No. 1 Melvin Miller in Instant-Classic Final

One end of the spectrum from likely to unlikely we have No. 2 Jayden James of Delbarton, New Jersey at 157 pounds, No. 9 Michael White (Lawrenceville North, Indiana) at 190, and Oklahoma’s No. 13 Joseph Jeter (Edmond North) at 175 pounds.

James’ encounter with No. 1 Melvin Miller (Bishop McCort) was as highly anticipated, if not more so, than Basett’s, and it delivered on the hype. Some are calling it one of the greatest Ironman Finals ever.

It was going as the script was written when Miller posted the first points in the second period. After a scoreless opener, Miller started down, escaped and put up a takedown. James would escape to end it 4-1.

James replicated Miller’s antics in the third period, down to his opposition’s escape after the takedown. Leaving them in a draw at the end of regulation. About midway through the sudden victory period, James gained control with some over-hooks to a throw-by for the winning score, 8-5.

The future Nittany Lion was an U17 Freestyle champ at the U.S. Open, defeating Illinois’ Judah Heeg (Providence Catholic) in the finals. With that came a trip to the U17 World Championships where James brought home a World Title.

James’ No. 8 Delbarton squad was third in the team standings, seven points behind No. 7 Blair Academy of New Jersey, 129-122. The Green Wave had two other place winners in runner-up No. 5 CJ Betz (190 pounds) and No. 5 Cam Sontz (120), who was fourth.

White, Jeter Flip the Script With Statement Upsets at 190 and 175

White was involved in a final at 190 pounds with Betz that was as unexpected as they come. White started his magical run in the quarterfinals with a 7-3 win against No. 3 Aaron Stewart (Warren Township, Illinois).

At the Elite 8 Duals, No. 2 Jimmy Mastny (Marian Catholic Central, Illinois) edged White, 9-8, and White also fell to Betz, 12-10. The semifinals presented White with his first rematch of the day in Mastny, whom he went into overtime with before securing the winning takedown for the 9-6 victory.

Betz performed his own heroics to gain his finals birth as he squared off with No. 1 Adam Waters (Faith Christian), a defending Ironman Champ, in the semis and shocked his foe, winning 4-2, in a very strategically sound match.

White said, no, this is my day to shine and put a stop to Betz’s climb up the podium to the second spot as he overpowered Betz on his feet, throwing up four takedowns for a commanding 14-6 major decision.

Like White, there was indisputable evidence that suggested Jeter would not prevail in his final with Faith Christian’s No. 1 Nick Singer. Afterall, Singer handled Jeter easily at Who’s No. 1, coasting to a 12-5 decision.

At No. 13, it appears we have severely underestimated Jeter based off the outcome at that Flo event. In all fairness to us, though, his placement in the ranks came from Slava Shahbazyan (Birmingham, California) having a win over Singer from the U.S. Open and Shahbazyan having losses to some in front of him and other common opponents’ chains.

Jeter’s trip to the top of the podium intensified in the quarters when he took out No. 15 Brody Sendele (Hononegah, Illinois) with a 17-1 tech and followed that up with a mild semifinal upset over No. 12 Brody Kelly (IC Catholic Prep, Illinois), 14-5.

This set up a shot at redemption with Singer and Jeter took advantage of the opportunity. Jeter did not seem at all deterred by their previous meeting and went about authoring a different story.

The senior, who was second here last year, set the tone that things would not be the same for Singer with a first period takedown. A Jeter escape led to a Singer takedown in the second that was followed by a Jeter reversal for what would be the winning points of the 6-4 match.

Star Power and Depth Push Faith Christian to Team Title

At the close of business on Friday night, Faith Christian was holding a one-point lead over Blair. Delbarton was in third. No. 3 Lake Highland Prep of Florida lingered in fourth, just five points off the lead. That is the order they would ultimately finish in.

That tightness continued in the standings on Saturday morning as the blood round concluded with Blair atop the standings as Lake Highland and Faith Christian marked the top three.

In big tournaments like Ironman, a lot of times it is a team’s star power that decides the champs and that favored Faith Christian as at the end of the semis they had pushed four into the finals to take a 27-point lead over the Highlanders. Delbarton was back in third, but Blair had slipped to fifth.

When the placement matches concluded and all that remained was the gold medal bouts, Faith Christian had an insurmountable lead over second place Blair, who had no finalists, 137-129. Blair had a tremendous time in the consolation rounds, though, placing a tournament high seven wrestlers.

Lake Highland was third with 120 and Delbarton fourth holding 118 points. With one and two in the finals respectively, the max points they could earn with wins would not be enough to overcome the Lions.

Effendian Delivers Lone Individual Gold as Lions Gut Out a Gritty Win

Heavyweight No. 6 Mark Effendian was the only one of the four Faith Christian finalists to reach the top of the awards stand as he handled No. 5 Alex Taylor (Mount Vernon, Ohio) in a slight upset, 4-2. Effendian decked No. 11 Trayvn Boger (South Summit, Utah) in the semis, 1:11. The senior was second here a year ago after placing sixth as a sophomore.

Falling short in the finals were the previously mentioned Bachmann and Singer, as well as No. 12 Cael Weidemoyer (215 pounds). After tumbling to the consolation bracket, Waters forfeited to sixth place.

With both of their number ones falling on the same day, and the absence of No. 5 Fred Bachmann at 132 pounds, it was impressive that the Lions did not fall from grace and instead overcame serious adversity to prove that while, maybe not as strong as a year ago, they are a force and they deserve the designation as the nation’s top team.

Michael Batista and Vincenzo Anello lead Blair's strong showing

Blair came in and made a statement that maybe they don’t have as many stars as years past, but they are a deep and strong team capable of hanging at the top all season.

“We wrestled with passion and a purpose this weekend, which is a credit to the team chemistry we are seeing, and most importantly the kids are having fun through this process,” Blair coach Ross Gitomer said. “Our round of 12 was strong. We went four- for-five, and our consi-semi round was strong as well going four-for-four.

“Technically, we are starting to catch on to our system, and the guys that executed our system felt proud of their wrestling. When kids attacked points, they came off the mat with more confidence and purpose. We had a few calls in big matches that did not go our way, and that was a great learning experience for our team. I am referring to taking decisions out of the officials’ hands, so that it is irrelevant to the outcome of the match.”

Blair’s strong showing was powered by third place finishers, No. 10 Michael Batista (120 pounds) and No. 14 Vincenzo Anello (132). Batista picked off fifth-rated Sontz, 2-1 in ultimate tiebreaker, of his consolation final.

Two Bucs landed in the fourth spot of their weight placements, No. 20 Jack Anello (106 pounds) and No. 10 Salah Tsarni (190). Both produced key upsets that boosted Blair’s effort. Anello dropped No. 7 Ace Chittum (Cleveland, Tennessee) and Tsarni avenged a U.S. Open final loss to Warren Township’s Stewart.

“Salah Tsarni won in the round of 12 which was a rematch of the world team trials finals,” Ross continued. “It was special because I saw Salah smile sincerely knowing that his entire team was watching and cheering him on. Salah is learning to be a team guy, and he is starting to thrive on it.”

Blair’s other three placers were Honorable Mention Ryan Meier seventh at 175 pounds, and two in eighth – No. 16 Barry Norman (165 pounds) and No. 29 Cael Mielnik (285).  Meier stuck No. 17 Jackson Angelo (Lake Highland) in his placement match, 2:40.

“Cael Mielnik is a complete stud of a human,” remarked Gitomer. “And he makes these trips incredibly enjoyable for our entire team. He creates a family culture. Having him get on the podium here is a step in the right direction for Cael. 

“Jack Anello at 106 showed some promise, and he exposed a lot of areas that need work technically. However, he's an example of someone that loves the fight, and the fight wins.”

The experience is one that Gitomer looks forward to every year. Many share the same sentiments about this endeavor. 

“The Ironman makes you a better wrestler, and a better coach if you look at it the right way,” Gitomer elaborated. “More importantly, it tests your team and you can learn a lot about your team because of this tournament. We are lucky that we get this challenge each and every year. The tournament is a roller coaster, and if you love competition, it's like freakin’ Disney World for a kid for 36 hours. The atmosphere is the best.” 

Raney Brothers Finally Climb to the Top of the Ironman Podium

Union County, Kentucky’s top-ranked Raney Brothers captured their first ever Ironman crowns as Jayden won at 132 pounds and Jayden equaled him at 144.

Jayden has slowly stood higher on the podium as his career has progressed, starting at eighth as a freshman, then seventh the next campaign, to being a runner-up in 2024. Jayden downed No. 15 Nathan Rioux (Avon, Indiana), 8-3, for his title.

Jordyn did not appear here last year but was fifth in his first two visits to Ironman. Jordyn faced off with No. 2 Tyler DeKraker (Lake Highland Prep) and blanked him with a 4-0 tally.

Home-State Heroes: Seacrist, Burnett and Brown Lead Ohio Charge

Three from the home state were crowned champions for the first time, Two, number ones, Rylan Seacrist (Brecksville) and Grey Burnett (Perrysburg), along with No. 3 Karson Brown of St. Edward.

Seacrist came close to ending his 113-pound final with No. 2 Justin Farnsworth (Malvern Prep, Pennsylvania) early when he wrapped up a cradle and collected four back points for his efforts. The big start propelled Seacrist to an 11-3 major decision.

Burnett was pushed hard by No. 3 Paul Kenny (Christian Brothers Academy, New Jersey) in his 126-pound final. A sweet double leg takedown accounted for the winning points of a 4-2 affair.

Brown too was fiercely challenged at 138 pounds by Bixby, Oklahoma’s No. 7 Israel Borge. Borge went toe-to-toe with Brown forcing overtime where he lost 6-5 in the tiebreaker portion.

Both picked off the top two guys in the country to meet in the finals. Brown shocked No. 1 Keanu Dillard (Bethlehem Catholic, Pennsylvania), 4-1, in his semi, while Borge went to the tiebreaker to beat No. 2 Dale Corbin (Wyoming Seminary, Pennsylvania) in his.

Illinois Standouts Munaretto and Medlin Add to Ironman Legacy

Two Illinois grapplers returned home as champions, St. Charles East’s No. 4 Dom Munaretto and No. 1 Wyatt Medlin (Washington Community).

Munaretto won the title as a freshman but never returned to the top until now as a senior when he handed No. 8 Jovanni Tovar (Miami Southridge, Florida) a 13-11 loss in the 120-pound finals.

Medlin edged his instate rival, No. 4 Heeg, 2-1, at 157 pounds after winning a 4-2 match in the semis over No. 3 Jake Miller (Broken Arrow, Oklahoma).

Indiana’s No. 10 Connor Maddox (Westfield) needed overtime to gain an upset victory over No. 8 Cohen Reer (Edison, Ohio), 9-6. Connecticut’s Greens Farms Academy crowned No. 5 Maximus Konopka as the 215-pound champ on the strength of a 9-5 win over Weidemoyer.

Team Scores (Top 20):

1-Faith Christian Academy (PA) 141

2-Blair Academy (NJ) 129

3-Delbarton (NJ) 122

4-Lake Highland Prep (FL) 120

5-Malvern Prep (PA) 112

6-Bishop McCort (PA) 88.5

7-Wyoming Seminary (PA) 85

8-Christian Brothers Academy (NJ) 80.5

9-Perrysburg (OH) 72.5

10-Edmond North (OK) 70

11-Union County (KY) 68.5

12-Stillwater (OK) 66.5

13-Massillon Perry (OH) 63.5

14-St. Edward (OH) 62.5

15-Brecksville (OH) 61

16-Crown Point (IN) 56.5

17-Notre Dame-Green Pond (PA) 54.5

18-Greens Farms Academy (CT) 53

19-Bixby (OK) 52.5

20-Allen (TX) 52

Individual Results

106-Pounds

1st Place Match

Connor Maddox (Westfield) 5-0, So. over Cohen Reer (Edison) 4-1, Fr. (SV-1 9-6)

3rd Place Match

Lincoln Valdez (Pomona) 9-1, So. over Jack Anello (Blair Academy) 4-2, Fr. (Dec 2-1)

5th Place Match

Niko Odiotti (Loyola Academy) 5-2, So. over Max Quarry (Notre Dame-Green Pond) 4-3, Fr. (Dec 4-3)

7th Place Match

Ace Chittum (Cleveland) 4-2, So. over Onofre Gonzales (Ponderosa) 4-3, So. (Dec 1-0)

113-Pounds

1st Place Match

Rylan Seacrist (Brecksville) 5-0, Sr. over Jusin Farnsworth (Malvern Prep) 4-1, Jr. (MD 11-3)

3rd Place Match

Caleb Noble (Warren Township) 5-1, Jr. over Jarreau Walker (Streetsboro) 70-3, Jr. (Dec 2-1)

5th Place Match

Cason Craft (Coweta) 5-2, Jr. over Turner Ross (Edmond North) 4-3, Jr. (Fall 2:48)

7th Place Match

Loc Webber (Dublin Coffman) 4-2, So. over Liam McGettigan (Lake Highland Prep) 3-3, Jr. (Fall 2:46)

120-Pounds

1st Place Match

Dom Munaretto (St Charles East) 5-0, Sr. over Jovanni Tovar (Miami Southridge ) 4-1, So. (Dec 13-11)

3rd Place Match

Michael Batista (Blair Academy) 5-1, Jr. over Cameron Sontz (Delbarton) 4-2, Jr. (UTB 2-1)

5th Place Match

Alex Rozas (Teurlings Catholic) 16-2, Sr. over Case Bell (Brownsburg) 4-3, So. (UTB 4-2)

7th Place Match

Liam Davis (Lake Highland Prep) 5-2, Sr. over Brandon Bickerton (Highland) 3-3, Jr. (SV-1 4-1)

126-Pounds

1st Place Match

Grey Burnett (Perrysburg) 6-0, Jr. over Paul Kenny (Christian Brothers Academy) 5-1, Jr. (Dec 4-2)

3rd Place Match

Nicholas Garcia (Marmion Academy) 5-1, Sr. over Ignacio Villasenor (Stillwater) 4-2, Jr. (Dec 4-2)

5th Place Match

Michael Ruiz (Canyon Randall) 5-2, Sr. over Tommy Wurster (Dublin Coffman) 4-3, So. (Dec 5-2)

7th Place Match

Isaiah Jones (Bixby) 7-2, Sr. over Nicolas Enzminger (Bismarck Legacy) 4-3, Sr. (MD 12-2)

132-Pounds

1st Place Match

Jayden Raney (Union County) 5-0, Sr. over Nathan Rioux (Avon) 5-1, Sr. (Dec 8-3)

3rd Place Match

Vincenzo Anello (Blair Academy) 5-1, Jr. over Eric Casula (Stillwater) 6-2, Sr. (Dec 1-0)

5th Place Match

Christopher Noto (Honeoye Falls-Lima) 6-2, Sr. over Jensen Boyd (Delta) 3-3, Jr. (MD 14-1)

7th Place Match

Stephen Myers (Parkersburg) 6-2, Jr. over Zion Borge (Bixby) 6-3, Sr. (Dec 4-2)

138-Pounds

1st Place Match

Karson Brown (St Edward) 5-0, Sr. over Israel Borge (Bixby) 6-1, Jr. (TB-1 6-5)

3rd Place Match

Dale Corbin (Wyoming Seminary (PA)) 6-1, Jr. over Keanu Dillard (Bethlehem Catholic) 4-2, Sr. (UTB 3-2)

5th Place Match

Liston Seibert (Massillon Perry) 5-2, Sr. over Garrison Weisner (Clay) 7-3, Sr. (Dec 4-1)

7th Place Match

Evan Stanley (Lowell) 6-2, Jr. over Tyler Conroy (Malvern Prep) 3-2, Sr. (M. For.)

144-Pounds

1st Place Match

Jordyn Raney (Union County) 5-0, Sr. over Tyler Dekraker (Lake Highland Prep) 4-1, Sr. (Dec 4-0)

3rd Place Match

Clinton Shepherd (Crown Point) 5-1, Jr. over Robert Duffy (Christian Brothers Academy) 5-2, Sr. (TF-1.5 1:50 (15-0))

5th Place Match

Matthew O’Neill (Malvern Prep) 5-2, So. over Braylon Reynolds (Brownsburg) 5-3, Jr. (MD 14-2)

7th Place Match

Gavin Mangano (Shoreham-Wading River) 4-2, Jr. over Miller Sipes (Staley) 3-3, Sr. (TF-1.5 4:29 (18-2))

150-Pounds

1st Place Match

Bo Bassett (Bishop McCort) 5-0, Sr. over Joe Bachmann (Faith Christian Academy) 4-1, Jr. (MD 14-6)

3rd Place Match

Rocco Cassioppi (Hononegah) 6-1, Jr. over Bentley Sly (Stuart W. Cramer) 4-2, Sr. (Dec 8-3)

5th Place Match

Jason Dube (Spire Academy) 5-2, So. over Colin Rutlin (Christian Brothers College) 6-3, Jr. (TB-1 2-1)

7th Place Match

Tyler Traves (Mountain View) 4-2, Sr. over Garrison Sartain (Edmond North) 3-3, Jr. (SV-1 6-1)

157-Pounds

1st Place Match

Wyatt Medlin (Washington Community) 5-0, Sr. over Justus Heeg (Providence Catholic) 4-1, So. (Dec 2-1)

3rd Place Match

Zeno Moore (Lake Highland Prep) 5-1, Sr. over Jake Miller (Broken Arrow) 4-2, Sr. (Dec 6-1)

5th Place Match

Austin Paris (Layton) 6-2, Sr. over Griffin Laplante (St Francis) 4-3, Sr. (Dec 7-2)

7th Place Match

Justin Wardlow (Lockport) 4-2, Sr. over Gabriel Ballard (Northampton) 4-3, Jr. (Dec 4-2)

165-Pounds

1st Place Match

Jayden James (Delbarton) 5-0, Sr. over Melvin Miller (Bishop McCort) 4-1, Jr. (SV-1 8-5)

3rd Place Match

Liam Kelly (Mount Carmel) 5-1, Sr. over Bruno Cassioppi (Hononegah) 4-2, Jr. (MD 13-2)

5th Place Match

Lucas Boe (Lake Highland Prep) 5-2, Jr. over Zack Aquila (Brecksville) 4-3, Jr. (Dec 4-1)

7th Place Match

Titus Norman (Baylor School) 4-2, Sr. over Barry Norman (Blair Academy) 3-3, Sr. (Fall 4:51)

175-Pounds

1st Place Match

Joseph Jeter (Edmond North) 4-0, Sr. over Nick Singer (Faith Christian Academy) 4-1, Jr. (Dec 6-4)

3rd Place Match

Brody Kelly (IC Catholic Prep) 5-1, Sr. over Gabriel Logan (Delbarton) 4-2, Jr. (SV-1 6-5)

5th Place Match

Brennan Warwick (Massillon Perry ) 5-2, Sr. over Luke Hamiti (Stillwater) 4-3, Sr. (MD 10-1)

7th Place Match

Ryan Meier (Blair Academy) 4-2, Sr. over Jackson Angelo (Lake Highland Prep) 4-3, Sr. (Fall 2:40)

190-Pounds

1st Place Match

Michael White (Lawrence North) 4-0, Sr. over C.j. Betz (Delbarton) 3-1, Sr. (MD 14-6)

3rd Place Match

Jimmy Mastny (Marian Central Catholic) 5-1, Jr. over Salah Tsarni (Blair Academy) 6-2, Jr. (Dec 5-3)

5th Place Match

Dominic Sumpolec (Notre Dame-Green Pond) 5-2, Sr. over Adam Waters (Faith Christian Academy) 3-2, Sr. (For.)

7th Place Match

Jaxon Penovich (St Viator) 4-2, Sr. over Frankie Pieffer (St Edward) 3-3, Jr. (Dec 2-1)

215-Pounds

1st Place Match

Maximus Konopka (Green Farms Academy) 5-0, Jr. over Cael Weidemoyer (Faith Christian Academy) 3-1, Sr. (Dec 9-5)

3rd Place Match

Aiden Cooley (Allen) 5-1, Sr. over Ceasar Salas (Crown Point) 4-2, So. (Dec 4-3)

5th Place Match

Carter Brown (Lafayette) 4-2, Jr. over Xander Horak (Massillon Perry) 5-3, So. (For.)

7th Place Match

Daniel Hoke (Graham) 5-2, over Devin Downes (Plainedge) 3-2, Sr. (M. For.)

285-Pounds

1st Place Match

Mark Effendian (Faith Christian Academy) 5-0, Sr. over Alex Taylor (Mount Vernon) 4-1, Sr. (Dec 5-2)

3rd Place Match

Lukas Zalota (Malvern Prep) 5-1, Jr. over Isaiah Taylor (AIM Academy) 29-10, Sr. (TB-1 2-1)

5th Place Match

Kameron Hazelett (Lowell) 3-2, So. over Trayvn Boger (South Summit) 3-3, Sr. (Fall 4:00)

7th Place Match

Zayne Candelaria (Sunnyside) 4-2, Sr. over Cael Mielnik (Blair Academy) 3-3, Jr. (Dec 4-2)