Wrestling

2017-2018 DISTRICT III WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS LIKELY TO REMAIN IN HERSHEY

September 7, 2017 By District III

The PIAA District III Committee accepted the recommendations of the district’s wrestling steering committee to keep the 2017-2018 wrestling championships in Hershey at either Giant Center or Hersheypark Arena.

Last year, District III wrestling moved to Hershey’s Giant Center for the first time after several years at nearby Hersheypark Arena.  The district intended on returning to Giant Center for the 2017-2018 District III M&T Bank Wrestling Championships, but was recently informed that two of the three days required for the wrestling championships had been reserved for another event.  The wrestling championships will be conducted Feb. 22-24, 2018

New District III wrestling chairman Mike Craig, athletic director at Cumberland Valley HS, convened a meeting of the wrestling steering committee meeting on Aug. 30.  The site for the championships was the primary topic, and several options were considered.  In the end, the steering committee decided to return to Giant Center if the dates become available.  Should they not, District III has reserved Hersheypark Arena as the site for the championships.  There remains a slight chance that District III could seek other venues for the 2017-2018 wrestling championships, but that appears unlikely at this point.

District III will not make a final site determination until it converses with Hershey Entertainment & Resorts officials in December.

In addition, District III will continue with a four section format in both Class 2A and Class 3A, the same format it used in 2016-2017.  Four qualifiers in each weight class will advance from the section tournaments to the District III M&T Bank Wrestling Championships,  As it has for many years, the District III Class 3A Wrestling Championships will also serve as the PIAA Class 3A Southcentral Wrestling Tournament.

There are no changes in the District III M&T Bank Team Wrestling Championship format from recent seasons.  Class 3A will qualify the top 16 teams via the District III power rankings and will commence with first round and quarterfinal matches at the site of the top four seeds on Tuesday, Jan. 30.  Class 2A will qualify the top 8 teams via the power rankings and will commence on Wednesday, Jan. 31, with quarterfinals and semifinals at the site of the top two seeds.  Class 3A championship semifinals and consolation matches will be hosted at Spring Grove Area High School on Thursday, Feb. 1.  The District III M&T Bank Team Wrestling Championship finals and third-place matches will be conducted at Milton Hershey School’s Spartan Center on Saturday, Feb. 3.  A complete schedule will be released by District III at the beginning of the winter sports season.

SEVERAL REVISIONS TO DISTRICT III M&T BANK BOYS TEAM TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET

April 28, 2017 By District III

Next week’s college Advance Placement testing has forced District III to make numerous alterations to the 2016-2017 District III M&T Bank Boys Team Tennis Championships schedule.

The Team Tennis Championships will begin as scheduled on Thursday, May 4, but every day of the original team championship schedule has revisions.  The District III M&T Bank Boys Singles and Doubles Tennis Championships schedules have not been affected.  Singles will be played Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6 while doubles will be played Friday, May 12 and Saturday, May 13 as scheduled.

The Class 3A Team Championship dates are now Thursday, May 4 (first round); Monday, May 8 (quarterfinals); Tuesday, May 9 (semifinals) and Wednesday, May 10 (championship and third place)

The Class 2A Team Championship dates are now Monday, May 8 (quarterfinals), Tuesday May 9 (semifinals), Wednesday, May 10 (third place match) and Thursday, May 11 (championship).

Here is the new schedule by date (brackets are posted on the home page and Tennis Page of the website):

Thursday, May 4
Class 3A first round
No. 8 South Western v No. 9 Hershey at Hershey Racquet Club, 3:15 pm
No. 5 Cocalico v No. 12 Carlisle at Racquet Club West, Lancaster, 3 pm
No. 6 Cumberland Valley v No. 11 Muhlenberg at Hershey racquet Club, 2 pm
No. 7 Northeastern v No. 10 Cedar Crest at Hershey Racquet Club, 12:45 pm

Monday, May 8
Class 3A quarterfinals
South Western-Hershey winner at No. 1 Dallastown, 4 pm
Cocalico-Carlisle winner at No. 4 Wilson, 4 pm
Cumberland Valley-Muhlenberg winner at No. 3 Hempfield, 4 pm
Northeastern-Cedar Crest winner at No. 2 Manheim Central, 4 p.m.
Note: higher seeded schools have been requested to reserve indoor court time in the case of inclement weather

Class 2A quarterfinals
No. 1 Lancaster Country Day v No. 8 Camp Hill at Racquet Club West, Lancaster, 3 pm
No. 4 Lancaster Mennonite v No. 5 Bishop McDevitt at Hershey Racquet Club, 12:45 pm
No. 3 Littlestown v No. 6 East Pennsboro at Hershey Racquet Club, 2 pm
No. 2 Wyomissing v No. 7 Conrad Weiser at Hershey Racquet Club, 3:15 pm

Tuesday, May 9
Class 3A semifinals, both at Hershey Racquet Club, top bracket at 2 pm, bottom bracket at 12:45 pm
Class 2A semifinals, top bracket at Racquet Club West at 2 pm, bottom bracket at Hershey Racquet Club at 3:15 pm

Wednesday, May 10
Class 3A championship at Hershey Racquet Club, time TBA (either 2 pm or 3:15 pm)
Class 3A third place at Hershey Racquet Club, time TBA (either 2 pm or 3:15 pm)
Class 2A third place at Racquet Club West, 3 pm

Thursday, May 11
Class 2A championship at Hershey Racquet Club, 3 pm

Please note that times and locations remain subject to change

DISTRICT III COMMITTEE WELCOMES NEW MEMBER, APPOINTS NEW SPORTS CHAIRS

April 11, 2017 By District III

The PIAA District III Committee made several changes to its sports chairmanship lineup and welcomes a new committee member at its April 11, 2017, business meeting.

Steve Lyons, a self-employed businessman from Palmyra, was unanimously elected as the new District III male parents’ representative, replacing outgoing male parents’ representative Dale Myers of Hanover.  Mr. Myers has been District III’s only male parent representative since the position was established in 2001.  Mr. Lyons will serve a two-year term.

Cumberland Valley athletic director Mike Craig and Central Dauphin East athletic director Greg Goldthorp will be the co-chairmen for wrestling with assistance from School Board representative Mike Craig of Manheim Central.  Those gentlemen will replace Randy Umberger, who has resigned the position after many years of service.

With Mr. Craig switching his chairmanship to wrestling from lacrosse, YAIAA executive director Chuck Abbott has been appointed as the new District III lacrosse chairman.  Mr. Abbott was formerly the athletic director at Susquehannock High School and served as the YAIAA’s lacrosse chairman.