Punxsy wrestler headed to states

March 5, 2012

Joel Bowers

ALTOONA — Over the past weekend, Punxsy's wrestling team traveled to Altoona for the Class AAA Northwest Regional Tournament, with a record number of 10 Chucks advancing to the tournament.

One Punxsy grappler — sophomore Joel Bowers — earned a berth to the PIAA Class AAA State Championships next weekend in Hershey.

Bowers earned victories over McDowell's Coleman Cousins (2-1 decision) and St. Marys' Evan Smith (10-2 decision), avenging a loss to Smith in the D-IX tournament last weekend.

With the victory over Smith, Bowers advanced to the regional final and cemented his place at states.

Fellow District IX wrestler Anthony Vizza, of DuBois, earned a close 2-1 victory over Bowers in the final to earn the title.

For more on the AAA Northwest Regional Tournament, see Tuesday’s edition of Spirit Sports.