Butler freshman Sloboda takes 4th at PIAA Wrestling Championships
HERSHEY — Santino Sloboda did not check out of Hershey with a state wrestling championship.
But the Butler freshman checked off a lot of boxes this season.
Northern Sectional champion.
40 victories.
WPIAL 107-pound runner-up.
PIAA fourth-place finisher.
“My goals are still to win a state championship and get a Division I scholarship,” Sloboda said. “Getting to experience wrestling in the Giant Center as a freshman will help me toward that. I was a little nervous out here this weekend. I have to admit that.
“But I’ve learned from it.”
Sloboda reached the 107-pound semifinals Saturday, where he ran into undefeated Keanu Dillard (24-0) of Bethlehem Catholic. Dillard scored an 8-2 decision against Sloboda.
“That kid is No. 1 ranked in the country at that weight class,” Butler coach Scott Stoner said. “Santino scored the first takedown in that match. It shows where he is as a wrestler. He’s in that neighborhood.”
Sloboda (40-3) got into the consolation final with a 2-1 decision of Max Tancini of Perkomen Valley. He decisioned Tancini 3-0 to begin the state tournament.
Tancini decisioned Canon McMillan’s Tanner Mizenko — who pinned Sloboda in the WPIAL finals — earlier in the state tourney.
“After that loss (to Dillard), I had to regroup mentally for that next match,” Sloboda said. “I knew it’d be a tough one. Everybody out here is a great wrestler. I feel like I showed I belong.
“I had the first takedown (against Dillard), but he had an answer for everything. He’s so polished and knows how to control a match.”
Stoner said the Dillard match was closer than the 8-2 score might indicate.
“Santino was trailing and had to try something late,” the coach said. “He got caught and gave up a few late points. But that was a good match.”
Sloboda dropped a 12-1 decision to Colby Martinelli of Pennridge in the consolation final to claim fourth place. He became the third Butler wrestler to ever place at the PIAA meet, joining Cole Baxter (twice) and Christian Sequete, who was the last to do so (2018).
Baxter is the only other Golden Tornado wrestler to win at least 40 matches in a season. He was 33-8 in his freshman season. Sloboda’s 40-3 record is the second-highest winning percentage in program history as well, trailing only Baxter’s 45-2 mark his sophomore season.
“He put together the best freshman season in our program’s history,” Stoner said.
And he wants more.
“I walk into the gym every day and see the records, all of those names on the wall,” Sloboda said. “I want to be on top of all of those dudes.”
Seneca Valley’s Connor Smith (33-10) paced eighth at 114 pounds, dropping a 3-2 decision to Franklin Regional’s Tyler Kapusta in the seventh-eighth place match. Smith split his six matches in Hershey.
The Raiders’ Tyler Chappell did not place at 127, ending his senior season at 32-9.
