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Gold standard: Here are all of the Bucks County area PIAA wrestling champions

drew markol, bucks county courier times
·3 min read

Last season was a rare one for the Courier Times/Intelligencer coverage area as far as producing PIAA champs is concerned.

Usually, our area crowns a state champ every three to five years, but last year was way different as three wrestlers, Quakertown's Collin Gaj and Faith Christian's Gauge Botero and Adams Waters, all won gold in Hershey (and Quakertown's Mason Ziegler reached the state final).

Even better, all four of them are back this season looking for more.

What follows, in alphabetical order by school with the wrestler's name, the year he won and the weight class, is a list of all of the area's PIAA champs.

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Take a look:

Faith Christian's Gauge Botero became the school's first PIAA champion last season.
Faith Christian's Gauge Botero became the school's first PIAA champion last season.

Abington

Pete Drehman, 1966, 250 pounds

Central Bucks East

Marc Sodano, 1982, 112 pounds

Council Rock

Rocky Mantella, 2001, 152 pounds

Scott Stay, 1994, 189 pounds

C.D. Mock, 1977, 126 pounds

Mike Sipler, 1977, 155 pounds

Kurt Mock, 1974, 126 pounds

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Council Rock North

Jamie Callender, 2010, 189 pounds

Council Rock South

Zack Trampe, 2017, 132 pounds

Billy Rappo, 2012, 113 pounds

Josh Dziewa, 2010, 135 pounds

Mark Rappo, 2008, 103 pounds

Mike Rappo, 2006, 130 pounds

Mike Rappo, 2005, 119 pounds

Austin Carter, 2005, 160 pounds

Rick Rappo, 2004, 103 pounds

Quakertown's Collin Gaj (right) became the Panthers' first non-senior to win a PIAA title last season.
Quakertown's Collin Gaj (right) became the Panthers' first non-senior to win a PIAA title last season.

Faith Christian

Gauge Botero, 2023, 121 pounds

Adam Waters, 2023, 172 pounds

Harry S. Truman

Frank Bing, 1982, 98 pounds

Hatboro-Horsham

Dennis Merriam, 1975, 132 pounds

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Neshaminy

Mike Pirozzola, 2000, 145 pounds

Mike Pirozzola, 1999, 140 pounds

Ed Curran, 1984, 126 pounds

Greg McBride, 1963, 103 pounds

Neshaminy (Maple Point)

John Reich, 1979, 167 pounds

John Reich, 1978, 155 pounds

Council Rock South's Zack Trampe won a PIAA title in 2017.
Council Rock South's Zack Trampe won a PIAA title in 2017.

North Penn

Zac Fryling, 2003, 160 pounds

Zac Fryling, 2002, 160 pounds

Josh Henson, 1991, 171 pounds

Chris Kwortnik, 1989, 171 pounds

Chris Kwortnik, 1988, 167 pounds

Chris Kwortnik, 1987, 167 pounds

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Dan Finacchio, 1987, 112 pounds

Jim Kwortnik, 1983, 155 pounds

Bob Hallman, 1965, 98 pounds

Palisades

Nate Haubert, 2018, 145 pounds

Andy Povenski, 1997, 171 pounds

Pennridge's Josh Stillings won a PIAA title in 2018.
Pennridge's Josh Stillings won a PIAA title in 2018.

Pennridge

Josh Stillings, 2018, 182 pounds

Dan Goetter, 2005, 215 pounds

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Pennsbury

Chuckie Connor, 1996, 112 pounds

Kip Kiefer, 1991, 119 pounds

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Quakertown

Pat Flynn, 2006, 189 pounds

Collin Gaj, 2023, 145 pounds

John Hangey, 1988, 185 pounds

John Rittenhouse, 1987, 132 pounds

Souderton

Mike Salone, 1988, 145 pounds

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Drew Markol: dmarkol@theintell.com; @dmarkol

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Take a look at every Bucks County area PIAA wrestling champion