Although it wasn’t the wrestling results they were looking for, wrestlers from Team Oklahoma still came away from the heralded Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic with an incredible experience.
Victories were hard to come by for the Men’s and Women’s Oklahoma All-Star teams, but the results of the duals will soon be forgotten. Memories for the 12 men and 12 women who competed for Team Oklahoma will recall bonding with new friends, participating in a renowned and historic event that was perfectly organized in a first class atmosphere, and representing their school and Oklahoma to the best of their abilities.
Oklahoma only managed three individual wins, with Edmond North’s Joseph Jeter’s win in the head-liner USA vs. Pennsylvania dual, helping the USA team post a 23-19 win. Deer Creek’s Garon Kaiser picked up a win for Oklahoma’s Men’s All-Star Team in their battle with the Western Pennsylvania All-Stars and Broken Arrow’s Kristen DeLaRosa registered a win for the Oklahoma Women’s All-Star Team in their dual against the Pennsylvania All-Stars.
Wrestling at 172 lbs., Edmond North’s No. 3 Joseph Jeter picked up the final win for Team USA, with a 13-7 decision over No. 16 Gage Wentzel from Montoursville, PA. It was all Jeter for the first two periods as he jumped to an 11-0 on his way to the win. His win put Team USA up, 23-6, before Pennsylvania won the last three to make the final team score, USA-23, Pennsylvania-19.
In the Women’s dual, Broken Arrow’s Kristen DeLaRosa picked up an 11-4 win over nationally ranked Daylee Watson from Conneaut Area, PA to be named the Oklahoma Women’s Outstanding Wrestler. In the Men’s dual, Deer Creek’s Garon Kaiser was named Oklahoma Men’s Outstanding Wrestler after his 4-0 win over Mt. Lebanon’s Cole Gibbons.
Competing on the women’s team were Feliciti Doolittle (Douglass), Vanity Brown (Douglass), Kristen DeLaRosa (Broken Arrow), Kelcie Avallone (Barnsdall), Aubrey Brown (Putnam City North), Teyanna Fields (Lawton), Hannah Miller (Bridge Creek), Nevaeh Reyes (Lawton), Makenna Howell (Ada), Piper Morton (Oologah), Brook West (Comanche), and Brielle Williams (Lawton). Coaches for the women’s team were Jermell Perry (Douglass), Jeff Elbert (Lawton), Dwayne DeNolf (Putnam City North), and Tom Johnston.
Competing for the Men’s team were Kolten Terwilliger (Salina), Taii Walsh (Cache), Eric Casula (Stillwater), Tommy Dean Miller (Marlow), Brayden Mixay (Carl Albert), Seth Hoodenpyle (Noble), Cooper Miller (Bridge Creek), Garon Kaiser (Deer Creek), Gavin Wyatt (Grove), Connor Wines (Noble), Kanon Clift (Comanche), and Konway Williamson (Salina). Coaches for the men’s team were Curt Hodges (Carl Albert), Fay Barnett (Cashion), Sammy Johnson (Ft. Gibson), and Zach Hale (Noble).
The teams were originally scheduled to be made up only of seniors, but due to the lack of seniors competing, Oklahoma received permission to complete the roster with sophomores and juniors. Sophomores competing were Feliciti Doolittle, Vanity Brown, and Cooper Miller. Juniors competing were Brielle Williams, Kolten Terwilliger, Connor Wines, and Konway Williamson.
A bit of history was made in the event, with Oklahoma’s second father-son duo competing in the event. Marlow’s Ray Miller competed in 1988 and his son Tommy Dean Miller competing for Team Oklahoma this year. Ray attended this year’s event as the honorary coach for Team USA in the premier dual against the Pennsylvania All-Stars.
More history was made as the brother-sister duo of Cooper and Hannah Miller from Bridge Creek being the first Oklahoma siblings to compete in the prestigious Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic.
While the trip ultimately proved to be a success, the path to getting there was anything but simple.
Originally expected to play a supporting role in organizing the event, the Oklahoma Wrestling Coaches Association (OWCA) leadership quickly found themselves managing the full scope of the trip when early coordination stalled. With the help of Vice President Tom Johnston, the group worked to assemble competitive lineups while balancing the demands of the high school season.
Roster consistency proved to be the biggest challenge. Due to injuries, other commitments, and various other factors, Oklahoma saw 29 lineup changes throughout the process, including a few late changes the week of departure. Despite the ever changing line-ups, the OWCA remained committed to the opportunity, ultimately bringing teams largely made up of state champions and state placers willing to step in and compete.
Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic organizers—including Kraig Nellis, Greg Severyn, Jeff Upson, Phill Mary, and John and Zac Bowman—worked closely with Oklahoma throughout the process, showing flexibility as adjustments were made.
For many of the wrestlers, the experience went far beyond competition. Broken Arrow’s Kristen DeLaRosa stated “It was honestly an amazing experience and something I’ve never gotten to do before. They took really good care of us the whole time, and I had so much fun. I made a lot of great memories and met a lot of new friends. It truly felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I’m really honored I got to be a part of it!”
The scale of the event became clear during the pre-match banquet, which featured notable figures such as longtime announcer Sandy Stevens and NCAA finalist Nico Megaludis. From that point forward, athletes were immersed in a nationally recognized event environment. Coach Jeff Elbert of Lawton said “Seeing the excitement on our kids’ faces during the face-offs, press conferences, and photo shoots is something I won’t forget. Watching that level of wrestling during the duals was both humbling and motivating.”
Between media coverage from FloWrestling, organized team functions, and a professionally run schedule, Oklahoma’s wrestlers were treated to a first-class experience throughout the weekend.
Future Carl Albert State College teammates Kelcie Avallone (Barnsdall), Brook West (Comanche), and Piper Morton (Oologah) all enjoyed competing in Pittsburgh. Avallone said “This was an amazing experience and I am so glad I had the opportunity to represent Oklahoma with these other amazing people!! This was an experience I will never forget!! West stated “I made a lot of great memories and built new friendships. I’m very grateful I was chosen to represent Oklahoma on the national stage.” Morton agreed, stating “This was such a huge blessing. I am super grateful to have met all the awesome people on this trip! It was a super cool experience seeing wrestling from other parts of the country. The coaching staff was super supportive and the girls were hilarious. This made me super hyped for college wrestling and what comes with it!”
On the mat, Oklahoma faced a deep and talented Pennsylvania squad in a challenging environment. With limited traveling support, the teams competed in front of a largely pro-Pennsylvania crowd. Despite that, Oklahoma athletes competed with composure and effort, gaining valuable exposure against high-level competition. Noble Coach Zach Hale said “Our Oklahoma athletes showed grit, showed poise in the face of adversity, but more importantly they showed up ready to wrestle with pride for their state and schools.”
Coach Sammy Johnson of Ft. Gibson said: “The level of wrestling was top notch, showcasing some outstanding talent and competition. Most importantly, the kids we brought represented their schools with class, behaved the right way, and made us proud both on and off the mat.”
Pennsylvania’s depth was evident, but Oklahoma wrestlers remained competitive throughout the duals, showing toughness and the ability to adjust to a different style of wrestling. Ada’s Makenna Howell said “This experience was so fun, and I loved getting the opportunity to wrestle some of the best.” Lawton’s Teyanna Fields echoed those comments, stating “It was a great opportunity to learn and see some of the best wrestlers in the nation.”
More importantly, the experience delivered on its intended purpose. Athletes built relationships, represented their schools with pride, and gained perspective that extends beyond wins and losses. Putnam City North Coach Dewayne DeNolf stated “Having an opportunity to coach and learn from great coaches from our area and watch the growth of our kids wrestling top quality athletes from Pennsylvania truly was a great experience not only for our kids but for me as a coach. Being able to discuss philosophies with coaches from another state is always enlightening. The PWC was a top notch event.”
A defining moment of the trip came during the banquet, when the OWCA presented event organizers with a custom made Oklahoma All-Star shadowbox. The gesture was met with strong appreciation, as organizers noted it was the first time a visiting team had presented a gift of that kind—referring to Oklahoma as a “first-class team.”
The message included with the presentation reflected the mindset behind the trip:
“Win or lose, you will never regret working hard, making sacrifices, being disciplined, or maintaining focus. Success is measured by how well we prepare for competition.” — John Smith
Coach Hale summed up his feeling stating “Despite the challenges we faced in bringing this event to life, the outcome reflects what is possible when people remain committed to a greater purpose. In both sport and life, when we work hard and strive to do what is best for our student-athletes, we are always moving in the right direction. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience our student-athletes will carry with them forever.”
Team USA 23, PA All-Stars 19
121-Alex Rozas (USA) dec Dominic Deputy, 4-0
127-Will Detar (PA) dec Mason Jakob, 4-1 SV OT
133-Keanu Dillard (PA) dec Nicholas Garcia, 5-1 OT TB2
139-Moses Mendoza (USA) dec Camden Baum, 8-6
139-Tyler Dekraker (USA) tech fall Dalton Wenner, 18-3 (4:23)
145-Kellen Wolbert (USA) dec Michael Turi, 4-1
152-Hunter Stevens (USA) dec Hudson Hohman, 4-1
160-Jayden James (USA) dec Reagan Milheim, 17-10
172-Joseph Jeter (USA) dec Gage Wentzel, 13-7
189-Adam Waters (PA) dec Michael White, 8-7
215-Elijah Brown (PA) tech fall Kal-El Fluckiger, 15-0 (1:12)
285-Dean Bechtold (PA) tech fall Cliff Nicholson III, 15-0 (1:31)
Pennsylvania 51, Oklahoma 3
100-Ashley Stank (PA) dec Feliciti Doolittle, 4-0
106-Julia Horger (PA) maj dec Vanity Brown, 25-11
112-Kristen DeLaRosa (OK) dec Daylee Watson, 11-4
118-Lillian Rumsey (PA) dec Kelcie Avallone, 9-6
124-Mai Graham (PA) tech fall Aubrey Brown, 16-1 (2:09)
130-Julissa Ortiz (PA) maj dec Teyanna Fields, 13-5
136-Zoe Furman (PA) pinned Hannah Miller, 1:13
142-Ava Golding (PA) pinned Nevaeh Reyes, 0:59
148-Paige Jox (PA) tech fall Makenna Howell, 20-4 (3:31)
155-Olivya Kroope (PA) pinned Piper Morton, 5:29
190-Caroline Hattala (PA) pinned Brook West, 3:42
235-Brenda Banks (PA) dec Brielle Williams, 7-0
Pennsylvania WPIAL 56, Oklahoma 3
121 Cam Baker (WPIAL) TF Kolten Terwilliger, 18-2 5:04
127 Santino Sloboda (WPIAL) MD Taii Walsh, 12-1
133 ALucas Barr (WPIAL) DEC Eric Casula, 5-4
133 BAntonio Boni (WPIAL) F Tommy Dean Miller, 5:05
139 Collier Hartman (WPIAL) F Brayden Mixay, 1:34
145 Julian Bertucci (WPIAL) F Seth Hoodenpyle, 2:55
152 Jonah Erdely (WPIAL) TF Cooper Miller, 15-0 4:00
160 Garon Kaiser (OK) DEC Cole Gibbons, 4-0
172 Zach Labryer (WPIAL) TF Gavin Wyatt, 17-2 3:37
189 Malachi Peak (WPIAL) F Connor Wines, 5:19
215 Cooper Roscosky (WPIAL) TF Kanon Clift, 17-2 2:20
285 Bradyn Mcconneha (WPIAL) TF Konway Williamson, 15-0 5:24
