TYRONE - For the second year in a row, Altoona's T.J. Brandt has been tabbed a top seed for the District 6 Class AAA Tournament as a result of the seeding meeting Tuesday night at Tyrone High School
Brandt, who captured the 103-pound title last season, is the top seed at 112. He's the only No. 1 seed among area wrestlers. Brandt's teammate, Wendell Myers, is seeded second at 135, and Philipsburg-Osceola's Logan Walstrom is seeded second at 145.
"He's got a first seed, and that's a start," Altoona coach Joel Gilbert said of Brandt. "Hopefully, he comes out and wrestles hard."
P-O has five wrestlers seeded third in Brian Evans (112), Andrew Greenawalt (130), Kenny Myers (135), Luke Greenawalt (152) and Brad Anstine (189).
Altoona has two others seeded in the top four in third-seeded Jake Hines (140) and fourth-seeded Braeden Luciano (285). Hollidaysburg has two No. 4 seeds in Damian Huff (103) and Damian Lascoli (160).
The top four at every weight class advance to the Northwest Regional Tournament next week at the Altoona Fieldhouse.
That's a change from the past couple of years in which only the top three have advanced.
The tournament begins at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Fieldhouse.
The preliminaries, quarterfinals and a consolation round will be wrestled on the first day. Wrestling resumes at 11 a.m. Saturday with the semifinals. The consolation finals are scheduled for 5 p.m., and the championship finals will follow at 7.
Tournament newcomer Westmont Hilltop has five No. 1 seeds in Logan Blackburn (103), Josh Polacek (119), Tanner Hough (130), Ryan Burnheimer (189) and Josh Duplin (285), while Central Mountain has top seeds in Dillon Gavlock (135), Brian Brill (145) and Tyler Buckwalter (152).
Lewistown's Jake Schultz (140) and Tyson Searer (215), Bald Eagle Area's Coleman Hoffman (160) and Jacob Taylor (171) and Indian Valley's Kaleb Loht (125) are the other top seeds.
