Trending
By Todd Irwin
sports@altoonamirror.com
The Altoona wrestling team posted a 12-6 mark during the regular season, which is the program's best record since going 12-6 in 2016-17.
The Mountain Lions also had three District 6 champions in Braiden Weaver (114), Gavin Ciampoli (127) and Luke Sipes (152). All three went on to qualify for the PIAA Class 3A Championships, with Sipes placing fourth for his third state medal.
As a result, Altoona coach Joel Gilbert has been named the Altoona Mirror Coach of the Year for the second straight season on the 41st annual Mirror All-Star Team. Last season, he shared the honor with Tyrone's Quentin Wright, but Gilbert, in his 16th year as Altoona's head coach, has the honor all to himself this season. He was Altoona's first Mirror Coach of the Year last season.
"It was a great season," Gilbert said. "We had some really outstanding athletes who did some great things this year. We had a great support system of other coaches on the staff. As I said last year, it's not about me. It takes a community to help the kids out and get them in the right frame of mind and ready to go for the postseason."
"Coach Gilbert always does a great job getting us primed to wrestle at our best at the most important time of the year," Sipes said. "I'm happy for Coach Gilbert, and I'm happy he won Coach of the Year for the second year in a row. It's earned and deserved."
Wright and Northern Bedford coach Brian Dutchcot, whose team snapped Chestnut Ridge's 12-year run as District 5 Tournament champion, were also considered for the honor.
Altoona qualified for the District 6 Class 3A Duals, where it lost to Mifflin County, 34-33. Winning the Mountaineer Classic at Philipsburg-Osceola by going 6-0, including wins over Tyrone, 39-32, and P-O, 33-31, positioned the Mountain Lions for the spot in the district duals.
"My hat's off to the kids and how they performed under the pressure of wrestling good, tough competition," Gilbert said. "We're trying to get our schedule even better for next year. We're returning a lot of kids again. (Junior high) Coach (Ryan) Barr had a great season down at the junior high school. So Altoona wrestling is looking really good for the next few years."
Gilbert upgraded the schedule to include King of the Mountain and Powerade this past season. Next season, the Mountain Lions will replace the Ultimate Warrior with the Mid-Winter Mayhem.
There is excitement for the future of the Altoona program, which will feel the benefits of its second-ranked junior high team going 16-1 this past season.
"I think kids are excited about being part of a really good team that can compete not only as individuals but can compete on a dual meet level," he said. "Altoona has never won a District 6 Duals match, so I think that's one of our goals. You have to beat Mifflin County and Central Mountain. I believe these kids wholeheartedly believe they can do it."
The 50-year-old Gilbert, who has a career record of 143-152, still enjoys coaching and has no plans to stop coaching any time soon.
"It has its trials and tribulations at times," he said. "Ideally, I like to see the kids get better and I like to see them mature. I like to see them get an opportunity to go to college and just become productive members of the community.
"My ultimate goal was to always be a coach. That's why I got into the coaching field. I've had an opportunity to see a lot of kids do a lot of great things. I've always been happy to see them come back after getting a college degree in their hands, making a lot of money and doing some great things out in the community."
Sipes, Weaver and Ciampoli are all back next season, which is raising expectations for the program. Gilbert says he's already looking forward to next season
"It just starts right away," Gilbert said. "Ideally, we're going to get the boys together in the next few weeks and we're going to talk about freestyle and we need to do to accomplish our goals for next year and what went right and what went wrong this past season.
"It's one of those things where I really never focus on the wins and losses. I focus on the process and doing the right things. I think Altoona wrestling is on the rise right now. I think we've turned the corner a little bit to where people are starting to notice us a little bit more."