PIAA Wrestling: PGA’s Kurtz clinches medal in Class AA
Pine Grove's Zach Kurtz, top, breaks down Line Mountain's Jacob Schwalm during a Class AA 215-pound second-round consolation match at the PIAA Wrestling Championships on March 6, 2026, at the Giant Center in Hershey. Kurtz posted a 4-1 decision win. (Photo by Bob Lipsky)
Junior will wrestle for 7th place
HERSHEY — The Kurtz family has another state medalist.
Believing and battling, Pine Grove junior Zach Kurtz (215) won two bouts Friday morning to secure a spot on the awards platform and a Class AA state medal at the PIAA Wrestling Championships at the Giant Center in Hershey.
He joins his sister Eve Kurtz (eighth and sixth at states) with PIAA hardware.
For Zach Kurtz, it’s a dream come true.
“I’m feeling awesome,” he said after clinching his medal. “I’m almost in tears now. It’s my dream my entire life. I can’t believe it. Thanks be to God.
“I knew it was there,” Kurtz added. “I’ve been beating these good kids all year. I know I’m right there. I know I can medal. That’s something I can achieve. I know it’s in there. So I went out there and took it. I grabbed it within my hands. I just had to reach a little bit farther. I’m so happy about my life.”
Kurtz opened Day 2 with a 4-1 victory over Line Mountain’s Jacob Schwalm. Kurtz converted an escape and a takedown in the second period to take the lead, then rode Schwalm for the entire third period to wrap up the decision. Schwalm defeated Kurtz by one point earlier this season.
“I went out there to make a statement,” Kurtz said. “Riding out is not a lot about skill. It’s just about how bad you want it.”
Kurtz followed that win with a 3-1 decision over Northeast Regional champion Landon Tucker of Mifflinburg. With eight seconds left in the first period, Kurtz won a scramble for a takedown and a 3-0 lead. He fended off Tucker the rest of the way for the win.
In Friday’s late consolation round, Kurtz dropped a 4-1 decision to Erie Cathedral Prep’s Omar Arrington. The match started at 11 p.m. Arrington scored a third-period takedown; Kurtz tried to answer and was close to tying the bout but ran out of time.
Kurtz (41-11) meets Bishop McCort’s Marquez Gordon (37-15) on Saturday in a seventh-place match.
Some stellar careers came to an end in the second and third rounds of consolations.
Tri-Valley senior Owen Wolfgang (107) scored a takedown and an escape to lead 4-1 in the third period, but St. Marys’ Max Jovenitti locked up a cradle from neutral and took Wolfgang to his back for a seven-point move that gave Jovenitti an 8-4 decision in the second round of consolations.
Wolfgang, a District 11 champion, finished his season 39-11 and went 118-51 in his career.
Mahanoy Area senior Kyler Quick (215) bowed out in the second round of consolations with a 9-3 loss to Reynolds’ Colton Tupper. Quick finished the season 47-7 and went 141-51 in his career. Quick also is a District 11 champion and a three-time state qualifier.
North Schuylkill senior Cadyn McGraw (215) made a strong run through the draw, reaching the final 12 — the Blood Round — before exiting the tournament.
In the second round of consolations, McGraw scored early and often to earn a 15-5 major decision over Everett’s Tyson Grove. McGraw racked up three takedowns and a three-point near fall in the victory.
Bishop McCort’s Marquez Gordon ended McGraw’s season, building a big lead with tilts before pinning McGraw in 2:31.
“This deep in the tournament you know you’re going to get somebody good,” McGraw said. “So you’ve really got to open up and score some points.”
McGraw went 37-13 for the season and 107-68 in his career.
The three-day tournament concludes Saturday with fifth-round consolations at 9:30 a.m., third-, fifth- and seventh-place bouts at 11:30 a.m. and the championship finals in all three divisions on three mats at 4 p.m.
