General McLane's Magnus Lloyd among defending champs for D-10 Class 3A wrestling meet
Magnus Lloyd has substantial knowledge about competing in a state wrestling tournament.
The General McLane sophomore, who seeks to defend his 172-pound championship at Thursday's District 10 Class 3A tournament at Meadville, was a state gold medalist well before he initially wore a Lancers' singlet.
Lloyd was the age 8-and-under, 110-pound winner for the 2015 Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling's youth tournament. He and his family needed scant travel time to it, as that year's competition was held at Erie Insurance Arena.
Before this month, many of Lloyd's current teammates hadn't experienced wrestling in such a larger-than-normal venue.
That was a bonus the 2021-22 Lancers enjoyed when they upset Cathedral Prep in the district's 3A team final. Not only did they record it on the Ramblers' home mat, but directly advanced to the main portion of the PIAA tournament at Hershey's Giant Center.
“Just getting to wrestle down there once before (the individual state tournament) – really, just having the whole team down there – that was fun,” Lloyd said. “A very cool experience.”
Like all of Thursday's wrestlers, Lloyd would like to make the Giant Center their travel destination in two weeks. The three-day state meet is scheduled there March 10-12.
Lloyd was denied that opportunity as a McLane freshman. He won the district's 172-pound division with two technical falls by a combined score of 31-0 but was eliminated in the consolation second round of the ensuing Northwest Region 3A tournament at Altoona.
Lloyd finished that season, which was shortened because of COVID-19 issues, at 19-5. However, at 30-7 this year, he could equal and surpass the 50-victory mark Thursday.
That would leave Lloyd more than halfway to reaching high school wrestling's cherished 100-win milestone with two full seasons left.
“I try not to think about that much,” he said, “but it is right around where I expected to be. And, wanted to be.”
Lloyd, thanks to a bye, will open defense of his 172 district crown in Thursday's semifinal round. He'll face Warren's Jason Stillson (2-11) or Erie High's Matt Eggleston (5-8).
Lloyd is one of seven returning champs from last year's tournament who are listed in Thursday's brackets. They, like all others, must finish in the top three of their divisions to qualify for next weekend's Northwest Region 3A tournament at Altoona.
Van Dee defense
Cathedral Prep hosted the 2021 district tournament. Mostly because of the pandemic, only three of the 13 brackets listed the maximum of six wrestlers.
Four of the Ramblers' gold medalists from that meet are back Thursday. None is more notable than defending state champion Jake Van Dee, who can become a rare four-time district champion.
The last of Van Dee's three current championships was last season's first-place appearance at 113 pounds. He went on to win a PIAA Class 3A title in that weight class.
Injuries hindered Van Dee's mat time last month. However, the University of Nebraska recruit still goes into his district finale with a perfect 13-0 record, mostly as a 126-pounder, and 104-20 overall.
The 126 field is the one Van Dee is favored to win Thursday. He'll open in the semifinals vs. McDowell's Connor Dvorak (8-16) or McLane's Ethan Brest (9-15).
Other returning Ramblers
Kaemen Smith soon could join Van Dee as a 100-win wrestler for Prep.
Smith, also a senior, is 94-28 overall and 23-2 this season. The district's 126-pound champ as a sophomore and 132-pound winner as a junior will seek his third title at 152.
Smith will meet Warren's Grant Heeler (10-12) or Meadville's Westin Chess (21-5) in the semis.
Prep's other returning district champs are juniors Sam Staab and Ian Irvin.
Staab is Thursday's favorite at 132. Irvin is a 138 quarterfinalist.
Top Trojans
McDowell should have a returning champ in Logan Carrick (23-9). The senior is a 145 participant a year after he was the district's best at 138.
Carrick's victory total is second to Caleb Butterfield (25-7) among the 2021-22 Trojans. Butterfield, a junior, has been their regular starter at 160 since mid-January.
Artis Simmons (20-4 at 152) and Troy Peterson (22-4 at 215) are other McDowell probable competitors with 20-plus wins. Peterson was seeded first in his division.
Buzzell is back
Meadville's Griffin Buzzell (20-2) should be the most notable wrestler for the tournament's host team.
Buzzell seeks his third district gold medal, this one at 189. The Bulldogs' senior finished first in that weight for 2021 and in PIAA's former 182-pound division in 2020.
New field for future meets
Thursday will be the last 3A tournament appearance for McLane and Warren until at least 2025.
The PIAA recently announced the district's realignments for all sports over its next two-year enrollment cycle. The Lancers and Dragons will revert to Class 2A for that span, which means their wrestlers must compete in a section tournament just to gain district berths.
Hickory, this season's district 2A champ, was reclassified to 3A for the state's 2023 and 2024 postseasons. The Hornets will take on wrestlers from Prep, McDowell, Erie High and Meadville during those district meets.
Contact Mike Copper at mcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNcopper.
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District 10 wrestling
Class 3A championships
At Meadville High School
Thursday, 4 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: McLane's Magnus Lloyd a defending champ for D-10 3A wrestling meet
