Date Set for 52nd Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic

The 52nd Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic returns March 28 with three premier duals — including a women’s PA–Oklahoma matchup and a nationally stacked U.S. All-Stars vs. Pennsylvania main event

Latrobe's Leo Joseph, right, won his 121-pound match to help the WPIAL all-star team beat the New Jersey team at the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic / Josh Rizzo

The best high school wrestlers from around the United States will again gather at Peters Township's AHN Arena on March 28.

The 52nd version of the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic will feature three dual meets. For the third time, the PWC will feature women's dual, this time between the Pennsylvania and Oklahoma women's teams.

The WPIAL, the league consisting of schools from Western Pensylvania, will also take on the Oklahoma All-Stars. The event will be headlined between a match from the Pennsylvania and U.S. All-Stars.

The women's meet will be the first match of the event and will start at 3 p.m., followed by the WPIAL vs. Oklahoma match at 4:15 p.m. and the U.S All-Stars vs. Pennsylvania match at 6 p.m. More information will be released in January.

Upset highlighted last year's event

The U.S. All-Stars knocked off Pennsylvania, 26-16 last season. But it was Thomas Jefferson wrestler Maddox Shaw who produced the main event's most surprising result. Shaw, who was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler for the Pennsylvania All-Stars, beat California's Daniel Zepeda at 152 pounds.

Shaw scored the winning takedown with 12 seconds remaining to collect an 8-5 victory. Zepeda was ranked No. 1 in the country at the time.

The U.S. All-Stars have won 12 of the last 13 meetings with team Pennsylvania.

Last year's U.S. All-Stars-PA men's results

121 pounds - Gauge Botero (Faith Christian Academy) win by decision Ethan Timar (Brunswick, Ohio), 4-3 UTB

127 - Ronnie Ramirez (Walnut, Calif.) decision Nathan Desmond (Wyoming Seminary), 6-5

133 - Aaron Seidel (North Lebanon) major decision Matthew Botello (Hingham, Mass.), 9-0

139 - Sergio Varga (Tuscon, Ariz.) technical fall Tahir Parkins (Nazareth), 20-4 5:30

145 - Eren Sement (Council Rock North) decision Nikade Zinkin (Clovis, Calif.), 4-2

152 - Maddox Shaw (Thomas Jefferson) decision Daniel Zepeda (Gilroy, Calif.), 8-5

160 - Landon Robideau (St. Michael, Minn.) decision Kollin Rath (Bethlehem Catholic), 10-4

172 - LaDarion Lockett (Stillwater, Okla.) tech fall Bode Marlow (Thomas Jefferson), 19-4

189 - Lane Foard (Reva, Va.) major decision Ty Morrison (West Perry), 10-0

215 - Angelo Posada (Poway, Calif.) decision Austin Johnson (Munch),4-1

285 - Rocco Dellagatta (Holmdel, N.J.) decision Rowan Holmes (Somerset), 7-3

What is the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic?

The Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic was established in 1975 to give wrestling a premier all-star game featuring athletes from all around the country. It has been known as the Rose Bowl of high school wrestling.

The event has seen some of the top names in the sport come through the event. Kurt Angle, Bo Nickal, Cael Sanderson and Henry Cejudo are a few of the wrestlers who went on to great accomplishments to compete in the event.

--Josh Rizzo | rizzo42789@gmail.com | @J_oshrizzo