The Whitehall wrestling program got a glimpse into the future at the recently completed District 11 junior varsity and junior high tournaments.

East Stroudsburg South High School was the setting for the 2017 Ray Nunamaker Memorial District XI Junior Varsity Tournament held Feb. 17 and 18, an event sponsored by the District 11 Wrestling Coaches Association.

The field this year featured 35 teams, with Whitehall sending 12 wrestlers to the tourney. They wound up finishing 8th, scoring 66.5 points to crack the top 10.

Bethlehem Catholic (228.5) won the tournament, easily outdistancing second-place Nazareth (168.5) by 63 points.

Whitehall had four wrestlers place at the junior varsity tourney.

At 106, Nick Demjan took 5th place, defeating Lehighton’s Kevin Medea by a fall in 0:55. Jovani Belman also took 5th place. Belman wrestles at 120 and defeated Lehighton’s Nate Lucykanish, pinning him in 2:22. Marino Collazo also finished 5th, meeting Panther Valley’s Noah Easterly in the 5-6 match. Collazo, who wrestles at 195, pinned Easterly in 4:48 for 5th place. Finally, Julio Diaz finished 3rd at 285. Diaz defeated Lehighton’s Jake Hauser in a tiebreaker, 5-4.

“It was a nice quality competition for junior varsity wrestlers,” said Doug Bonshak who coaches the junior varsity team. “It is a nice way to close out the year for these guys that worked just as hard as the varsity wrestlers but may not always get recognition.”

The junior high tournament was also held the same weekend. It featured 40 teams, split almost evenly between AA and AAA schools.

Northampton won the junior high tourney, finishing with 291.5 points. Nazareth (280.5) and Bethlehem Caloric (233.5) rounded out the top three. Whitehall finished 14th among the AAA schools, earning 66 points.

Whitehall had three wrestlers place in the junior high tourney.

At 82 lbs., Wilfred Jimenez finished 8th. Tyler Cunningham, who wrestles at 92, came in 2nd. At 157, Angelo Dadonna finished 6th.

With Whitehall’s success at the varsity level this season, the program will continue to grow as they look forward to another crop of talented young wrestlers.