Here are some of the facts on Butler Sophomore Cole Baxter!

Wt:  145      2008-09 Season Record:  45-2      Career Record  78-10

Baxter entered the AAA PIAA Tournament as one of 13 undefeated wrestlers in AAA!

Baxter was Butler's 1st WPIAL Champion in the 18 year history of the program! 

Baxter's 5th place finish was the first state medal in the 18 year history of the program!

Baxter was 1 of  3 wreslters in the WPIAL who was undefeated going into the PIAA Tournament!

Baxter was the only sophomore and the youngest wrestler at 145 pounds in the tournament!

145 pounds was the only weight with two returning state champions, both were undefeated at 42-0, and 43-0 to start the state tournament!

145 was one of two weights with three undefeated wrestlers (Baxter, Alton, & Napoli), heavyweight was the other!

The win/loss record of the four 145 pound semi finalists including Baxter was an outstanding 169 wins and 1 loss!

Dylan Alton of Central Mountain and Joey Napoli of Cumberland Valley were both undefeated returning state champions and ranked #1 and # 3 in the nation by Amateur Wrestling News Magazine!

Baxter took down returning state champ Joey Napoli to start their semi final match, but eventually dropped an 8-6 decision.

Baxter gave up only 4 takedowns all season, three of them were at the state meet.

In final at 145, and the battle of the retuning state champions, Alton edged Napoli to win his second straight title and also the Outstanding Wrestler Award.

The Harrisburgh Patriot Newspaper labeled the 145 pound weight class the toughest weight in this seaon's state tournament!

Cole's brother Caleb, who is in 4th grade at Center Township Elementary, wrote a short story for his class about his big brother Cole.  In his story he propsed emphatically that his brother possesses no "strength"!  He went as far to say that, "Cole could not even pick up a piece of bark," or even the remote control to the TV!  It was a great piece of work, I read it myself!  Some of the best fiction I have ever read!

Congratulations Cole on an outstanding season, and Butler's first state medal!

WPIAL State Performance

The AAA WPIAL wrestlers put 11 wrestlers in the state finals!

The WPIAL won the first 5 weight classes at this year's PIAA State Tournament and a total of 7 weight classes! 

The WPIAL won 103, 112, 119, 125, 130, 160 and 215 pounds at this year's state tournament!

The WPIAL also put 4 other wrestlers in the finals at 103, 125, 135, and 140 pounds.

The WPIAL medaled 25 of 42 wrestlers in this year's state wrestling tournament!

Congratulations to this year's WPIAL wrestlers and placewinners!