Harford youth win state wrestling titles

The Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro will be filled with hungry, state title-seeking high school wrestlers this weekend.

Last weekend, though, it was the youth wrestling contingent who battled for state titles at the Maryland Youth Wrestling State Tournaments.

Boys aged 8U-14U and girls 8U to high school battled Saturday and Sunday to win or place in the brackets.

Several representing Harford County rec progams and high schools placed top six and four won state titles.

Madison Birth, daughter of former Bel Air High School state champ, Scott Birth, qualified for Saturday’s boys state tournament for 10U at 60 pounds, but did not place.

Birth, who wrestles for Havre de Grace rec, also wrestled in the girls state tournament on Sunday and won the state title at 63 pounds for 10U.

She is also the first female to ever win the Upper Chesapeake Wrestling League (UCWL) tournament held last month.

John Carroll sophomore Julianne Moccia also won a title for high schoolers in the 111-pound weight class.

Younger brother Aaron Moccia (10U) also won a state title at 97 pounds.

Arthur Konschak (10U) was a state title winner as well at 135 pounds. Both wrestle for Bel Air Junior Wrestling.

There were also three second place finishes. They were Chase Pocalyko (8U) of Bel Air at 50 pounds; Ian Moccia (14U) of Bel Air at 105 pounds; and Sawyer Graham, of C. Milton Wright, at 162 pounds.

John Carroll’s Gia Checo Roques (14U) was third at 123 pounds and Brock Dreyer (8U) was third at 55 pounds.

Julia Lawrence (8U) of Havre de Grace was fourth at 76 pounds and Cade Zengel (14U) of Bel Air was also fourth at 165 pounds. Owen Vallowe (8U) of Bel Air placed fourth as well at 50 pounds.

Oscar Davis (10U) added a sixth place finish at 80 pounds for Bel Air.

Olympic gold medalist Helen Maroulis showed up for the event Sunday and was taking pictures and signing autographs for the girls.