2026 Chester County Challenge – Downingtown Wrestling Recap

Downingtown Middle School delivered an outstanding all-around performance at the 2026 Chester County Challenge hosted by our West Whippets, finishing 2nd overall as a team with 172.0 points, trailing only Penns Grove. From dominant varsity championship runs to a deep and productive JV lineup, the entire roster contributed to an impressive team showing.

🏆 Team Standings

Penns Grove – 191.5
Downingtown – 172.0
Avon Grove (Fred Engle) – 157.5
Great Valley – 120.5

Downingtown’s depth across nearly every weight class proved to be the difference, with multiple finalists, champions, and bonus-point wins.

🤼 Varsity Highlights

🥇 Champions

80 lbs – Lucas Spicer (23–2)

Lucas was dominant from start to finish, earning three falls on his way to the championship, including a lightning-fast pin in the finals. His run produced 23.5 team points.

101 lbs – Walker Hoffman (21–0)

Still unbeaten on the season, Hoffman secured the title with three straight falls, showcasing relentless pressure and control. He led all Downingtown wrestlers with 26.0 team points taking home the Outstanding Wrestler award!

🥈 Runner-Ups

94 lbs – Daniel Spicer (21–4)

Daniel stormed into the finals with back-to-back pins before dropping a tough decision in the championship bout, scoring 20.0 points.

122 lbs – Joseph Pearson (18–5)

Pearson recorded two quick falls to reach the finals, where he battled in a close decision loss. He added 20.0 team points.

145 lbs – Brayden Ellingsworth (21–2)

Ellingsworth cruised to the finals with a fall and a tech fall before being pinned in the title match, finishing with 19.5 points.

🥉 Third & Fourth Place Finishers

87 lbs – Dane Sigle (16–5) – 3rd place, 16.0 points

Bounced back strong after a semifinal loss with two wins, including a fall in the consolation semis.

108 lbs – Mikayla Dunn (15–8) – 4th place, 11.0 points

Dunn showed grit in the consolation rounds, earning a decision to reach the third-place match.

130 lbs – Graham Windle (11–6) – 4th place, 13.0 points

Windle picked up multiple falls and battled through the backside of the bracket.

250 lbs – Gabe Dijiacomo (12–4) – 4th place, 8.0 points

After an early loss, Dijiacomo responded with a pin to secure valuable team points.

Additional Contributors

Several varsity wrestlers contributed key wins and bonus points despite not placing, including Maclin Hamilton, Trenton Waltman, Evan Doust, and Jackson Bowen, helping Downingtown stay in the team race throughout the tournament.

🤼‍♂️ Junior Varsity (JV) Standouts

Downingtown’s JV squad was just as impressive, producing numerous champions and finalists and showing the program’s depth.

🥇 JV Champions

Tanner Gochnauer (75–83) – 17.0 pts
Grayson Barrett (82–87) – 20.0 pts
Michael Marturano (88–93) – 19.5 pts
Kayden Estrada (95–100) – 18.0 pts
Brandon McKeon (101–107) – 19.5 pts
Timmy Heurich (116–120) – 20.0 pts
Chase Chandler (127–129) – 18.0 pts
Makai Moore (131–133) – 18.0 pts
Devin Goine (136–138) – 15.0 pts
Caleb Starnes (141–143) – 18.0 pts
Andrew Garthwaite (158–162) – 18.5 pts

Many of these wrestlers went undefeated with multiple falls, tech falls, and major decisions, highlighting Downingtown’s strength across the JV lineup.

🥈 JV Runner-Ups

Strong second-place finishes came from Michael Lubragge, Jack Cantley, Ryen Resnick, Kincade McIntosh, Roland Fritz, Eric Liao, Dylan Bolles, Vedant Bhalerao, and Lucas Santos, each contributing valuable team points and hard-fought matches.

🥉–4️⃣ Additional Placers

JV wrestlers Cash Keesey, Likky Boni, Julia Gallagher, Violet Stone, and Asa Shearer gained important tournament experience and contributed to the team effort.

🔵 Final Takeaway

Finishing 2nd overall, Downingtown Middle School showcased a complete program effort at the Chester County Challenge. With varsity champions, multiple finalists, and a dominant JV performance, the future looks exceptionally bright for the program.

This tournament result adds to what has already been an incredible season for DMS wrestling. Downingtown has gone undefeated throughout the regular season, a testament to the athletes’ work ethic, depth, and commitment in the room. With the regular season now complete, middle school postseason wrestling is all that remains, as the team turns its focus toward SEPA in February, where this battle-tested group will look to finish an outstanding year on a strong note.

Go Downingtown!