HERSHEY — West Scranton’s Tommy Schechterly, Abington Heights’ Hayden Manning and Hazleton Area’s Gabe Benyo hoped to leave the Giant Center with gold medals draped around their necks.

The District 2 wrestlers didn’t claim the ultimate prize Saturday, but the underclassmen will have more opportunities to stand atop the podium at the PIAA Championships.

“It feels great (to get silver),” Schechterly said. “Right now at the moment though I’m pretty bummed. Of course you want to win. It always feels great to win.”

Reaching the state final is an accomplishment in and of itself, especially since all three were at their first state tournament.

“It means that I have more to grow, but I’m getting there,” Manning said of the silver medal. “I’m doing well. It shows me I still have more to grow and I think that’s really important.”

In the Class 3A 160-pound final, Schechterly faced Altoona’s Gavin Ciampoli, who is ranked second in the state according to PA Power Wrestling. The West Scranton sophomore hoped to avenge a 5-2 loss he suffered to Ciampoli on Jan. 10.

After a scoreless first period, Schechterly (fourth in state) chose bottom and fought off back points as Ciampoli went for the tilt. Then he got his escape for a one-point lead. However, Ciampoli answered with a takedown and two back points for a four-point lead. Schechterly got an escape to cut the deficit to three points, but Ciampoli put the match away in the third, securing an escape and a takedown for a 9-3 victory.

“There’s definitely some things I think I could have done better and should have done better, but it was in the heat of the moment,” Schechterly said. “I had a couple mess-ups, but you learn from it.”

Schechterly is West Scranton’s second state finalist, as the program’s all-time wins leader Dave Morgan also earned a silver medal in 2004. He went 39-7 this season, and captured District 2 and Northeast Regional titles.

Manning (sixth in state) faced not only the No. 1 wrestler in the state at 155 pounds, but also the top wrestler in the country in Chestnut Ridge’s Violette Lasure.

Lasure secured a takedown in the first period, a reversal and two back points in the second and a takedown and pin in the third for her third-straight state gold medal.

“She’s tough. She’s very strong,” Manning said. “I think it showed me what this next level is really about, this brute strength and toughness that these girls have and I think it’s just preparing me to keep going and moving forward.”

Manning went 34-3 this season, and captured a District 2 title and Central Regional bronze. Her losses came to Lasure, Chestnut Ridge’s Juliet Alt, now a two-time state champion; and Clearfield’s Makayla Taylor, who placed seventh in the state at 155.

Benyo (third in state) had a rematch with Northampton’s Brayden Wenrich (first in state, 16th in nation according to FloWrestling). They faced off in the 114-pound Northeast Regional final last weekend, with Wenrich earning a 9-1 major decision.

“Just don’t give up any stupid takedowns, and just wrestle smart and tough,” Benyo said of his mindset entering the finals match.

He did that, as the match went scoreless until their were 26 seconds left. That’s when Benyo was called for a stall and Wenrich received a point, after he was given a stall warning in the first period. That was the difference, as Wenrich prevailed, 1-0.

“I feel like I wrestled good, and I’m definitely happy,” Benyo said. “It was an awesome experience.”

Benyo went 42-5 this season, and captured a District 2 title and Northeast Regional silver.

Finals

Class 3A 160: Gavin Ciampoli (Altoona) dec. Tommy Schechterly (West Scranton), 9-3.

Class 2A 114: Brayden Wenrich (Northampton Area) dec. Gabe Benyo (Hazleton Area), 1-0.

Girls 155: Violette Lasure (Chestnut Ridge) pinned Hayden Manning (Abington Heights), 4:48.