Sports are chocked full of little surprises. It is one of the elements that makes it great.
Owen Lehman received a pleasant surprise this week, and because he did, he also became one.
On Friday and Saturday at Bethlehem Freedom High School, at the Class AA Southeast Regional Wrestling Tournament, Lehman’s pleasant surprise came in the form of an all-expenses paid trip to Hershey’s Giant Center. But his trip to states was certainly well-earned.
The Northern Lebanon freshman came in sixth in the 106-pound weight class and punched his ticket to next week’s PIAA Class AA Wrestling Championships in Hershey. Lehman went 3-3 at the regional event, a mark which left his seasonal record at 37-16.
Lehman earned his trip to Giant Center with a 1:28 pin of Ryan Kelly of Conwell-Egan in the consolation semifinals. Earlier, the Viking ninth-grader had recorded a 9-4 victory over Annville-Cleona’s Ethan Missimer and a 7-5 triumph over Pequea Valley’s Liam McGinley.
No matter what happens at Giant Center and the state tournament, the event will provide Lehman with valuable experience during the progression of his wrestling career.