The Mendes twins, Guilherme and Rafael, will be offering seminars at Lloyd Irvin’s facility in Camp Springs next weekend. The two have helped catapult Atos Jiu-Jitsu to worldwide recognition.

Saturday: gi
Sunday: no-gi

$80 for one day
$150 for two days

Lloyd Irvin BJJ
6333 Old Branch Avenue, Suite 302
Camp Springs, MD 20748
MAP

More information on the official site.

Kyra Gracie will be providing a women’s only Brazilian jiu-jitsu seminar in Maryland.

Cost: $60
Time: 1pm – 4pm

Lloyd Irvin BJJ
6333 Old Branch Avenue, Suite 302
Camp Springs, MD 20748
MAP

More information on the official site.

Matrix Fights (www.MatrixFights.com) formally announced Monday that its second ever event is now scheduled for the legendary “The Arena” in Philadelphia, PA on Friday, June 11.

Coming off a sellout crowd in its debut event this past February, the promotion will look to continue to build on its reputation as one of the fastest growing promotions in the United States by featuring the East Coast return of UFC veteran Jay Silva as he takes on blue chip prospect Tim Williams in a middleweight contest.

Silva now resides in Huntington Beach, California but began his amateur mixed martial arts career in New Jersey. A bouncer at several popular New York City nightclubs, Silva accumulated a large fanbase and emerged as an underground legend.

The Brazilian-born fighter transitioned from being an underground legend to a mainstream figure after building a respectable 5-1 record as a pro and landing a multi-fight contract with the UFC in 2009. Despite having gone 0-2 during his brief stint with the UFC, Silva made a name for himself by going the distance with middleweight standouts Chris Leben and C.B. Dollaway.

“Silva’s evolution from an East Coast-based amateur to a UFC-caliber middleweight has been nothing short of remarkable,” said Matrix Fights President Jimmy Binns Jr. “Jay was already a beloved figure on the New Jersey MMA scene before going to the UFC. But he’s more popular than ever since making it to the big show. We’re happy that we’re going to give fans in the Tri-State area their first chance to see Jay since making it to the UFC.”

Silva, who is drawing interest from several major promotions, could be just one big win away from returning to the big show. Standing in his way is one of the fastest rising middleweight prospects in all of MMA, Tim Williams.

Despite elite-level jiu-jitsu credentials, Williams’ emergence as one of the top unsigned prospects in MMA had been considered improbable. Several years ago the Maryland native nearly lost his life in an auto accident that has left permanent scarring to portions of his face. Then, just last year, Williams was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm and his promising career was thought to be at a premature end.

Through all of his life-threatening battles, Williams has persevered and has achieved excellence in the cage; first as an amateur compiling a perfect 6-0 record and now as a pro, having gone 3-0 with three first round submissions.

“I am not sure if you are going to find a more inspirational fighter in MMA than Timmy Williams,” remarked Matrix Fights promoter Phil Migliarese. “Because of the things Tim has experienced in his life outside of the cage, it has made him fearless inside of it. Usually, you don’t see a 3-0 prospect accepting a fight against someone as experienced and dangerous as Jay Silva. But anything that Tim might experience in the cage is secondary to what he has endured outside of it.”

These days fighters with less than five fights rarely show up on the radars of major national MMA organizations such as the UFC, Strikeforce, and the Bellator Fighting Championships. However, an upset victory for Williams could expedite his ascension through the ranks and land him on a big show sooner rather than later.

“Matt Makowski vs. LeVon Maynard was a tremendous main event for our first show,” began Binns. “However, I think being able to bring Jay and Tim together sends a message to our fans that we’re going to deliver a show that at worst is as good as the first and potentially even better. Both Jay and Tim will have a lot at stake on June 11 and the victor is going to walk away with more than just their win bonus.”

In addition to Silva vs. Williams, Matrix Fights II will also feature Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Tim Carpenter competing for the first-time ever in his native Philadelphia. Williams, who trains at Balance Studios and is one of the best unsigned light heavyweights in the world will put his unblemished 5-0 record on the line against New York native Guybson Sa. Sa has just one pro fight on his resume but it was a memorable victory. Facing the vastly more experienced Ryan Contaldi, who was 5-2 at the time, Sa defeated the more experienced fighter in less than two minutes after executing a triangle choke.

Matrix Fights II will feature five pro fights and seven amateur contests with additional bouts set to be announced in the coming weeks. For ticket on-sale information as well as updates to the fight card, please visit MatrixFights.com.

Tyler Buckman right, of Central Dauphin reverses Steve Spearman left, of McDowell.

-

(JOHN C. WHITEHED, The Patriot-News)

It’s only 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, it’s rainy, dreary and incredibly windy, yet the string of automobile headlights lined up on Hersheypark Drive heading for Giant Center stretches from the arena’s intersection beyond the crest of the hill more than a half-mile back.
   
Had one of the six mats used during the PIAA Wrestling Championships been outside, the wind could have rolled it up and rolled it over to Hersheypark Arena, where the championships used to be conducted.
   
But it was the Class AAA semifinals these 8,000 fans wanted to see and little was going to stop them.
   
For good reason. The Triple-A semis are by far the highlight of the eight-session, three-day event. This year’s talent level was Triple-A squared.
   
Check out these champions’ college choices: Josh Dziewa to Iowa. Josh Kindig to Oklahoma State. Mitchell Port to Division I Edinboro. The Alton twins to Penn State. Marshall Peppelman to Cornell. Spencer Myers to Maryland. Evan Craig to Rider.
   
That’s a small sampling.
   
So next year, when you’re en route to the tournament and someone asks you for directions to Giant Center, the answer is simple: “Practice, practice, practice.”
   
How popular is this PIAA event, you ask? I can tell you.
   
Pennlive.com received 442,645 page views for the wrestling coverage over the three days. There were 2,300 people involved in online chats, and they sent more than 3,000 messages.
   
That shows the passion not only statewide, but one person online was in China and another in Florida.
   
However, what would a tournament that draws that much attention and was witnessed by 57,000 fans be without a complaint? I just happen to have one.
   
If you’re a wrestler and you’ve just lost a match, have the decency to shake your opponent’s hand. Look him in the eye and shake his hand. Don’t slap at his hand, don’t offer your left hand, don’t turn your back and throw your hand at his, possibly hitting it, possibly not.
   
Grow up and shake his hand. Losing a match won’t be the worst thing that will happen to you in your life.
   
Having said that, a tip of the mat to Central Dauphin’s Tyler Buckman, the 130-pound senior who lost a heartbreaking finals match to Erie McDowell sophomore Steve Spearman.
   
Buckman not only shook Spearman’s hand, he gave him a pat on the shoulder. And after the two shook the hands of the opposing coaches, Buckman stopped Spearman at the side of the mat and hugged him.
   
The fans appreciated the quality of the match, and they let them know afterward with rousing applause. They also appreciated the sportsmanship.
   
I wouldn’t call this a complaint because you’d have to be a fool to complain about Andrew Alton of Central Mountain, voted the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler.
   
But I would have voted for heavyweight Craig of Abington Heights. He won his second title by pinning four straight opponents. He’s not yet at the already collegiate level of the Alton twins or CD’s Peppelman, but he’s getting mighty close.
   
And if ever there was a year to start an Outstanding Runner-up award, my vote would go to CD’s Buckman.
   
Another tip of the mat to the four District 12 (Philadelphia city schools) wrestlers who earned medals.
   
Shane Springer of La Salle College was runner-up to Dylan Alton at 152. Casey Kent of La Salle lost his first match and won five straight bouts to place third at 125. Only two other wrestlers did that, and it’s quite a feat.
   
Nick Bongard of Monsignor Bonner was sixth at 119, and Anthony White of Northeast Catholic was seventh at 140.
   
Lest you think that Saturday night marked the end of the season, think again. The season will be capped off Saturday with the Dapper Dan Classic at the Pitt Field House.
   
Joe Spisak of Boiling Springs and CD’s Peppelman are part of a Pennsylvania all-star team that will take on a team of stars from around the United States.
   
It’s a prestigious event, one which the USA has dominated as of late. This year could be different.
   
Spisak will face Jamie Clark, a three-time Ohio champion from St. Edwards with a career record of 128-8. Clark is heading for Illinois; Spisak, for Virginia.
   
Peppelman will meet Nick Sulzer, also from St. Edwards and a one-time champ who is 146-17 and headed for UVa.
   
Other matches that should be quite interesting include Andrew Alton against Joe Cozart (226-4), a four-time Florida champ headed for Iowa State; Dylan Alton against Jackson Morse (184-9), a three-time Michigan champ headed for Illinois, and Craig against Bobby Telford (116-40), a two-time Delaware champ en route to Iowa.
   
Mike Evans of Blair Academy in New Jersey by way of Cumberland Valley is on the U.S. team and is set to face Jamie Callender of Council Rock North. Evans also is headed for Iowa next season.
   
The match begins at 8 p.m. It will be preceded at 6 p.m. by a match between a team of WPIAL (Pittsburgh suburbs) all-stars and a team of New York state stars.
   
If you’re not wrestled out, the NCAA Championships begin today in Omaha, Neb. Plenty of action will be on ESPNU Friday (10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.) and Saturday (11 a.m.), and the finals are 7:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN.

WEST LAWN, Pa. | The way Northampton Area High
Schools Austin Sommer figured it, the crowd at
Wilson-West Lawns gym got its moneys worth
Tuesday night in the District 3-District 11 all-star
wrestling match.
The match was won by District 11, 29-26, with some high
drama in the final match, when Blue Mountains Oklahoma
State-bound two-time PIAA Class AAA champion, Josh Kindig,
edged Schuylkill Valleys Northwestern-bound two-time
PIAA Class AA champion Colin Shober 3-1 on a takedown with
17 seconds left in the 140-pound match.
That was a pretty exciting match to sit and
watch, said Sommer, who dominated Wilsons Kyle
Pych 4-0 in his match at 152. People expected a close
match, and they got one. I guess people got what they came
to see.
There was no doubt the Kindig-Shober showdown overshadowed
every other bout on the program. The gym only came alive
fitfully before the feature attraction; with the affair
coming just three days after the state tournament, not every
athlete was at his best, quite understandably.
One who was, was Sommer, who had been very impressive
during a run to third place at states and continued his run
of fine form with a crushingly complete win over Pych, who
was utterly smothered on bottom most of the match.
It was kind of weird wrestling in an all-star match;
I am not used to it, Sommer said. I havent
been in an all-star match since I was in the (Easton) Lions
Classic three or four times as a midget.
Sommer again will be in the Lions Classic on Thursday, this
time in the feature attraction. Hell be a tough foe
for anybody from New Jersey. In many other years, Sommer
would be wrestling in these matches as a state champ. He
looked good enough in Hershey to win most years, but he had
Central Mountains Dylan Alton in his bracket.
Sommers 10-6 loss to Alton was the closest match the
three-time state champ had in the tournament.
I knew most people thought hed tear me up, but
I gave him a run for his money. I knew I could keep it
close.
Kindig turned a good shot on a single leg into a double-leg
takedown to edge Shober late in a thriller of a match that
featured some dazzling, athletic flurries and a lot more
action than the score indicated.
Id practiced with him but never wrestled
him, said Kindig, who will compete in the Dapper Dan
Classic in Pittsburgh this weekend. I knew hed
give me a good match. I love that all the people got
excited; I thrive off the atmosphere in these big matches.
I think I had him tired out by the third period. I
took advantage of the opening I had seen in the first
period, and when he did it again in the third I exploded
right then to get the takedown.
Eastons Mark Hartenstine gave the D-11 cause a huge
boost with a thorough beating of PIAA Class AAA 135-pound
runner-up Shawn Greevy of Cumberland Valley at 135. The
Maryland-bound Red Rover tilted Greevy three times en route
to a 10-2 win.
Saucon Valleys Adam Phillipi used his ability to get
out from bottom to win a 6-4 decision over Milton
Hersheys Nick Lamoreaux in one of the two 112-pound
bouts.
DISTRICT-11 29, DISTRICT-3 26
285 -- Brook Gosch (Blue Mountain) d. Zach Freet
(Susquehannock), 5-4
112 -- Adam Phillipi (Saucon Valley) d. Nick Lamoreaux
(Milton Hershey), 6-4
215 -- Curtis Garner (Catasauqua) d. Travis Friend
(Cumberland Valley), 5-2
112 -- Brandon Davis (Parkland) md. Colton Keck (Big
Spring), 13-5
189 -- Antonio Giorgio (Warwick) p. Chris Pintado
(Liberty), 4:33
119 -- Dylan Nguyen (Red Lion) p. Anthony Marino (Liberty),
1:16
171 -- Tristan Warner (Cumberland Valley) md. Luke DeLuise
(Pius X), 12-3
125 -- Tim Ravel (Wilson-West Lawn) d. Jordan Glykas
(Northampton), 3-1 (OT)
160 -- Wade Rivera (Parkland) p. Jeff Mohn (Schuykill
Valley), 5:51
130 -- Tyler Buckman (Cumberland Valley) d. Tyler Rauenzahn
(Blue Mountain), 6-4
152 -- Austin Sommer (Northampton) d. Kyle Pych
(Wilson-West Lawn), 4-0
135 -- Mark Hartenstine (Easton) md. Shawn Greevy
(Cumberland Valley), 10-2
145 -- Bo Candelaria (Middletown) md. Phil Racciato (Pen
Argyl), 12-2
140 -- Josh Kindig (Blue Mountain) d. Colin Shober
(Schuylkill Valley), 3-1
Brad Wilson can be reached at 800-360-3601 or
bwilson@express-times.com. Talk about sports in the region
at lehighvalleylive.com/forums.

HERSHEY, Pa. | Mark Hartenstine kept a positive outlook on
his wrestling career past and future after a third-place
finish at Saturdays PIAA Wrestling Championships at
the Giant Center.
The Easton Area High School senior dropped a 2-0 decision
at 140 pounds to Pittsburgh Central Catholics Lorenzo
Thomas in the Class AAA semifinal round, but bounced back to
earn the state bronze medal. Hartenstine defeated Joseph
Marino of Garnet Valley 5-0 in the third-place bout.
The semifinals were kind of a bummer, said
Hartenstine, who finished his season with a 44-3 record.
Definitely, I wanted to be in the state final and
hopefully win gold.
Hartenstine ends his otherwise outstanding Red Rovers
career without a postseason title.
He lost to Blue Mountains Josh Kindig, the No.
2-ranked 140-pounder in the nation according to Intermat, in
both the District 11 and Northeast Regional finals.
Theres always next year, Hartenstine
said. Ill wrestle at Maryland, and the NCAA
Tournament is even bigger than this. Its not like
its too late to win that title.
Hartenstine expects to compete at 141 pounds in college but
said he could redshirt next season.
Red Rovers teammate Mitch Minotti, a sophomore, defeated
Pleasant Valleys Jordan Toledo 4-0 in a fifth-place
consolation at 130 pounds.
Northampton senior Austin Sommer captured the bronze medal
at 152 pounds and earned plenty of respect with his
semifinal performance.
Sommer took two-time defending state champion Dylan Alton
of Central Mountain to the limit before suffering a 10-6
setback. The Konkrete Kids standout was within 8-6 in the
third period but allowed a late takedown.
Most kids who wrestle him go out knowing theyll
lose, said Sommer, who was 40-5 this season.
Id seen him all over the Internet pinning
opponents in 20 or 30 seconds, but nobodys unbeatable.
I thought, Why not? I felt like I wrestled
well.
Sommer defeated Zack Shannon of Kiski Area 5-2 in the
third-place consolation.
Other Class AAA medalists included Libertys Anthony
Cabrera, fifth at 103, and Devon Lotito, seventh at 112;
Eastons Evan DiSora, sixth at 103; Northamptons
Jordan Glykas, fourth at 125; and Nazareths Ryan
Krecker, fourth at 145.
Pen Argyl freshman Mikey Racciato came through with a
superb performance in the Class AA meet.
He placed third at 130 pounds, pinning Shamokins
Brandon Pesarchick in overtime in 5:42 to earn the bronze.
His only loss was a 9-8 decision to eventual runner-up Frank
Martellotti of Shady Side Academy in the semifinals.
Its pretty cool to finish third as a
freshman, said Racciato, who finished 45-5. My
goal now is to do better and better until I win it. ... I
really hope to get the gold medal one year. Its tough,
though, because this year I was only one point from the
final.
Mikey Racciato is one of four Green Knights to leave
Hershey with state medals. Senior Phil Racciato finished
sixth at 145 pounds, junior Jamie Welsh was eighth at 112
and freshman Matty Williams placed sixth at 103.
Other Class AA medalists included Pius Xs Anthony
Bilotta, fifth at 103 pounds, and Luke DeLuise, seventh at
171; Northern Lehighs trio of Nikko Stevens, sixth at
135, Craemer Hedash, sixth at 152, and Colin Hedash, fifth
at 171; and Catasauquas Curtis Garner, fifth at 215.
Michael Blouse can be reached at 800-360-3601 or
mblouse@express-times.com. Talk about sports in the region
at lehighvalleylive.com/forums.