Evan Sola
Accomplishments: When you think of great wrestlers in Berks County, Evan Sola's name jumps to the forefront. This standout finished his high school career with a jaw-dropping 160-7 mark and four district titles to his credit. At the state level, Sola excelled. He crashed the PIAA stage with a third-place finish as a freshman (1998) and placed fifth the following year. Sola was unbeatable his final two seasons, owning the 125 bracket and the spot at the top of the podium.
Did you know: After his stellar high school career, Sola put together a solid wrestling resume while at the University of North Carolina. Sola finished college with a record at 117-32 and was a three-time Atlantic Coast Conference champion and two-time ACC Wrestler of the year. He was also named the conference's Outstanding Wrestler for the 2002-2003 season. Sola was a two-time All American, finishing seventh at the 2003 NCAA Championships and sixth in 2005.
Why here: We received an email recently about Berks County wrestling and if any of its athletes are eligible for this list. The Scouts' Evan Sola not only makes the grade, some may argue — legitimately so — he is the best the Berks area has produced. Sola makes a case with his record and four district titles. His four state medals and the fact he finished his career 85-0 with back-to-back titles his junior and senior season doesn't hurt his cause. Admittedly, we struggled with where to put Sola. He was going to go in two lower positions, but his record was so impressive it couldn't be ignored. Not including him on this list was never an option, and he is elite enough to start our top 10 countdown.
What they said: "Evan Sola was a classic championship-style wrestler. He was excellent on his feet and more then adequate on the mat. He also had pinning ability when necessary. Another thing is that he carried himself so well as a wrestler and a person." — Rod Frisco, former lead wrestling writer for The Patriot-News.
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