Tyler Nauman
Accomplishments: No wrestler in Middletown history is as decorated as Nauman. He finished his career with an overall record of 156-11, including a solid 15-4 mark at the state level. The Blue Raiders ace captured three District 3-AAA titles and was a four-time state placer. He capped his body of work with state gold, running through the 130 bracket and pinning Central Dauphin freshman Marshall Peppelman in the finals.
Did you know: After high school, Nauman continued his wrestling career at the University of Pittsburgh. By the time his four-year run was complete, he had over 100 wins and was a four-time NCAA Championship qualifier. Nauman, a four-time Eastern Wrestling League champion, earned All-American status as a sophomore and senior, placing fifth each season. The former Blue Raiders and Panthers stud was named assistant coach at Drexel in 2012 before taking over as head coach at Belle Vernon High School.
Why here: Forget that Nauman only has one state title to his credit, this guy was a major player in District 3 wrestling history. He was good on his feet and on the mat, the complete package of wrestling ability that showed in his win percentage and the accolades he achieved. He was a Beast of the East champion to go along with his three district championship medals and four state podium appearances, the last of which is the most impressive. Any wrestler that can pin Marshall Peppelman, a three-time state champ, to win gold gets our vote.
What they said: “Tyler was a truly gifted wrestler. Few kids had the repertoire of moves he possessed. There were no areas of his wrestling game where he was deficient. He had a great sense of awareness while he was wrestling and won as many matches with his brain as much as he did with his brawn.” — Rod Frisco, former lead wrestling writer for The Patriot-News.
(Agree of disagree, take the interactive poll. Leave any additional thoughts in the comments section below the story. Special thanks to Rod Frisco for his help in this series, and Todd Elling's Pennsylvania Wrestling Handbook, which has been an instrumental tool in gathering statistics).