Former Tyrone Area High School wrestler Tony Owens has been named as the head varsity wrestling coach at Jersey Shore High School in Jersey Shore, PA for the 2002-03 season.
Owens, a 1990 graduate of Tyrone garnered many honors while in high school. Tony finished with a 95-27-2 mark overall, including a 30-7 record as a junior when he won a District Six Title, finished third at the Northwest Regional to qualify for the State Tournament in Hershey. At States, Owens wrestled his way to the state finals only to lose by fall to super frosh Cary Kolat after trailing just 8-5 going into the final period, where he lost by a surprise pin. Owens scored two takedowns against Kolat in that match.
As a senior, Owens dominated his way to another District crown and bettered his Regional performance with a second place finish to again qualify for Hershey. Finishing with a final 33-4 record, Tony dropped two at States.
“As a wrestler, Tony Owens was one of the most intense wrestlers I ever coached,” explained Tony Yaniello, present Athletic Director at Tyrone Area High School and at the time, Owens’ high school wrestling coach. “He was one who hated to lose and always practiced like a champion, always trying to get better. Off the mat, he was a pleasure to be around, always smiling and having fun. He beat some outstanding wrestlers in his career, including two-time state champ Brian Kapusta. A little known fact…. in the state final, his junior year, Tony took down all-world wrestler, Cary Kolat twice and was only losing 8-5 going into the third period and Kolat had already been warned for stalling. Tony actually was caught for a surprise fall during a gramby roll by Kolat. That may have been Kolat’s closest match in high school and I know nobody took him down.”
Owens then attended and wrestled at Lock Haven University where he earned a degree in education and was one of the few Tyrone grads to wrestle in a Division I level program.
“Tony will make an excellent coach for many reasons,” cited Yaniello. “First, he has the experience competing at the next level, which is very important. Second, he has been surrounded by excellent coaches, who he has taken the opportunity to learn much from. Tony has always worked well with kids, as is evident by his willingness to come back to Tyrone and help me out while he was still in college…. showing new technique and explaining about commitment and practice habits.”
Tony Owens is well known in the Jersey Shore community, teaching at Jersey Shore and coaching the junior high wrestling program there for four years, before becoming a varsity assistant last year.
“Tony Owens is an excellent coach,” stated Jersey Shore Athletic Director Bill Mincer. “His last year at the junior high level, he coached the kids to an undefeated season and won the Big Seven junior high championship. He was selected District Four Coach of the Year at the junior high level. We have done well in wrestling in the past, but not recently. We feel Tony can lead Jersey Shore back to prominence, get us back on track at the league, district, regional and even state levels.”
