Rune Lawrence makes history, wins 4th PIAA state wrestling championship title
PERRYOPOLIS, Pa. (KDKA) -- Pennsylvania has another four-time high school state wrestling champion after a dominant weekend showing in Hershey for Rune Lawrence.
Lawrence, a senior at Frazier High School in Fayette County joined a relatively exclusive list over the weekend, becoming just the 14th student athlete in Pennsylvania history to win four wrestling titles, doing so in three different weight classes across his career.
He finished his senior season with a record of 33-1 and wrapped up his illustrious career at Frazier with a 145-8 record.
The path to joining the history books was a relatively easy one for Lawrence, who cruised into the 215 lb. weight class finals by pinning his first three opponents before earning a 6-3 decision in the championship match against defending champion Austin Johnson.
Lawrence, who is not known to celebrate his victories very often, did a backflip on the wrestling mat after winning his fourth state title on Saturday evening.
The best to ever do it.
— Steve Rotstein (@SteveRotstein) March 9, 2024
In a battle of defending state champions, Frazier’s Rune Lawrence takes out Muncy’s Austin Johnson by a 6-1 decision to cap off his extraordinary career with his fourth state title — then throws in a backflip for good measure.
Congrats, Rune 🥇🥇🥇🥇 pic.twitter.com/vQZzS3xoFL
"Score the first takedown and win the match — that was basically the mindset," Lawrence told the Pittsburgh Union Progress. "If I'm on top of you and there's a short time left, I'm not getting off."
Lawrence then flashed four fingers in the air, one for each of his state titles.
FOUR!!!!
— PA Power Wrestling (@PAPowerWrestle) March 9, 2024
Frazier’s Rune Lawrence becomes just the 14th four-time state champion in PIAA history pic.twitter.com/ga24HmMPr4
On top of winning his fourth title, Lawrence was also voted Outstanding Wrestler of the 2A tournament.
Among those to win four state titles are only six other wrestlers from the WPIAL.
After winning his fourth title on Saturday evening, Lawrence was welcomed back to Perryopolis with a number of firetrucks and people from the neighborhood proud of their native son.
The Union Progress reports that before heading to WVU as a freshman next season, Lawrence is expected to headline the Pennsylvania All-Star team in the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic later this month where he will face another four-time state champion from Florida.