The Jim Thorpe Christmas Wrestling Tournament concluded on Saturday afternoon, featuring 26 of the best high school wrestlers for a thrilling weekend of competition.

Aidan Sterling of Jim Thorpe emerged as the sole Times News area champion by besting Xaden Shock of Wallenpaupack in the gold medal match.

Crowned the king at 215 pounds, the Olympian delivered a dominant performance throughout the tournament, pinning every opponent on his way to the finals and showcasing his technique and strength.

For his final performance of the tournament, Sterling secured his fifth victory with a third-period pin at the 4:43 mark.

The win was significant for Sterling, who had been sidelined by injuries during his sophomore and junior seasons. The senior improved to 17-1 this season.

“I knew I could do it and be able to win this tournament. It’s special to come back and win it in my last year. I’ve been focusing more on my cardio, and it feels awesome to win in front of my home crowd,” Sterling said, reflecting on his weekend.

The reaction to Sterling’s victory was overwhelmingly positive.

Coach Dan Heaney praised his 215-pounder’s accomplishments.

“I think Aiden had a great tournament,” Heaney said. “He wrestled well, and is looking good right now.”

With Jim Thorpe making the bump to 3A this year, Heaney feels Sterling’s confidence is going to grow from this experience and ultimately make him a threat come postseason.

“He’s hard to beat when he’s on his game, that’s for sure,” he said.

IN THE FINAL ... Jim Thorpe’s Stephen Korte and Tamaqua’s Aiden Schlier both also reached the finals Saturday. Sterling fell to unbeaten Mason Whitney of Abington Heights via technical fall (16-0, 2:00) in the 121-pound title match, while Korte was pinned by Hughesville’s Chase Shaner in 3:22 in the 133-pound final.

MEDALISTS ... The following area wrestlers also secured medals with top eight finishes on Saturday: Jim Thorpe’s Chris Jacobacci (third, 121); Jake Chamides (eighth, 107); Lehighton’s Lukas Croizier (third, 139); Marc Macias (fourth, 285); Evan Wentz (fifth, 145); Connor Dugan (seventh, 133); Jack Lucykanish (seventh, 121); Konner Nalesnik (seventh, 160); Michael D’Amico (eighth, 114); Northern Lehigh’s Cody Mazzocca (fourth, 127); Jayden Weaver (fifth, 121); Mason Rothrock (seventh, 152); Cyrus Kinchen (eighth, 285); Panther Valley’s Cameron Rolon (eighth, 152); Tamaqua’s Evan Temarantz (fifth, 133); and Bradley Whalen (sixth, 172).