PIAA wrestling championships: Behind the scenes with Butler’s Santino Sloboda, Kase Chopp in Hershey
Santino Sloboda, left, and Kase Chopp goof around upstairs as they wait for the rest of their friends and family after Santino secured third place at the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Santino Sloboda won bronze Saturday at the PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships, the best finish by a Butler wrestler at the tournament.
The Butler Eagle was with Sloboda, a junior, and senior teammate Kase Chopp while they prepared in Butler and as the competed at Hershey’s GIANT Center, and as they relaxed and unwound.
Below you can read all our coverage and see more photos from states at the links.
Butler’s Kase Chopp, left, and Santino Sloboda are the only two male wrestlers in Butler County to make it to the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Butler’s Santino Sloboda makes it to the 2025 PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Butler’s Kase Chopp makes it to the 2025 PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Kase Chopp gets his workout clothes ready before practice at Legacy Wrestling before leaving for the state wrestling tournament at Hershey on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Kase Chopp and Santino Sloboda play a lighthearted game of catch before they have one of their last practices at Legacy Wrestling before leaving for the state wrestling tournament at Hershey on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Kase Chopp plays a lighthearted game of catch before they have one of their last practices at Legacy Wrestling before leaving for the state wrestling tournament at Hershey on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Santino Sloboda plays a lighthearted game of catch before they have one of their last practices at Legacy Wrestling before leaving for the state wrestling tournament at Hershey on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Santino Sloboda watches coach Scott Stoner during his last practice at Legacy Wrestling before leaving for the state wrestling tournament at Hershey on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Kase Chopp, Santino Sloboda, and Sutton Stoner hang out before practice at Legacy Wrestling before leaving for the state wrestling tournament at Hershey on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Coach Fred Powell works with Kase Chopp during their last practice at Legacy Wrestling before leaving for the state wrestling tournament at Hershey on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Kase Chopp gets one final practice in the day before he and Santino leave for the state wrestling tournament at Hershey on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Santino Sloboda does a back flip as wrestling coach Scott Stoner watches at the end of wrestling practice the day before the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships at GIANT Center, Hershey on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Kase Chopp’s dad Mike throws him some clothes as he finishes packing for his trip to Hershey for the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships at GIANT Center on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Kase Chopp, left, Santino Sloboda, and coach Fred Powell Walk into the GIANT Center on Day 2 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Saturday, March 8, 2025, in Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Wrestler warmup on the mats before competition begins on Day 2 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Friday, March 7, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
With limited space to warm up, Kase Chopp does stretches in the hallway outside the area as other wrestlers do warm up jogs on Day 2 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Friday, March 7, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Butler’s Santino Sloboda wears his pink shoes for each match on Day 2 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Friday, March 7, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Butler junior Santino Sloboda waits in the shoot and tries and stay limber as he watches his name on the large boutboard to wrestle Northampton’s Gabriel Ballard on Day 2 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Friday, March 7, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Butler senior Kase Chopp waits in the shoot and tries and stay limber as he watches his name on the large boutboard to wrestle Bethel Park’s Ethan Higgins on Day 2 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Friday, March 7, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Santino Sloboda takes a moment to himself after losing his first bout of the season in a quarter-finals match against Northampton’s Gabriel Ballard on Day 2 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Friday, March 7, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Butler’s Santino Sloboda talks with coaches Scott Stoner, middle, and Blake Caudill after a match on Day 3 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Santino Sloboda talks with coach Fred Powell after his final win to secure third place on Day 3 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Santino Sloboda looks for the TV input to plug in his game console as he has downtime before the awards ceremony on Day 3 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Kase Chopp, left, Santino Sloboda, and Sutton Stoner play video games in their rooms after competition while waiting to go back for the awards ceremony on Day 3 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Santino Sloboda, left, and Kase Chopp goof around upstairs as they wait for the rest of their friends and family after Santino secured third place on Day 3 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Butler’s Santino Sloboda took third place in the 127-pound class on Day 3 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Kase Chopp, left, and Santino Sloboda are the only two male wrestlers in Butler County to make it to the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Santino Sloboda makes it to the 2025 PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Kase Chopp makes it to the 2025 PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Kase Chopp gets his workout clothes ready before practice at Legacy Wrestling before leaving for the state wrestling tournament at Hershey on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Kase Chopp and Santino Sloboda play a lighthearted game of catch before they have one of their last practices at Legacy Wrestling before leaving for the state wrestling tournament at Hershey on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Kase Chopp plays a lighthearted game of catch before they have one of their last practices at Legacy Wrestling before leaving for the state wrestling tournament at Hershey on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Santino Sloboda plays a lighthearted game of catch before they have one of their last practices at Legacy Wrestling before leaving for the state wrestling tournament at Hershey on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Santino Sloboda watches coach Scott Stoner during his last practice at Legacy Wrestling before leaving for the state wrestling tournament at Hershey on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Kase Chopp, Santino Sloboda, and Sutton Stoner hang out before practice at Legacy Wrestling before leaving for the state wrestling tournament at Hershey on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Coach Fred Powell works with Kase Chopp during their last practice at Legacy Wrestling before leaving for the state wrestling tournament at Hershey on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Kase Chopp gets one final practice in the day before he and Santino leave for the state wrestling tournament at Hershey on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Santino Sloboda does a back flip as wrestling coach Scott Stoner watches at the end of wrestling practice the day before the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships at GIANT Center, Hershey on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Kase Chopp’s dad Mike throws him some clothes as he finishes packing for his trip to Hershey for the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships at GIANT Center on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Kase Chopp, left, Santino Sloboda, and coach Fred Powell Walk into the GIANT Center on Day 2 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Saturday, March 8, 2025, in Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Wrestler warmup on the mats before competition begins on Day 2 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Friday, March 7, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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With limited space to warm up, Kase Chopp does stretches in the hallway outside the area as other wrestlers do warm up jogs on Day 2 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Friday, March 7, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Santino Sloboda wears his pink shoes for each match on Day 2 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Friday, March 7, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler junior Santino Sloboda waits in the shoot and tries and stay limber as he watches his name on the large boutboard to wrestle Northampton’s Gabriel Ballard on Day 2 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Friday, March 7, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler senior Kase Chopp waits in the shoot and tries and stay limber as he watches his name on the large boutboard to wrestle Bethel Park’s Ethan Higgins on Day 2 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Friday, March 7, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Santino Sloboda takes a moment to himself after losing his first bout of the season in a quarter-finals match against Northampton’s Gabriel Ballard on Day 2 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Friday, March 7, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Santino Sloboda talks with coaches Scott Stoner, middle, and Blake Caudill after a match on Day 3 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Santino Sloboda talks with coach Fred Powell after his final win to secure third place on Day 3 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Santino Sloboda looks for the TV input to plug in his game console as he has downtime before the awards ceremony on Day 3 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Kase Chopp, left, Santino Sloboda, and Sutton Stoner play video games in their rooms after competition while waiting to go back for the awards ceremony on Day 3 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Santino Sloboda, left, and Kase Chopp goof around upstairs as they wait for the rest of their friends and family after Santino secured third place on Day 3 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler’s Santino Sloboda took third place in the 127-pound class on Day 3 of the PIAA Wrestling Individual Championships on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at GIANT Center, Hershey. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
