If you ever plan on going to see Rune Lawrence wrestle in person, consider these two friendly words of advice:
Don’t blink.
Already established as one of the top high school wrestlers in the nation at 189 pounds going into the season, this two-time PIAA champion is turning things up a notch as he seeks his third state title in as many chances — and he’s not wasting any time, either.
As of last week’s Class 2A Southern Sectional tournament, Lawrence has pinned 15 opponents in a row, most recently going the distance Jan. 14 in a 12-2 major decision win against Riley McPherson of Brecksville-Broadview Heights of Ohio. All but one of his previous 15 foes met their fate in the very first period — including six in less than a minute — and none made it past the second.
“That’s not supposed to happen,” Frazier coach Buck Watkins said.
No kidding.
In the recent section finals, Lawrence finished off Beth-Center’s Jake Layhue in just 58 seconds to capture win No. 100 of his illustrious career — and he’s only a junior. For many great wrestlers, the 100-win milestone is a cause for celebration, but Lawrence is something else, something much different. For this wrestling wunderkind from little-known Frazier High School in Perryopolis, Fayette County, this was just another small step on his quest to become one of Western Pennsylvania’s all-time greats.
“I think for him, [the 100th win] [was] just going to be kind of status quo, another match,” said his father, Joe Lawrence, before the match. “He’s hard to read sometimes, and he’s my own kid.”
Lawrence’s latest foe was certainly no slouch. A 6-foot-4 junior who doubles as a dual-threat quarterback-strong safety in the fall, Layhue is a very solid wrestler and tremendous athlete who carried a record of 31-7 into the section finals.
Less than a minute later, Layhue found himself staring up at the ceiling after getting taken to the mat, tied up in a knot and pinned by Lawrence. The Frazier phenom already had opened a 10-3 lead at the time of the fall. By the time it was over, Layhue could do nothing but laugh while marveling at Lawrence’s ability.
“He’s the best there is,” Layhue said afterward.
Lawrence controlled the finals match from start to finish, just as he always does. With him, there is never a “feeling-out process,” and certainly no stalling. Like a conductor in charge of a two-man orchestra, Lawrence is always the one leading the dance — constantly tapping, snapping, shoving and moving his opponents around the circle against their will. He nudges his foes off balance while waiting for the perfect time to strike, plotting each of his moves several steps ahead before pouncing like a leopard seizing its prey.
Once the bout hits the mat, the real trouble begins. Few WPIAL wrestlers have ever commanded so much respect as Lawrence does in top position. Opponents refuse to choose the bottom position against him to start a period, knowing their chances of escaping or reversing him are virtually zero. Not only does Lawrence have impeccable control on top, but he also possesses a lethal arsenal of pinning combinations, boasting an uncanny combination of length and strength thanks to his chiseled 6-3 frame.
Put it all together, and you have the recipe for one of the most dominant wrestlers the WPIAL has ever seen.
“I don’t really force much stuff now,” Lawrence said. “I kind of just go out there and wrestle and just let it fly.”
Take a second and think back to all of the world-class wrestlers to come out of Western Pennsylvania — Kurt Angle, Greg Jones, Jason Nolf, Spencer Lee — the list goes on and on. Time will tell if Lawrence can one day match their lengthy list of accomplishments, but none of those legends achieved what Lawrence is on track to do in high school.
With the state championships fast approaching, Lawrence already is halfway toward joining an ultra-exclusive club, one containing barely a dozen members in 85 years of competition. Only 13 wrestlers have won four PIAA titles, with just six coming from the WPIAL. Only four have won four WPIAL and four PIAA titles — James Conklin (Waynesburg, 1940-43), Cary Kolat (Jefferson-Morgan, 1989-92), Jimmy Gulibon (Derry, 2009-12) and Gavin Teasdale (Jefferson-Morgan, 2015-18). Many are convinced Lawrence is destined to become No. 5, and it’s not hard to see why.
After starting his career with a dramatic 9-7 comeback win in the state final as a 172-pound freshman, Lawrence has proven to be as clutch as it gets when it matters most. He has yet to lose a postseason match in his high school career, holding an overall record of 100-7. Lawrence is 33-3 as a junior with 22 pins and 30 bonus-point victories, and two of his losses came via medical forfeit at the prestigious Powerade tournament. He now has 62 pins for his career and has a legitimate shot at joining the 100-pin club next year.
Now in his sixth year as Frazier’s coach, Watkins has been around Lawrence for the majority of his wrestling career. He also coached his older brother, Thayne, who won four WPIAL titles and two PIAA titles with the Commodores before graduating in 2020. Watkins now has been in the corner for a state finals match featuring one of the Lawrence brothers five years in a row and counting, so if anyone is used to their greatness by now, it’s him. But even Watkins is starting to run out of words to describe what he’s seeing from Rune Lawrence right now.
“Once I started working with him in sixth grade, I could tell he was going to be something special,” Watkins said. “He studies the sport of wrestling. Not just to watch it, but he studies the positions. Studies what a guy is doing. … That’s what makes him a very dangerous wrestler.”
Naturally, one of the main questions facing Lawrence right now is where he will wind up wrestling in college. The answer, for now at least, is wherever he wants. He insists he hasn’t put too much thought into the decision yet, but there’s no doubt his recruitment is starting to heat up from major national powerhouses. Lawrence recently got a home visit from Cael Sanderson, arguably the greatest American wrestler of all time and a nine-time national champion coach in 13 years with Penn State.
To put it simply, if Sanderson wants you on his team, it’s safe to say everybody wants you.
“[Sanderson] was a really quiet guy. He didn’t say a lot. He just told Rune to take his time,” Joe Lawrence said. “It was really nice to have him come to the house and talk to him.”
For now, Lawrence is keeping his focus locked on the goals right in front of him, starting with winning a third PIAA title in March. Then, of course, his chase for a fourth state title can begin — but that’s not all he’s after next year. He wants to win each of the major national tournaments after coming close several times at the Super 32, Ironman and Powerade tournaments, and he also wants his first undefeated season.
Lawrence finished fourth in the Super 32 prior to his sophomore year and third prior to this season, then finished third in his first trip to the Ironman this season as well. He also has three medals at Powerade, finishing second as a freshman and fourth as a sophomore before defaulting to sixth place this year with a thumb injury.
Winning all three of those grueling tournaments on top of a fourth state title all without losing a match might sound a bit overzealous, but if anyone can do it, it’s Lawrence.
“[Winning 100 matches] is pretty cool. It’s something I’ve been working for, but it’s definitely nothing to stop at,” Lawrence said. “I’ve still got stuff to do.”
Steve is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at srotstein@unionprogress.com.
