There are many reasons to want to get out of the Giant Center during the PIAA Wrestling Championships.
Most include winning, getting something to eat, getting some rest and return the next day.
For Middletown, coach Mike Nauman and his pair of entrants, Zach Ulerick and Bryce Killian, wanted to get out so they could go watch the Philadelphia Flyers against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
They were a little late doing that because only Ulerick won his preliminary round. Killian dropped a one-point first-round decision and had to stick around for the first consolation round. He won that and off the Blue Raider contingent went.
"We didn't do what we wanted to as far as both of them getting through and out of here,'' Middletown coach Mike Nauman said. "We wanted to be watching the Flyers.''
Ulerick posted a 4-2 win at 119 pounds over Joel Bowers of Punxsutawney to earn a quarterfinal match Friday afternoon against Zach Valley (34-7) of Northampton.
Killian gave up a third-period takedown with 50 seconds left against Tyler Smith of Franklin Regional at 132 and was ridden out in a 4-3 defeat. He battled back to D.J. Hollingshead of Altoona 5-0 in the first consolation round.
Ulerick injured an elbow in last year's states and placed sixth. Plus, he had additional motivation.
"I was nervous, not because I broke a bone in my elbow, but because I felt I could have done better last year. This is my chance to prove myself to the rest of the state,'' Ulerick said.
"More important, this is for my pap who is suffering from cancer. He's a role model to me, and I don't want to let him down.''
Nauman said, "They did their job. They're getting back to the second day of states.''
"Last year Killian went two-and-out and we didn't want that to happen again.
"Bryce gassed a little bit that first match. We figured he was getting a little nervous. He had to be. He trains hard in the room. We can't figure out why he's gassing. We think it's the nerves.''
Killian on Friday will wrestle the loser from a quarterfinal bout between Ethan Kenney of Connellsville and Christian Stone of Clearfield.