Mike Modugno woke up Sunday morning and noticed his newly won medal hanging on a shelf in his bedroom. At that moment, the significance of qualifying for the PIAA Class AAA wrestling championships struck him.

        "That's when it really kicked in," Modugno said. "The night before was like a dream."

        On Saturday, the Upper Perkiomen junior fulfilled his childhood goal of qualifying for this weekend's tournament in Hershey. Modugno finished third in the AAA Southeast Regional Tournament at 220 pounds.

        He responded with a last-second loss in the championship semifinals by winning his final two bouts at Souderton Area High School. A second-period fall against Bensalem's Jasin Speer clinched Modugno's spot in the ultimate postseason tournament, which begins Thursday at the Giant Center.

        "I was super happy that I had made it to states no matter what happened in my next match," he said.

        In the consolation final, Modugno posted a 3-1 victory over Isaiah Spriggs, from West Chester Rustin.

        "Mike wrestled really well," Indians head coach Sam Walters said of Modugno, who qualified for the regional tournament as a sophomore. "He's been working his tail off all season, and I hoped he could take the next step."

        Out of seven Upper Perkiomen wrestlers, Modugno (32-12) was the only one to qualify for states. Michael Felix finished one victory short of advancing at 160. Felix (29-11) absorbed a three-point loss in the fifth-place bout.

        The Indians septet – which included Jared Kuhns (106), Jarek Svanson (113), Jacob Folk (145), Mike Lockhoff (152) and Billy Brower (195) – combined for an 11-14 record and tied for 14th place in the team standings.

        "It was a bummer that no one else moved on," Modugno said. "I wish a couple other guys would have made it."

        Modugno opened his tournament with a 4-1 victory over Neshaminy's Kyle Osterhoudt. He followed with a 5-3 win over Owen Morris, from Downingtown East, in the quarterfinal round.

        "I thought I could make semis," the junior said.

        In the semifinal round, Modugno battled Quakertown's Gavin Caroff into the third period. Late in the third, locked in a 1-1 tie, he dove in for a high crotch takedown. But Caroff countered, scoring the decisive takedown on a cradle with 10 seconds remaining.

        "The match was pretty much even," Modugno said. "I was trying to be careful, and not get caught in a throw."

        According to Walters, his wrestler didn't let the close loss affect him. Modugno said he needed 20 minutes to brush away the disappointment of the defeat.