The senior at Falconer Central School has been selected as the 2019 Ilio DiPaolo Scholarship winner and was among several wrestlers from Western New York honored at a dinner at DiPaolo’s Restaurant on Monday night.

Penhollow’s accomplishments include: the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Division II 195-pound wrestling championship, a 49-1 record and a career mark of 168-31. His efforts also earned him The Post-Journal’s Wrestler of the Year.

In addition to his prowess on the mat, Penhollow was also the Most Valuable Player on the Cassadaga Valley/Falconer football team; was named to the New York State Sportswriters Association Class C first team as a linebacker; was a Post-Journal football all-star; and was a member of the National Honor Society, where he earned the scholar-athlete award from 2015-19 as well as the 2018 New York State Scholar of Excellence. He has applied to Edinboro University.

The Ilio DiPaolo Scholarship is awarded annually by the DiPaolo Scholarship Fund Committee to a high school senior based on excellence in wrestling, academics and citizenship.

The DiPaolo Scholarship Fund has raised more than $1.2 million for local charities and college scholarships since being created in 1995 after the passing of former professional wrestler and restaurateur Ilio DiPaolo.

In all the DiPaolo Scholarship Fund awards six scholarships, including the Gary Castanza Award, The Destroyer Award, The Bill Hein Dedicated Wrestler Award, The Cauliflower Alley Club Award and the new Knuutila Family Award.