Clarion to Host 65th PSAC Wrestling Championships Saturday
Dec. 6, 2007
Courtesy Rich Herman, Clarion Sports Information
CLARION, Pa. - Eight PSAC teams and 80 athletes will travel to Clarion this Saturday searching for PSAC "gold" at the 65th Annual PSAC Wrestling Championships.
Action gets underway at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, December 8 at Clarion’s W.S. Tippin Gymnasium with two rounds of championship matches and two rounds of consolation bouts. The championship finals, which will include matches for third and fifth place, will begin at 6:00 p.m., with ceremonies slated to start at 5:45 p.m.
All-session passes are $12 for adults and $3 for students. Individual session tickets will be available at the door and are $7 for adults and $2 for students. Students from PSAC member institutions will be admitted FREE with a valid ID.
A championship steeped in great tradition, the 65th PSAC Championships will feature the return of six individual champions and four runners-up from previous years.
Edinboro, ranked #15 in the latest NWCA poll, is the pre-tournament favorite. The Fighting Scots have won eight of the last 10 PSAC team titles including 2007, 2006, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 and 1998. Bloomsburg won the team title in 2005 and Lock Haven won the team crown in 2001.
In the 1990's, Clarion, Edinboro and Lock Haven won three PSAC titles each, with Bloomsburg getting one.
In the history of the PSAC’s Lock Haven leads with 19 team titles, Bloomsburg has 14 team titles, Clarion 13, Edinboro 10, East Stroudsburg and Millersville two each. West Chester won three team crowns and Slippery Rock one, but both schools no longer have wrestling.
Last year at Bloomsburg’s Nelson Field House, Edinboro won the team title with 147.5 points, Bloomsburg was second with 119, Lock Haven third with 111.5, Clairon fourth at 79, East Stroudsburg fifth with 57, Millersville sixth with 44.5, Kutztown seventh at 43.5 and Shippensburg eighth with 23 points.
In 2006, at Slippery Rock’s Morrow Field House, Edinboro took the team title with 146 points, Bloomsburg second with 113.5, Lock Haven third at 91 and Slippery Rock fourth with 87.5. East Stroudsburg finished fifth with 83.5 points, Kutztown sixth at 46, Shippensburg seventh with 41.5, Clarion eighth with 31 and Millersville ninth scoring 29.5 points.
In 2005 at East Stroudsburg’s Koehler Field House, Bloomsburg won the team title with 149.5 points, Edinboro was second with 134.5, East Stroudsburg third with 104.5, Lock Haven fourth at 87 and Clarion fifth with 73.5 points. Rounding out the nine team field were sixth place Shippensburg with 52.5 points, Millersville seventh at 41.5, Kutztown eighth with 39 and Slippery Rock ninth at 35 points.
The Fighting Scots hosted and won the 2004 title going away with 140.5 points with Lock Haven second at 118, Bloomsburg third with 91, East Stroudsburg fourth with 77.5 and Clarion and Millersville tied for fifth with 72 points.
Edinboro also won the 2003 title (hosted by Millersville) with 134.5 points, edging Lock Haven who had 127.5. Bloomsburg finished third with 98.5 points and Clarion was fourth with 97.5, while Slippery Rock finished fifth with 83.5.
The 2007 race appears to be Edinboro’s to lose. The Fighting Scots, under 11th year head coach Tim Flynn, enter the tournament with a 3-0 dual record and a #15 ranking in the nation as a dual meet team.
Bloomsburg, the only team with a chance at challenging, is led by third year head coach John Stutzman, has a 1-3 dual meet record and is among others receiving votes in the latest poll.
Host Clarion, under second year head coach Teague Moore, leads the Eagles into the PSAC’s with a 2-4 dual meet record. Two of the Golden Eagles' losses have come against No. 2 ranked Iowa State and No. 3 Oklahoma State.
Here’s a weight-by-weight look at this year's championship:
125: Two-time defending champion, 12th-ranked Mike Sees (Bloom) will be the top seed. Sees was also second in 2005. Edinboro’s 18th-ranked Eric Morrill, who was third last year, expects to challenge. Clarion’s Jay Ivanco will also hope to get to the final. Other challengers include Matt Benedetti (ESU), Eddie Harris (Kutz), John Trombetti (LHU), John Andel (Mill) and Gary Atiyeh (Ship).
133: 18th-ranked Ricky Deubel (Edin) is the defending champion and favorite to win again. Clarion’s Rob LaBrake was sixth here in 2006 and is the only other returning placewinner. Bloomsburg's Jason Guffy, Matt Swallow (ESU), Rob Vollrath (Kutz), Dale Fava (LHU), Mark Stockdill (Mill) and Josh Proctor (Ship) will battle in this wide open field.
141: Another open weight class shows four returning placewinners at 141. Clarion’s Sal Lascari was third at 133 in 2007 and 5th there in 2006. Lock Haven’s Matt Fittery was fourth at 141 in 2005, Bloom’s George Hickman was fourth at 149 in 2005 and East Stroudsburg’s Sean Carr was fifth at 141 last year. Edinboro’s freshman Torsten Gillespie expects to challenge. Others include Jamie Soupic (Ku), Mike Greck (Ml) and Steve Fittery (Ship).
149: Five returning placewinners dot 149. Edinboro’s Daryl Cocozzo was second at 141 last year, and Bloom’s Dennis Bermudez was third at 157 before dropping a weight. Millersvile’s Cody Becker was third at 141 in 2006 and fifth in 2005, Clarion’s Hadley Harrison placed fifth here last year, Shippensburg’s Kirby Fanus was sixth at 157 last year and Kutztown’s Chris Chambers was sixth at 149 in 2007. Lock Haven’s Ollie Copperwood and Alex Bimes (ESU) also expect to challenge.
157: Top-ranked and 2007 NCAA champion at 149 Gregor Gillespie moves up a weight this year. He won at 149 in 2006 and did not wrestle last year. Bloomsburg's 10th-ranked Matt Moley also figures to be in the final. Jarrett Hostetter (Mill) was fourth here in 2007 and fifth at 149 in 2006. The rest include Clarion’s Travis Uncapher, Kyle Heselpoth (ESU), Dave Zeek (Kutz), John Mangini (LHU), and Dan Nauman (Ship).
165: Edinboro’s 18th-ranked Jarrod King, a transfer from Oklahoma, appears to lead this class. Ricky Schmelyun (Bloom) was second here last year, and Lock Haven’s Landis Wright was third a year ago. Clarion’s Dave Cox, Leif Ruschmeyer (ESU), Sonny Flood (Kutz), Brent Huffman (Mill) and Jake Wilson (Ship) will all look to place.
174: 11th-ranked Phil Moricone (Edin) is the defending champion and favorite. Tom Kocher (LH) was second at 184 last year and Jeremy Brooks (Mill) was fourth here a year ago. Clarion’s Mario Morelli was fifth at 165 last year and Curtis Beardsell (Kutz) was sixth at 197 in 2006. Shane Mallory (LHU), Chris Barrick (Ship) and Nate Graham (Bloom) also wrestle here.
184: A tough battle is expected here from five returning placewinners. Jesse Hasseman (Bloom) was third at 197 in 2006 and fourth at 184 in 2005, while Dave Williams (ESU) was third here a year ago. Steve Funk (Mill) placed fifth last year, Clarion’s Scott Joseph was fifth at 174 and Kyle Davis (Kutz) was sixth at 197 in 2007. Edinboro’s Dan Thompson expects to place high and Travis Stem (LHU) will also challenge. Shippensburg will send newcomer Jon Hade.
197: Edinboro’s 16th-ranked Pat Bradshaw appears to be the top pick, while Shippensburg’s Peter Grodziak (8th-ranked) was third here a year ago and P.J. DiStefano (Bloom) was fourth in 2007. Lock Haven’s Ben Hepburn has dropped from heavyweight where he was fourth last year and could challenge. Others include Dixon Jordan (Clar), Tom Serabian (ESU), Scott Snyder (Kutz), and Ray Bennett (Mill).
Hwt: The best weight class has been saved for last. Two-time champion, 13th-ranked Mike Spaid (Bloom) is likely the underdog this week as Edinboro’s 6th-ranked Joe Fendone is the top rated wrestler. Spaid defeated Fednone 9-0 in the finals last year. Fendone won at 197 in 2006. Spaid also placed second in 2005. Keith McDonald (Mill) was fifth last year. Looking to place are Clarion’s Roman Husam, Chris Birchler (ESU), Kevin Boling (Kutz), Dan Craig (LHU) and Brandon Miller (Ship).
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