(Lock Haven, Pa.) – Eight wrestlers on Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania’s NCAA Division I wrestling team earned recognition for being among the top contenders in their weight class, including five grapplers ranked in the top 20 in InterMat’s 2001-02 NCAA Division I Pre-Season Rankings.  JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area), Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area), Josh Millard (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle Area), Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham), Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany), Chris Spealler (Paoli/Great Valley), Victor Jackson (Poquoson, Va./Poquoson), and Jason Gilligan (Brookville/Brookville) were all among those garnering national billings.
            Senior 149-pounder JaMarr Billman headlined the group, earning a No. 3 ranking in his respective weight class.  A 2001 All-American after finishing fifth at the NCAA national championships, Billman tallied a 25-3 overall record including a team-best eight pins.  He tore through the competition in his first season with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and Eastern Wrestling League, capturing conference titles at both post-season championships.  
            Mike Maney, a sophomore at 141 lbs., is ranked No. 8 in the pre-season poll.  Maney, the 2001 Mat-Town and PSAC champion and EWL runner-up, qualified for nationals and finished just one win away from All-American status. Sporting an overall mark of 28-6 with a team-leading seven major decisions, the rookie was named the PSAC and EWL Rookie of the Year.
            Returning for his final season at 184 pounds is senior Josh Millard, who earns a No. 17 ranking.  Millard came on strong last season, posting a 20-13 overall mark after capturing an EWL title and his first trip to the NCAA championships.  
            Avery Zerkle also returns for his senior campaign, earning a No. 19 pre-season rating.  The Bald Eagle grappler won titles at 197 pounds at the PSAC and EWL championships en route to his first appearance at the national tournament. Zerkle finished out the season with a 25-8 overall record.
            Senior Trap McCormack returns to the mat after his most prolific season, when he registered a 30-5 overall mark, including a season-high of six falls.  McCormack garnered the PSAC title at 125 pounds and a fourth-place finish at the EWL championships.  He secured his third-straight trip to nationals with an EWL wild-card spot, where he posted a 2-2 record.  
            Receiving Special Mention at 133 pounds were Chris Spealler and Victor Jackson.  Spealler recorded a 9-5 mark last season, including four major decisions and a seventh-place finish at Mat-Town.  Jackson, a two-time Virginia state champion (130 lbs.) and two-time Freestyle All-American, red-shirted last year but is poised for action this upcoming season.  
            Jason Gilligan was among those receiving Honorable Mention at 157 pounds. Gilligan went 14-9 last season, finishing third at the PSAC Championships and fifth at the EWL tournament.  The red-shirt freshman topped off his season by earning a wild card bid into the national championships. 
            The 2000-01 Bald Eagle wrestling team, under the guidance of Head Coach Carl Poff, closed out the season with a 21^st place finish at the NCAA Division I National Wrestling Championships and a No. 21 national (InterMat) ranking.  The Haven posted a school-record 21 wins while capturing the PSAC tournament title and a runner-up finish at the EWL championships. 

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  July 5, 2001 - LHU'S MANEY, GILLIGAN EARN AWN ALL-ROOKIE HONORS

(Lock Haven, Pa.) – Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area) and Jason Gilligan (Brookville/Brookville), both members of the Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling program, were selected to the recently released 2001 Amateur Wrestling News (AWN) All-Rookie Team.
            Maney was selected as the top rookie at 141 pounds, wrapping up his inaugural campaign with a trip to the national championships and finishing one win away from All-America honors.  He went 28-6 over the season, including a 17-3 dual meet record with a team-leading seven major decisions, and was one of two Haven grapplers to be seeded entering into the NCAA tournament.  Maney helped LHU to a PSAC team title by capturing an individual conference title, was the runner-up at the Eastern Wrestling League championships, and also won an individual Mat-Town U.S.A. title.  He was ranked as high as 11^th in the nation during the season and earned several post-season awards for his efforts, including PSAC and EWL Rookie of the Year.  
          Gilligan was the fifth-ranked freshman at 157 pounds after closing out the 2000-01 season with a 14-9 overall mark.  Despite battling an early season injury, the rookie bounced back to earn All-PSAC honors with a third-place finish.  Gilligan made his first trip to the NCAA championships after receiving a wild card bid following a fifth-place performance at the EWL championships.  
            The Lock Haven wrestling team under the guidance of 11^th year head coach Carl Poff, finished 21^st at the 2001 national championships following a record-setting season in which they went 21-2 in dual meets and captured the PSAC tournament title.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) – The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania NCAA Division I Wrestling team earned recognition as one of the nation’s top academic teams as released by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.  The Bald Eagle squad was 13^th on the NWCA’s Top 25 Division I Wrestling Academic Teams list, sporting a cumulative 3.024 grade point average for the 2000-2001 school year.
            Leading the way this season was Princeton University, which established a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.430 over the year.  Stanford University (3.235), Boston College (3.226), Harvard University (3.223), and Central Michigan University (3.187), respectively, rounded out the top five academic teams.  Lock Haven was the only ranked program from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and among Eastern Wrestling League programs, was second only to #8 Cleveland State University, whose wrestlers earned a 3.136 grade point average.
            A total of 11 teams listed among the nation’s premier academic squads also finished in the top 25 at the 2001 NCAA Division I National Wrestling Championships, including the Bald Eagles.  In fact, the LHU grapplers are the highest-ranked team academically among those select programs.
            The Lock Haven wrestling team, led by Head Coach Carl Poff, finished 21^st at the 2001 national championships following a record-setting season in which they went 21-2 in dual meets and captured the PSAC tournament title.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) – The hard work and dedication of Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania Head Wrestling Coach Carl Poff and his staff has paid off, giving the Bald Eagle grapplers one of the strongest recruiting classes in the nation.  Lock Haven is ranked fifth in InterMat’s recently released list of the Top 25 Recruiting Classes for NCAA Division I Wrestling.
            Seven state champions with a combined 11 state titles comprise the bulk of LHU’s incoming class.  In addition, five state qualifiers will also join the Bald Eagle squad this fall.
            InterMat’s 2001 Top Recruiting Class honors went to Iowa State University, with the University of Iowa, University of Minnesota, and Oklahoma State University rounding out the top four. 

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) - The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling program has announced 11 student-athletes along with one transfer who will make up its 2001 recruiting class.  Among the group are seven state champions with a combined 11 total state titles.  Additionally, eight of the 12 wrestlers are ranked among the top12 in the nation at their high school weight class including two among the top three. 

            The following is the list of LHU’s recruits, their high school, credentials and projected college weight.

           The 2001-2002 Bald Eagles will be led by 12^th year head coach Carl Poff, who celebrated his 150^th dual meet victory last season and needs only four more wins to become the winningest coach in Lock Haven history.  Last year the squad set a new school mark for wins, going 21-2 in dual meets while also capturing its 19^th Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship.  LHU went into the NCAA Division I National Championships with a No. 21-national ranking, finishing 21^st overall with one All-American, 149-pounder JaMarr Billman.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany), a junior wrestler for Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, was named a recipient of the prestigious Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Winter Top Ten Award for the 2000-2001 season.   The Top Ten awards recognize five male and five female student-athletes from the PSAC who distinguish themselves in the classroom, as well as in the arena of competition.  The conference designates Top Ten Award winners after each of the competitive sports seasons, fall, winter and spring.              McCormack was LHU’s starting 125-pounder again this season, closing out his junior campaign with a 30-5 overall mark.  It was his first 30-win season, which also included a perfect 7-0 mark in Eastern Wrestling League regular season action.  The 2001 PSAC champion, McCormack qualified for his third straight appearance at the NCAA Division I National Championships, where he went 2-2 overall.  Of his 30 victories, he tallied six by fall, two by technical falls, and four by major decision.
          A senior academically, McCormack carries a 3.67 GPA as a health and physical education major at Lock Haven.  He is a four-time PSAC Scholar Athlete, a multiple member of the Dean's List, and has received LHU's Health and Physical Education Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior of the Year Awards in each of his years at the University.  This is McCormack’s second Winter Top Ten selection, also garnering the award last season.
            The Lock Haven wrestling team finished out 2000-2001 with a school-record 21-2 dual meet record and captured the 2001 PSAC Championship title.  The Bald Eagles finished third at the EWL Championships and 21st overall at the NCAA Division I National Championships.         
            To be a candidate for the Top Ten Awards, a student-athlete must have achieved a minimum of a 3.25 cumulative grade point average and be a starter or key reserve with legitimate athletic credentials.  Only student-athletes from the winter sports season are eligible for the Winter Top Ten Awards.  Those sports include men's and women's basketball, men's and women's swimming, and men's wrestling.
           The Top Ten Awards provide the PSAC an extra tier in the recognition of the top student-athletes on all PSAC squads with 3.25 cumulative GPA's or better.  Additionally, the PSAC names the top Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.  

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area) of the Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling team was selected as the Eastern Wrestling League Freshman of the Year, as voted on by league coaches.
            The red-shirt freshman earns the EWL Freshman of the Year award after posting a 28-4 overall mark while starting at 141 pounds for the Bald Eagles.  Maney qualified for the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I National Championships, advancing all the way to the quarterfinals of the 141-pound weight class before closing out his season in the wrestlebacks.  He was the 2001 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference champion, a runner-up at the EWL championships, and was also the only Bald Eagle to capture a Mat-Town U.S.A. title this season.  Along with his 28 wins, Maney recorded a team-leading seven major decisions.   
            The EWL’s Coach and Wrestler of the Year awards went to Edinboro Head Coach Tim Flynn and Josh Koscheck, also of Edinboro.  The Eastern Wrestling League consists of eight teams: Bloomsburg, Clarion, Cleveland State, Edinboro, Lock Haven, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Head Coach Carl Poff and Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area) of the Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling team both earned top awards from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.  Coach Poff was selected the PSAC’s Coach of the Year by his peers, and Maney received PSAC Rookie of the Year accolades, as voted upon by the league’s head coaches.
            Mike Maney earns the conference’s Rookie of the Year award after a tremendously successful inaugural season, compiling a 28-6 overall record.  Qualifying for the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I National Championships, the red-shirt freshman advanced all the way to the quarterfinals of the 141-pound weight class before closing out his season in the wrestlebacks. Maney was the 2001 PSAC champion, a runner-up at the Eastern Wrestling League championships, and was also the only Bald Eagle to capture a Mat-Town U.S.A. title this season.  His 28 wins was ninth best in the PSAC and his team-leading seven major decisions places him in a tie for second among all conference wrestlers. 
           This marks the fifth PSAC Coach of the Year award for Bald Eagle Head Coach Carl Poff.  Poff guided LHU to its most productive season ever, tallying a 21-2 dual meet record which includes the Lock Haven school mark for most wins in a season (21) and most consecutive wins in a season (18).  The 2001 Bald Eagles captured their 19^th PSAC title, the fourth under Poff’s tutelage.  Now at 150-58-3 overall, the LHU mentor is four dual meet victories away from a school record.  Poff also guided 149-pounder JaMarr Billman to All-America status, the 11^th grappler under his guidance to garner that distinction.
            The PSAC’s Wrestler of the Year honors went to the NCAA Division I’s 184-pound champion, Josh Koscheck of Edinboro University.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Seven members of the Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling team will take the mats at the 2001 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I National Wrestling Championships from March 15-17 at the University of Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
         First round action opens on Thursday, March 15, at 11 a.m. and concludes with the finals on Saturday, March 17, at 1 p.m.

THE TOURNAMENT

A total of 330 wrestlers make up the 2001 tournament field. The top eight finishers in each weight class will earn All-America honors. Returning to defend their title are four of last year’s individuals champions - Iowa’s Eric Juergens (133 lbs.), Wisconsin’s Don Pritzlaff (165 lbs.), Iowa State’s Cael Sanderson (184 lbs.), and Nebraska’s Brad Vering (197 lbs.).

The race for the team title is shaping up to be a possible battle among six-time defending champion the University of Iowa, who has qualified eight wrestlers, Oklahoma State University, and the University of Minnesota. Other teams in the mix include the University of Illinois, Iowa State, Oklahoma, and Nebraska.

Lock Haven, currently ranked 21st in the nation, finished second to Edinboro University at the 2001 Eastern Wrestling League Championship, claiming three champions and seven total national qualifiers: Trap McCormack (125), Scott Bair (133), Mike Maney (141), JaMarr Billman (149), Jason Gilligan (157), Josh Millard (184), and Avery Zerkle (197). Including this year’s team, LHU has sent at least half its starting squad to the NCAA tournament in 14 of the past 15 seasons.  

Four Haven grapplers headed off to St. Louis, Missouri, last year for the NCAA Championships by virtue of their performances at the EWL tournament - Trap McCormack (125 lbs.), Scott Bair (133 lbs.), Dave Murray (184 lbs.), and Ken Haines (HWT). McCormack went two and out, while Bair went 1-2 over the weekend. Seniors Murray and Haines both took home two wins along with the two eliminating losses. As a team, LHU posted 7.0 points and finished 40th overall.

Eleventh-year head coach Carl Poff reached the 150th career victory milestone in the final dual meet of the season, and will need four more wins next season to become LHU’s all-time most winningest coach. He has now guided 73 wrestlers to the NCAA tournament, with 11 advancing to earn All-America honors. Included in that list is two-time national champion Cary Kolat (1996, ‘97), who is now an assistant at West Virginia University. Bald Eagle teams under Poff have finished in the top ten on two occasions, the most recent in 1997 when the squad earned a fifth-place finish.

This is junior Trap McCormack’s (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany) third shot at All-America honors, having qualified in each season of competition. This year, McCormack earned a wild card bid into the tournament, injury defaulting to fourth place at the Eastern Wrestling League championships after suffering a foot injury in the consolation bracket. Ranked 17th in the nation with a 28-3 overall mark, McCormack will have to face #2 seeded Jody Strittmatter of Iowa in the first round. Strittmater, an Ebensburg, PA, native, is a returning Division I All-American and two-time national champion at Division II. McCormack will be looking to better his 2000 nationals performance, when he suffered two losses to A.J. Grant of Michigan and Trent Rollins of BYU.

Scott Bair (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle-Nittany) makes his final push for All-America accolades this season after posting his highest career finish at the EWL Championships with a runner-up performance. Bair is 13th nationally, and has compiled a 26-4 overall mark. The Bald Eagle has been to the NCAA tourney the past two seasons, including last season’s 1-2 venture. Bair’s first round draw for this year’s championships is Oklahoma’s Witt Durden, a wild card qualifier from the Big 12.

Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area) is one of two Haven grapplers to be seeded for the NCAA tournament, earning a #12 seed. Currently ranked #14 at 26-4, Maney was the EWL runner-up to returning All-American Sean Gray of Virginia Tech. In his inaugural appearance at the NCAA tournament, Maney will match-up against James Madison’s Pat Diaz, the CAA runner-up, in the first round.

Lock Haven’s JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton), a returning All-American, captured the EWL title at 149 pounds with a victory over defending champion George Carter of Bloomsburg. Billman is also seeded at the outset of the NCAA tourney, drawing a #7 seed and a first round match-up against Penn State’s Nate Wachter. The two grapplers met earlier in the year in dual meet action, with Billman controlling the pace and earning a fall in 4:13. The Bald Eagle junior returns to the national meet looking to add another All-America certificate after finishing fifth at the 1998 NCAA’s.

Jason Gilligan (Brookville/Brookville) makes the trip to the national tournament for the first time following a strong performance at the EWL championships, finishing fifth and earning a wild card bid. Gilligan is 14-7, capturing two wins over 2000 All-American Shaun Shapert while his only losses at the national qualifier event were to the EWL champion Ed Hockenberry and Clarion senior Shane McChesney. The red-shirt freshman will take on two-time NCAA qualifier Gray Maynard of Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Bald Eagle junior Josh Millard (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle Area) took the EWL tournament by storm, capturing the individual crown at 184 pounds and the right to make his first national tournament appearance. Millard defeated his brother Justin, 12-3 in the first round before capturing wins over Pittsburgh’s Dan Stine in the tiebreaker round and Virginia Tech’s Scott Justus in the finals, 13-6. Millard, now 20-11 overall, gets paired with #4 seed from Indiana, Victor Sveda, in the first round of the NCAA championships.

Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham) secured his spot at the national tournament with his first EWL title, improving to 25-6 overall and #16 in the nation. The Bald Eagle junior defeated Clarion’s Eric Mausser and Edinboro’s David Shunamon to capture the championship crown, both of whom also appear on the NCAA tournament bracket. Zerkle will face #12 seeded Joe DeGain of Michigan in the first round of NCAA action.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling (20-2, 5-1 EWL) closes out its regular season this Saturday, Feb. 17, hosting Eastern Wrestling League and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference opponent Bloomsburg University (8-4, 2-4 EWL) at 8 p.m. in Thomas Field House. With a win, Bald Eagle head coach Carl Poff would reach his 150th career victory, coincidentally coming against his alma mater. Poff is currently 149-58-3 in his 11 years as the mentor at Lock Haven (1990-present).
           Lock Haven is now 20-2 overall following a 2-1 performance last week. The #11 Bald Eagles dropped a 23-12 decision to #10 Edinboro University, but defeated Bucknell University, 37-7, and Clarion University, 28-9. Bloomsburg is 8-4 overall, and has won its last eight matches, including the most recent victory over East Stroudsburg University, 27-6. Lock Haven and Bloomsburg wrestlers intermingled at this year’s PSAC Championships, with Haven wrestlers winning four out of six bouts between members of the two squads.
           The Bald Eagles and the Huskies have sparred on 56 other occasions, with Lock Haven holding a 37-19 advantage. LHU has won the previous 10 match-ups, including last year’s narrow 21-18 victory. The last time Bloomsburg took a dual meet from The Haven was in 1990, a 25-10 win.

125 — The Bald Eagles’ Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany) scored two wins last week to improve to 25-2 on the season. Sporting an 11th ranking nationally, McCormack disposed of Edinboro’s Jacob Gray, 5-4, last Friday and then recorded his fastest fall this season over Clarion’s Peter Derstine in 1:22 on Saturday evening. Bloomsburg’s Brock Hite is 20-6 overall, with one of his losses coming to McCormack in the PSAC Championships, a 13-3 major decision.
Last Season: Trap McCormack (LHU) major dec. Brock Hite (BU), 14-6.

133 — Scott Bair (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle-Nittany) pocketed two more wins this past week, a 6-2 decision over Edinboro’s Charlie Soto and a 1-1 ride-out victory over Clarion’s #15 Rad Martinez. Bair is ranked 14th, and is 23-3 overall. The Huskies will mat Russ Witt, who had compiled a 20-7 overall mark this season.
Last Season: Scott Bair (LHU) tech. fall Justin Haupt (BU), 12-1.

141 — LHU’s #17 Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area) split his two matches last week to move to 23-3 overall. EUP’s Cory Ace avenged his loss in the PSAC finals to Maney with a 2-0 decision, then Maney rebounded with an 8-3 decision over Clarion’s Frank Edgar. Bloomsburg’s Adam Castner is 2-9 overall while Gary Rute is 5-10 overall. Both Huskies are 0-5 in dual meet action.
Last Season: James LaValle (LHU) dec. Brett Tullo (BU), 5-2.

149 — The Bald Eagles’ top-ranked wrestler JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area) has moved up in the national rankings, now listed at 6th at 149 pounds, and has a 16-1 overall mark. Billman won two matches last week, scoring 6-4 overtime win versus #11 Ryan Shapert of Edinboro before taking the 18-10 major decision over Clarion’s Dominic Surra. LHU’s James LaValle (East Hanover, N.J./Hanover Park) could be called on to help out the Bald Eagles either here or at 157 pounds this weekend. LaValle is 11-5 following a 14-6 major decision over Bucknell’s Adam Webb last Saturday. The Huskies’ #11 George Carter (24-4) will take the mat here, looking to even the score after a 5-4 loss to Billman in the PSAC semifinals.
Last Season: George Carter (BU) win by forfeit.

157 — Coach Poff expects Jason Gilligan (Brookville/Brookville), now 12-5 after losses to Edinboro’s Shaun Shapert and Clarion’s Shane McChesney, to be strong enough after sustaining a rib injury against Clarion to take the mat this Saturday against Bloomsburg’s Ed Hockenberry. Hockenberry, the 2001 PSAC Champion, is 27-2 and is ranked 8th in the nation.
Last Season: Ed Hockenberry (BU) wbf Charlie Brenneman (LHU), 2:42.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling team, ranked 12th in the nation, will travel to Morgantown, W.Va., for an Eastern Wrestling League dual meet against West Virginia University (3-4, 0-2 EWL) on Saturday, February 3, at 7:30 p.m.
            The Bald Eagles matched the school record for wins in a season after improving to a 17-1 overall (3-0 EWL) mark with Wednesday’s victory over Penn State (24-9), and will be attempting to rewrite the Haven history books with a win this weekend. Lock Haven reached the record-setting 17-win mark on two other occasions, 1991-92 (17-6) and 1995-96 (17-1), both occurring during the tenure of the present coaching staff under the direction of Head Coach Carl Poff.
            The Mountaineers and the Bald Eagles have challenged each other every year since 1979, with LHU leading the series, 12-10. West Virginia has won the last four matches, however, with Lock Haven last picking up a win in 1996, 20-17. Last season the Mountaineers captured a 24-15 victory in Thomas Field House.

125 — LHU’s Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany), ranked 12th in the nation, improved to 22-2 overall after an 8-4 win over Penn State’s Justin Kast. Expected to match up against McCormack on Saturday is WVU freshman Greg White (1-10).
Last Season: #20 Trap McCormack (LHU) dec. #16 Angelo Zegarelli (WVU), 6-4.

133 — No. 14-ranked Scott Bair (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle-Nittany) suffered his third loss of the season, giving up a takedown in the final seconds against PSU’s Marat Tomaev to fall behind, 3-1. He is now 20-3 after Wednesday’s dual. Taking the mat for West Virginia will be Brian Floyd (8-13).
Last Season: #13 Bob Patnesky (WVU) dec. #6 Scott Bair (LHU), 3-2.

141 — Lock Haven’s #15 Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area) captured a huge win against a ranked opponent this week, defeating #17 Nate Parker of Penn State 4-3 in sudden victory, and improved to 21-2 on the season. The Mountaineers will mat junior Joe Finch (4-15) to try for points at 141 pounds.
Last Season: James LaValle (LHU) dec. Micah Kahn (WVU), 5-2.

149 — #9 JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area) added his team-leading seventh fall of the season Wednesday evening, recording a pin in 4:13 over PSU’s Nate Wachter. With that win Billman improved to 13-1 for the season. West Virginia are expected to mat junior Mike Catullo (3-9).
Last Season: Billy Smith (WVU) dec. #20 Rob Weikel (LHU), 4-3.

157 — Red-shirt frosh Jason Gilligan (Brookville/Brookville) pocketed a 7-4 decision over Penn State’s Aaron Wright to move to 12-2 overall. He will face a strong opponent in West Virginia’s Joe Carr (14-4), the 2000 EWL champion and NCAA qualifier.
Last Season: #16 Joe Carr (WVU) wbf Brian Olenek (LHU), 4:18.

165 — Lock Haven’s Brian Olenek (Hazleton/Hazleton) is headed towards a 20-win season, snagging a 6-2 decision over PSU’s Doc Vecchio to improve to 19-8 overall. Olenek’s probable opponent will be WVU’s Tom McMath (19-9).
Last Season: Richard Taylor (WVU) dec. Dave Surovec (LHU), 10-5.

174 — LHU’s Ed Pawlak (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern) has been the starter here at 174 pounds, but a bad case of the flu will most likely sideline the 18-8 red-shirt freshman this weekend. Wrestling in his place for The Haven will be Dave Surovec (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area). Surovec is 4-5 overall this season. The Mountaineers could mat either Jason Ward (2-7) or Jeremy Chapman (3-4).
Last Season: Joshua Millard (LHU) wbf Junior Schwartz (WVU), 4:21.

184 — Josh Millard (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle Area) captured a big win this past Wednesday evening, controlling #15 Jeff Knupp of Penn State for the 6-2 victory including over four minutes of riding time. That win improved his overall mark to 15-9. WVU junior Jon Foster (8-13) is expected to earn the starting nod.
Last Season: #3 Vertus Jones (WVU) major dec. Dave Murray (LHU), 18-8.

197 — Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham) fought back from a 4-1 first period deficit to earn the 11-6 decision over PSU’s Dave Heckard. Listed among the ranks of the nation’s best this past week, #19 Zerkle is currently 20-5 overall. He can expect to face a worthy opponent in West Virginia’s Martius Harding (12-11), the fourth-place finisher at last year’s EWL tournament.
Last Season: Avery Zerkle (LHU) dec. Martius Harding (WVU), 4-2.

285 — Lock Haven’s Craig Tefft (Oxford, N.Y./Oxford) dropped to 9-7 overall after losing a close bout to PSU’s Bob Jones, 4-3. His likely challenger will be the Mountaineers’ #7 Ryan Kehler (21-4).
Last Season: #6 Sean Hage (WVU) wins by forfeit.

UP NEXT: Lock Haven will have little time to rest, as the Bald Eagles will need to prepare for the EWL match-up against #11 Edinboro University on Friday, February 9, at 7 p.m. in the Fighting Scots’ McComb Fieldhouse. Last year, EUP had little trouble with the Bald Eagles, taking away a 22-9 victory from Thomas Field House.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area), a junior wrestler for Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, came close but could not top Lehigh University’s #4 Dave Esposito, falling by a 6-4 decision in competition at the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s All-Star Classic.  This year’s NWCA All-Star Classic was held at Franklin and Marshall College’s Mayser Gym.  
           Billman, ranked 9^th in the nation, and Esposito exchanged takedowns in the first period, and Esposito scored again late in the second period.  Billman went on the offensive in the third period, and came close to scoring the equalizing takedown, but the match closed out in the neutral position with Esposito ahead, 6-4 with the riding time point.
            The Bald Eagle is now 12-1 overall.  The Lock Haven wrestling team (16-1, 3-0 EWL) next competes at Penn State University on Wednesday, Jan. 31, at 8 p.m.

(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania #14 wrestling team will travel to Rec Hall on the campus of Penn State University on Wednesday, Jan. 31, for an 8 p.m. match-up against the #17 Nittany Lions (5-7, 0-2 Big Ten). The Haven is fresh off its team title at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championships, crowning five individual champions along with four third-place scorers. Penn State will be looking to claw its way back to a winning record with wins this Wednesday following a 32-3 loss to #5 Illinois. PSU hosts the University of Pennsylvania at 6 p.m. before entertaining Lock Haven at 8 p.m.

This is the 26th meeting of the two local teams on the mat, with Penn State holding a solid 23-2 series lead. The Nittany Lions have won the rivalry’s bragging rights the past four seasons, including a 21-18 decision last year. The last time LHU defeated Penn State was in 1996 by the final 22-9 margin.

125 — LHU’s Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany) captured his first PSAC title last Saturday, posting a 4-0 mark including a 2-1 victory over Omar Porrata of Millersville in the championship bout. Now 21-2 overall, he is ranked 13th in the nation. McCormack has met up with one possible starter for PSU, defeating Josh Moore, 6-2, for third place at this year’s Mat-Town USA tournament. This season Moore is 22-5. Penn State could also mat Justin Kast (5-7) here.
Last Season: #1 Jeremy Hunter (PSU) major dec. #20 Trap McCormack (LHU), 14-5.

133 — Scott Bair (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle-Nittany), now 20-2 overall, was the second Haven wrestler to merit a PSAC individual title this past weekend, cruising through the 133-pound bracket capped off with a 10-3 decision over Clarion’s Rad Martinez for first place. Taking the mat for the Nittany Lions will be Marat Tomaev (10-8).
Last Season: #16 Scott Moore (PSU) wbf #12 Scott Bair (LHU), 4:04.

141 — Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area) earned the PSAC title at 141 pounds, going 3-0 including the 4-3 victory over Edinboro’s Cory Ace for the championship. He is ranked 15th and currently sports a 20-2 overall ledger. Maney’s opponent is likely to be #17 Nate Parker (11-6).
Last Season: #11 Jason Betz (PSU) major dec. James LaValle (LHU), 14-4.

149 — #9 JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area), currently 12-0, was also among the five Bald Eagle wrestlers to earn top honors at the PSAC tournament, receiving the third seed but scoring wins over second seeded George Carter of Bloomsburg in the semifinals and top seed Ryan Shapert, 9-8, in the championship bout. Penn State’s Nate Wachter is likely to be Billman’s opponent at 149 pounds.
Last Season: Dave Shafer (LHU) dec. Mark Bost (PSU), 7-2.

157 — LHU’s Jason Gilligan (Brookville/Brookville) finished third at the PSAC Championships, losing a close 4-3 draw to Edinboro’s Shaun Shapert in the semifinals before climbing back through the consolation bracket and closing out with a 5-3 victory over Matt Dudeck of East Stroudsburg in the third-place bout. Gilligan will face the Nittany Lions’ Aaron Wright (6-15).
Last Season: Brian Olenek (LHU) wbf Nate Wachter (PSU), 7:38.

165 — Haven senior Brian Olenek (Hazleton/Hazleton) is 18-8 on the season following a third-place showing at the conference tournament capped off by a 5-1 routing of Bloomsburg’s Hunter Guenot. Olenek could face either Doc Vecchio (13-11) or Jeremy Sauve (16-10).
Last Season: Dave Surovec (LHU) dec. Doc Vecchio (PSU), 4-0.

174 — Red-shirt freshman Ed Pawlak (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern) made waves in his first appearance at the PSAC championships, finishing third with a 9-1 major decision over Clarion’s Aaron Mitchell. Mark Becks (16-6) will challenge Pawlak for points here at 174 pounds.
Last Season: Mark Becks (PSU) dec. Joshua Millard (LHU), 12-6.

184 — Josh Millard (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle Area) improved to 14-9 overall after finishing in a tie for fourth place over the weekend with his brother Justin Millard of Edinboro. Taking the mat for PSU will be #15 Jeff Knupp (14-6).
Last Season: #16 Dave Murray (LHU) dec. #17 Jeff Knupp (PSU), 4-2.

197 — Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham) captured Lock Haven’s fifth PSAC title this weekend and improved to 19-5 with three wins including a 5-4 sudden victory win over Edinboro’s David Shunamon in the championship bout. Zerkle could face either Pete Mielnik (17-11) or Dave Heckard (22-10) for the points at 197 pounds.
Last Season: Avery Zerkle (LHU) dec. #9 Ross Thatcher (PSU), 5-3.

285 — Lock Haven’s Craig Tefft (Oxford, N.Y./Oxford) is 9-6 overall. Tefft posted two falls over the course of the PSAC championships, including one in 4:38 in the third place bout versus Marc Bauknecht of East Stroudsburg. Penn State’s Bob Jones is 4-6 overall and will take the mat for the Nittany Lions.
Last Season: #18 Mark Janus (PSU) major dec. Craig Tefft (LHU), 12-2.

UP NEXT: Lock Haven next travels to West Virginia University for EWL competition on Saturday, February 3, at 7:30 p.m.

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestler JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area) has been selected to compete at the 34^th Annual National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic.  The competition will take place Monday, Jan. 29, at 7:30 p.m. at Mayser Gymnasium on the campus of Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. The NWCA All-Star Classic pits the most talented wrestlers at each weight class against each other.
            “It’s certainly a remarkable honor for JaMarr to have been chosen to compete in this,” said LHU Head Coach Carl Poff.  “This event showcases the top talent in the nation, and for him to be recognized as a part of that group is a reflection on the hard work and dedication he has shown not only throughout his career but especially in the past year.”
            Billman, currently ranked #9 in the nation, will compete at 149 pounds versus #4 Dave Esposito of Lehigh University.  The junior Bald Eagle is 8-0 heading into the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships this weekend at Clarion University. 

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling team (16-1, 3-0 EWL) shutout the Vikings of Cleveland State University (2-12, 1-4 EWL), 47-0, in Eastern Wrestling League action this evening, extending their school-history setting season win streak to 16 dual meets.
            All ten Bald Eagle wrestlers scored wins, including four falls from #13 Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle Nittany), #9 JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area), Brian Olenek (Hazleton/Hazleton), and Ed Pawlak (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern).  
            The match started at heavyweight, with Cleveland’s Don Caramell earning the first five points of the bout but LHU’s Craig Tefft (Oxford, N.Y./Oxford Academy) piled up six unanswered points in the third period, including 2:33 riding time over the course of the match, to score the 18-7 major decision.  At 125 pounds, McCormack had a 14-6 lead before turning Gondol on his back at 6:39 for the pin.  Bair scored an 11-5 decision over Vikings’ Nick Boucher at 133 pounds, followed up by a major decision by #15 Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area), who defeated Matt DePolo 11-3 at 141 pounds. Billman took only 1:50 to dispose of Anthony Coleman at 149 pounds, and Rob Weikel (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) used seven points in the third period to overcome Cleveland’s Jason Effner at 157. 
            Olenek and Pawlak both scored falls over their CSU opponents to drive up the Bald Eagles’ team score, and Josh Millard (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle Area) won at 184 pounds by forfeit.  LHU junior 197-pounder Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham) topped off the evening with a 10-7 decision over Dom Abato to lift The Haven to the 47-0 win.
            Lock Haven is now 16-1 overall and 3-0 in the EWL, and will next travel to Clarion University for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships on Jan. 26-27.  Cleveland State University is now 2-12 overall and 1-4 in the EWL.  The Vikings next host the Cleveland State Open on January 27.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling team (15-1, 2-0 EWL) won the final seven bouts to break the 6-6 stalemate and score the dominant 31-6 victory over the visiting Panthers of the University of Pittsburgh (3-4, 1-2 EWL) this evening.  Tonight’s victory extends the Bald Eagles’ streak, now at 15 consecutive wins.
            Pittsburgh went one up on LHU after #14 Carl Fronhofer notched a 5-4 decision over LHU’s Brian Olenek (Hazleton/Hazleton) in the opening bout.   The Haven’s Ed Pawlak (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern) evened the score with a 5-0 decision over Brendan O’Connell, but the Panthers jumped ahead again after a 10-3 win at 184 pounds by #15 Dan Stine. 
            LHU’s 197-pounder Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham) scored a reversal on David Sandberg with three seconds remaining in the bout to capture the 5-4 victory, setting off a string of seven consecutive wins for the Bald Eagles.  At heavyweight, Craig Tefft (Oxford, N.Y./Oxford Academy) recorded 1:57 of riding time against Jacob Lininger and scored a two-point near fall with just seconds remaining to earn the 9-4 victory and push LHU ahead, 9-6.
            The Bald Eagles’ lightweight lineup decided the match, as #13 Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle Nittany), Scott Bair (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle Nittany), #15 Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area), #9 JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area), and Rob Weikel (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) all scored wins, including pins by Bair and Billman and a major decision from Weikel, to lift LHU to the 31-6 win.
            LHU will next host Cleveland State University tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 20, at 8 p.m.  Pittsburgh next matches up against Duquesne University on Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Go to full results>>

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania #17 Bald Eagle wrestling team (14-1, 1-0 EWL) will host two Eastern Wrestling League duals this weekend, Jan. 19-20, opening the doors of Thomas Field House to #21 University of Pittsburgh (3-3, 1-1) and Cleveland State University (3-9, 1-2). LHU will dual Pittsburgh on Friday at 7:30 p.m., and then Cleveland State on Saturday at 8 p.m.

125 — LHU’s Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany) will attempt to improve on his 15-2 overall mark this weekend. McCormack, now ranked 13th in the latest InterMat poll, went 4-0 at the Virginia Duals, a mark which includes a 7-3 decision over his ranked opponent from Central Michigan, Ahmad Sanders. McCormack also scored a fall in his opening dual versus ODU’s Paul Jimenez, his fourth this season and his sixth career pin. He is expected to face Pittsburgh’s Kristoffer Neu or Shawn Amistade and Cleveland’s Jon Gondol. This season McCormack has scored victories over Neu (11-3) and Amistade (2-1) in tournament action.
Last Season: McCormack (LHU) major dec. Zach Hasse (P), 13-5…McCormack (LHU) dec. Rocco Mansueto (CSU), 6-3.

133 — Scott Bair (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle-Nittany) and Chris Spealler (Paoli/Great Valley) remain in the lineup for the Bald Eagles at 133 pounds. Bair is 15-2 following a 4-0 performance at the Virginia Duals. In his first bout last weekend, the LHU senior posted the fastest fall of any Bald Eagle so far this season, pinning Matt Epps of ODU in 53 seconds. Spealler is 8-5 overall, last taking a forfeit win against Virginia. Matching up at 133 pounds will be either #8 Rob Loper or Joe Crecca of Pittsburgh and Nick Boucher of Cleveland State. This year, Loper has a win over Bair and Crecca defeated both Bair and Spealler at the Mat-Town tournament.
Last Season: Rob Loper (P) dec. Bair (LHU), 4-0… Bair (LHU) dec. Phil Mansueto (CSU), 1-0.

141 — Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area), who is now 15-2 overall, will wrestle at 141 pounds for The Haven. Maney, ranked 15th, went 3-1 this past weekend, scoring major decisions in each of his wins for a team-leading five majors this season. His only loss was a 2-4 decision to #19 (1/9/01 ranking)Jason Mester of Central Michigan. Pittsburgh could mat either #19 Justin Giovinco or Zach Hasse, and Cleveland State will use Ryan Guciardo. This season Maney registered a 5-1 win over Giovinco at Mat-Town.
Last Season: Blaise Mucci (P) major dec. Spealler (LHU), 14-4… James LaValle (LHU) major dec. Guciardo (CSU), 13-4.

149 — JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area) and James LaValle (East Hanover, N.J./Hanover Park) could both see mat time this weekend for the Bald Eagles. Billman broke into the top 10 list of wrestlers at 149 pounds in his first appearance in the rankings since the new year, earning a #9 billing following an EWL and PSAC Wrestler of the Week performance at the Virginia Duals. The junior grappler went 4-0, scoring a team-best 19 points including two pins and a major decision. LaValle is currently 10-5, last suffering a loss to Virginia’s P.J. Bory. Wrestling for Pittsburgh will be either Matt Kaus or Blaise Mucci, and for Cleveland State will be Anthony Coleman.
Last Season: Giovinco (P) major dec. Dave Shafer (LHU), 10-2… Rob Weikel (LHU) dec. Jason DeFranco (CSU), 5-0.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area), a wrestler for Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, was selected as the Eastern Wrestling League and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Wrestler of the Week for competition ending January 14.  
            Billman, who wrestles at 149 pounds, improved his overall record to 6-0 by going undefeated at the Virginia Duals this past Friday and Saturday.  He generated a team-high 19 total team points over the four-match stretch to help lift the Bald Eagles to the team title at the Duals.  Billman scored falls over Frank Stillo of Old Dominion (3:17) and Indiana’s Josh Beales (1:52), a 16-5 major decision over Rider’s Nick Harrington, and a 6-3 decision over Ty Morgan of Central Michigan in the championship meet. 
             Lock Haven defeated Old Dominion University 40-9, Rider University 23-12, Indiana University 26-18, and Central Michigan University, 24-6, to capture the Virginia Duals title.  The Bald Eagles, ranked 17^th in the nation by the latest InterMat and the National Wrestling Coaches Association polls, are currently 14-1-0 overall and 1-0-0  in the EWL and next host league action versus the University of Pittsburgh on Friday, Jan.19, at 7:30 p.m., and Cleveland State University on Saturday, Jan. 20, at 8 p.m.

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Jan. 13, 2001 - BALD EAGLES WIN VIRGINIA DUALS CHAMPIONSHIP

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling team captured the Virginia Duals championship this evening with an impressive 24-6 showing against Central Michigan University.  The Bald Eagles had earlier today defeated Indiana, 26-18 to advance to the finals.  CMU's route to the finals included wins over Virginia, Wisconsin, and Missouri. 
                In the semifinal match, The Haven once more controlled the lower weights, earning a 26-18 victory over the Big Ten's Indiana University.  Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany) led off with a solid 7-1 decision, then Scott Bair (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle-Nittany) and Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area) added bonus points to The Haven's score with major decisions at 133 and 141 pounds.  JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area) and Jason Gilligan (Brookville/Brookville) both capped off the Bald Eagles' surge in the lower weights with first period pins over their IU opponents.  Indiana's ranked grapplers at 165 and 184 pounds both scored wins, but a win at 174 for LHU by Ed Pawlak (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern) helped secure the Haven victory and advance them into the finals.
                The championship match pitted LHU against the Chippewas of Central Michigan where they kept alive their dual meet unbeaten streak, now at 14, with the 24-6 victory.  This time LHU benefited from balanced scoring, with eight of the ten wrestlers coming up with victories.  McCormack posted a commanding 7-1 decision over ranked opponent #11 Ahmad Sanders, and Bair, Billman, Gilligan, Brian Olenek (Hazleton/Hazleton Area), Pawlak, Josh Millard (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle Area), and Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham) all tallied decisions in the win. 
                "Coach Bonomo and I are just absolutely pleased with the way that our guys have wrestled - they've really taken it to the next level," said LHU Head Coach Carl Poff. "To go out there and beat a Big Ten team, then take on Central Michigan who has been wrestling well lately -- they finished second at the Hampton Duals before this -- it's just great to see, and I hope it's something we can keep building on."
                The Jay Kilheeney Wrestlers of the Match were Jason Gilligan (157 lbs.) against Indiana and Brian Olenek (165 lbs.) in the championship dual versus Central Michigan.
                Up next for the Bald Eagle wrestling team will be two Eastern Wrestling League match-ups on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 19-20.  On Friday, LHU hosts the University of Pittsburgh at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday the Bald Eagles face off against Cleveland State University at 8 p.m. in Thomas Field House.

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Jan. 11, 2001 - HAVEN GRAPPLERS SET FOR VIRGINIA DUALS

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - The #19/#17* Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling team, now 10-1-0 overall, will compete at the 2001 Virginia Duals this Friday-Saturday, Jan. 12-13. Fifteen teams will be in action, including three other top-25 ranked squads in #18/#23 University of Pennsylvania, #20/#18 Wisconsin, and #22/#20 University of North Carolina. The remainder of the lineup consists of the University at Buffalo, Cal-Bakersfield, Central Michigan, Cornell, Indiana, James Madison, Kent State, Missouri, Rider, Virginia, and West Virginia. In all, the field contains a total of 34 ranked wrestlers. Pairings will be decided late Thursday afternoon.

125 — LHU will mat either Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany) or Dave Predko (Ridgway/Ridgway) in this weekend’s duals. McCormack is now 11-2 and enters into this weekend’s dual meet action with a #20 ranking after going 2-0 last week, taking a forfeit win in the Virginia Tech dual and then pinning Virginia’s Ryan Stewart (4:56). Predko is currently 2-2 overall. There are five other ranked wrestlers among the possible opponents in the 125-pound weight class, including #5 Chuckie Connor of North Carolina, #7 Ruben DeLeon of Cal-State Bakersfield, #11 Justin Spates of Missouri (2000 Mat-Town champion and Outstanding Wrestler), #12 Ahmad Sanders of Central Michigan, and #16 Tony Black of Wisconsin.

133 — Senior Scott Bair (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle-Nittany) and junior Chris Spealler (Paoli/Great Valley) will both travel down to the Duals for The Haven. Bair is now 11-2 following a 2-0 week which included a 12-6 decision over VT’s Jeremy Gaysek and a forfeit win in the Virginia dual meet. Spealler is 8-5 overall, and was also the beneficiary of a forfeit win in the Virginia match. Two ranked wrestlers will be among the competition at the Virginia Duals, including #9 Kevin Black of Wisconsin and #14 Shawn Kegel of Buffalo.

141 — The Haven’s Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area) will be back in action this weekend following an injury versus Virginia Tech’s Sean Gray last Friday. Maney, still ranked #11 in the nation, is now 12-1 overall. Among his possible competitors are #10 Grant Hoerr of Wisconsin and #19 Jason Mester of Central Michigan.

149 — JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area) and James LaValle (East Hanover, N.J./Hanover Park) will both travel down to the Virginia Duals to compete at 149 pounds for LHU. Billman is 2-0 following a commanding debut with a technical fall against Virginia Tech’s Brian Wilson and a first period pin (2:21) over Virginia’s Don Carlo-Clauss (157 pound bout). LaValle is now 10-5 overall, last suffering a major decision against Virginia’s P.J. Bory. Two ranked wrestlers are among the competition at the Duals this weekend, including #11 John Marc Bentley of North Carolina and #16 Joe Henson of Pennsylvania.

157 — The Haven’s Jason Gilligan (Brookville/Brookville) or Rob Weikel (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) will challenge for points at 157 pounds. Gilligan is 4-1 following a 5-2 decision over Virginia Tech’s Brent Rider last Friday evening. Weikel is 5-3 overall, and has not seen any mat time since early December at the Sheridan Duals. There are three top ranked grapplers among the crowd at 157 pounds, Pennsylvania’s #4 Yoski Nakamura, Cornell’s #12 Leo Urbinelli, and West Virginia’s #13 Joe Carr.

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Jan. 6, 2001 - LHU WRESTLERS DEFEAT VIRGINIA, 33-10

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Pins by JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area) and Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany) played a key part in lifting the #20 Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling team to a 33-10 dual meet victory over the University of Virginia this evening in Thomas Field House.
            The Cavaliers were the first to earn team points as P.J. Bory put together a seven-point third period to hand LHU's James LaValle (East Hanover, N.J./Hanover Park) an 11-0 major decision in the bout at 149 pounds.  The tide turned quickly, however, as the Haven's Billman (157 lbs.) scored four takedowns in the first period before pinning UVA's Don Carlo-Clauss in 2:21.  LHU's Brian Olenek (Hazleton/Hazleton) (165 lbs.) and Ed Pawlak (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern) (174 lbs.) followed up with decisions to increase the Bald Eagles' lead to 12-4.  Olenek posted 3:11 riding time en route to his 10-3 win over Brian Muir, and Pawlak scored a takedown with 10 seconds remaining in the bout to secure his 5-2 decision over the Cavaliers' Greg Francesca.
            Virginia's Jimi Massey added a close 3-2 decision over Josh Millard (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle Area) at 184 pounds, but Lock Haven answered with 197-pounder Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham) shutting out Mark McLean, 6-0, to increase LHU's lead to 15-7. 
            UVA's Josh Etu and LHU's Craig Tefft (Oxford, N.Y./Oxford Academy) squared off at heavyweight, with the match tied at 4-4 until Tefft got hit with a stalling point with 12 seconds left in the third period, which would ultimately decide the final 5-4 decision in favor of Etu.
            LHU's McCormack (125 lbs.) would finish off the wrestling with a second period pin over Ryan Stewart in 4:56 to give LHU the 21-10 advantage.  Forfeits by Virginia at 133 pounds and 141 pounds would bring the final margin to 33-10 and give the Bald Eagles their tenth straight dual meet victory.
            Lock Haven is now 10-1-0 (1-0-0 EWL), while Virginia falls to 2-2-0 (0-0 ACC).  Both teams next compete in the Virginia Duals on Jan. 12-13.

Go to full results>>

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Jan. 5, 2001 - BALD EAGLES EARN EXCITING WIN OVER VIRGINIA TECH IN EWL OPENER

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - The #20 (InterMat) Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling team (9-1-0, 1-0-0 EWL) opened up Eastern Wrestling League action with an exciting 26-14 victory over the visiting #21 Virginia Tech Hokies this evening in Thomas Field House.
                The Haven won seven of the ten bouts on the way to the win, opening with the much-anticipated return of 1998 All-American JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area) to the mat in the face-off at 149 pounds.  Billman routed Tech opponent Brian Wilson for a 24-8 (3:49) technical fall to put LHU ahead early, 5-0.  LHU red-shirt freshman Jason Gilligan (Brookville/Brookville) posted a 5-2 decision over Brent Rider to increase the early advantage to 8-0. 
                Virginia Tech's #4 Chris Martin (165 lbs.) and #8 Eric Hall (174 lbs.) knotted up the match at 8-8, as Martin handled LHU's Brian Olenek (Hazleton/Hazleton), 13-3, and Hall scoring a 9-1 major decision over David Surovec (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area).
                But the momentum took another turn, and shifted back to the Bald Eagles for good as LHU assembled a string of five wins, sparked by the last second takedown and victory by Josh Millard (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle Area) for the 6-5 decision over Tech's Scott Justus.  At 197 pounds, Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham) fought through a near fall and wound up with the 12-8 decision over Wes Cummings, and LHU's Craig Tefft (Oxford, N.Y./Oxford Academy) scored the only takedown in the heavyweight bout to notch the 3-1 overtime win against Tech's Ben Fisher.  
                A forfeit at 125 pounds by Virginia Tech gave LHU the 23-8 lead and the sure victory.  The Haven's Scott Bair (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle-Nittany) picked up another win and three more points for LHU with a 12-6 decision over VT's Jeremy Gaysek in the 133 pound match-up.  In the 141 pound bout, Tech's #4 Sean Gray scored an early takedown over LHU's #11 Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area), got slapped with the penalty point for an illegal move just over one minute into the first period, but would take the eventual injury default and six points.
                Lock Haven next hosts the University of Virginia tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 6, at 7:30 p.m. in Thomas Field House.  Virginia Tech will travel to Bloomsburg University for more EWL action tomorrow for a 2 p.m. dual.

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Jan. 3, 2001 - LHU WRESTLING ENTERS INTO BUSY WEEKEND OF DUAL MEET ACTION
Haven To Host Virginia Tech and University of Virginia

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - The Bald Eagle grapplers, ranked 20th in the nation in both InterMat and the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s latest polls, will put their 8-1-0 overall record on the line this weekend as they host two dual meets. LHU opens up Eastern Wrestling League action on Friday, January 5, against #21/20 Virginia Tech (1-0-1, 0-0-1 EWL), then hosts the University of Virginia (2-0-0, 0-0-0 ACC) on Saturday, January 6, with both matches starting at 7:30 p.m. in Thomas Field House.
      The Haven kicks off EWL competition against the league’s third-place finisher from a year ago in Virginia Tech. Lock Haven owns a 3-0 advantage in dual meets between the two squads, including a 31-14 victory last year, but will be strongly challenged by this year’s Hokie unit that most recently fought to an even 16-16 tie against two-time defending EWL champion Edinboro University, and sports three wrestlers ranked among the top 10 in their respective weight classes.
      Lock Haven and the University of Virginia have only met head-to-head on the mat once before, which ended in a 30-12 decision for the Bald Eagles in 1995. The Cavaliers are currently 2-0-0, last defeating Binghamton University, 26-13, and will head to Cornell University on Friday (1/5/01) before matching up against LHU on Saturday evening.

125 — #9 Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany), one of two Bald Eagle grapplers appearing among the nation’s elite, brings a 9-2 overall mark into this weekend’s action. He last recorded a 1-1 record at the Clarion Duals, pinning Kent State’s Ray Sabin in 2:22 before suffering only his second defeat of the season, a technical fall to Pitt-Johnstown’s Brandon Newill. McCormack scored an 8-4 decision over VT’s Mike Akers last season in the dual meet between the two squads, but is expected to face Tech’s Phill Niklowicz (7-3) on Friday. Ryan Stewart (5-5) of Virginia will be McCormack’s opponent on Saturday.

133 — Senior Scott Bair (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle-Nittany) or junior Chris Spealler (Paoli/Great Valley) remain LHU’s two options at 133 pounds. Bair is now 9-2 overall following a 7-2 decision over Kent State’s Ryan Simmons at the Clarion Duals. Spealler brings a 7-5 mark into the new year after a 1-2 loss to Pitt-Johnstown’s Jason Nestor. They will most likely face VT’s Jeremy Gaysek (6-4), whom Bair pinned in 2:46 in last season’s dual. Virginia will mat either Toby MacDonald (3-3) or Joe Alexander (9-6) to challenge for the win here.

141 — Lock Haven’s only undefeated wrestler is expected to take the mat at 141 pounds, #11 Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area). The red-shirt freshman is 12-0 after scoring two decisions over his opponents at the Clarion Duals (Kent State’s Mark Wentz and Jim Hanning of UPJ). On Friday, he will meet a strong challenger in Virginia Tech’s #4 Sean Gray. Gray was a 2000 All-American and EWL champion at 141 pounds, and most recently posted a 6-1 decision over Edinboro’s #19 Cory Ace. In last season’s dual meet, Gray pinned LHU’s James LaValle in the second period. Virginia’s Bob Seidel (10-4) is expected to oppose Maney on Saturday.

149 — The much anticipated return of 1998 All-American JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area) is expected to commence this weekend. Billman amassed a 56-6 ledger while at Penn State from 1997-99 and is now set to contribute to the Bald Eagles’ 2001 campaign. Sophomore James LaValle (East Hanover, N.J./Hanover Park) could also contribute at 149 pounds this weekend. He is currently 10-4 overall, last recording two victories at the Clarion Duals over Kent’s Mike Tolar and UPJ’s Joe Lloyd. Last season, LHU’s Rob Weikel scored a major decision over VT’s Brian Wilson. Tech will most likely mat Brent Rider (4-5) here, and Virginia is expected to utilize P.J. Bory (7-5).

157 — Red-shirt freshman Jason Gilligan (Brookville/Brookville) has earned the start at 157 pounds, and enters this weekend’s contests with a 3-1 mark. In most recent action, he tallied two major decisions over his Kent State and Pitt-Johnstown opponents at the Clarion Duals in December. The Hokies forfeited at 157 pounds last season, but this season could start Andrew Shuler (1-5). The Cavaliers’ Don Carlo-Clauss (6-4) will also offer a challenge to Gilligan in Saturday’s dual.

165 — Senior Brian Olenek (Hazleton/Hazleton) added two wins to his season mark at the Clarion Duals, defeating Kent’s Nick Nemeth (9-7) and UPJ’s Ryan Buterbaugh (13-9) to improve to 10-4 overall. His opponent from Virginia Tech is expected to be #4 Chris Martin, a returning All-American who is 11-1 overall and most recently defeated Edinboro’s Yanni Diamond, 9-4. Last year Martin scored a 14-4 major decision over LHU’s Ben Stehura in the bout at 165 pounds. On Saturday, the Cavaliers are expected to mat Brian Muir (8-7) to try to gain points at 165 pounds.

174 — Red-shirt freshman Ed Pawlak (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern) and senior Dave Surovec (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area) are The Haven’s two probable starters at 174 pounds. Pawlak is 10-5 on the season after splitting a pair of bouts at the Clarion Duals, earning a 6-2 decision over Kent’s Jack Hageman before suffering a 2-8 decision to UPJ’s Adam Musisko. Surovec, 4-3 overall, should be also back and ready for competition this weekend after sustaining a sprained ankle in the dual meet against Boston University in early December. Virginia Tech’s #8 Eric Hall will offer stiff competition to either Pawlak or Surovec. Hall was the 14-6 victor over LHU’s Josh Millard in last season’s match-up between the two teams. Virginia’s Kevin Collier (2-2) will be the probable starter on Saturday against Pawlak or Surovec.

184 — Junior Josh Millard (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle Area) is now 8-4 following a 1-1 performance at the Clarion Duals, highlighted by a 10-4 decision over Pitt-Johnstown’s Nick Custred. Millard’s opponents will be Virginia Tech’s Scott Justus (6-2), who most recently scored a 22-11 major decision over Millard’s brother Justin in the Hokies’ dual meet against Edinboro University. Last season, LHU’s Dave Murray pinned VT’s then 19th-ranked Justus in the first period. Challenging Millard for the win at 184 pounds on Saturday will be Virginia’s Jimi Massey (7-5).

197 — Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham) and Jarred Dressler (Mifflin/Juniata) will compete for the start at 197 pounds for The Haven. Zerkle is currently 9-4 following two wins at the Clarion Duals, an 8-2 decision over Kent State’s Zeb Miller along with an injury default against UPJ’s Ben Kuntz. Dressler is currently 1-5 overall. Last season, LHU’s Mike Greenberg scored a 9-0 major decision over VT’s Christian Basnight in the dual at 197 pounds, while Zerkle wrestled up a weight class and posted a 3-1 decision over the Hokies’ Doug Easlick.
      Tech’s Wes Cummings (5-4) and Virginia’s Zach Freday (5-6) are the expected opponents for Zerkle and Dressler this weekend.

285 — Senior Craig Tefft (Oxford, N.Y./Oxford) is now 3-2 after splitting a pair of matches at the Clarion Duals. After losing by fall to Kent’s Jim Swetter with just eight seconds remaining in the match, Tefft rebounded by pinning UPJ’s Vince Torsell in 1:09.
      VT’s Ben Fisher (4-6) will challenge here, as will the Cavaliers’ Josh Etu (11-2), who won the heavyweight titles at the Keystone Classic and the Penn State Open as well as finishing as the runner-up at this year’s Mat-Town tournament.

UP NEXT: The Haven next travels to Hampton, Va., for the Virginia Duals from January 12-13. Other teams competing in the Virginia Duals include: Buffalo, Cal-Bakersfield, Central Michigan, Cornell, Indiana, James Madison, Kent State, Missouri, North Carolina, Penn, Rider, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia).

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania’s wrestling team (6-1 overall), ranked 16th in the nation in both InterMat and the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s latest polls, will travel to the Clarion Duals held at Clarion University’s Tippin Gymnasium this Sunday, December 17. The Bald Eagles match-up against Kent State at 12 p.m., then wrestle against the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown at 2 p.m.

125 — #13 Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany), the EWL Wrestler of the Week, is 8-1 on the season after going 2-0 at the Sheridan Duals last Saturday. McCormack defeated Boston University’s #18 Jose Leon, 9-3, before pinning Ohio University’s Barry Saley in 2:10. Another possibility for The Haven at 125 pounds is red-shirt freshman Dave Predko (Ridgway/Ridgway), who is 2-2. LHU will have its hands full, matching up against Kent State’s #20 Brent Thompson and UPJ’s #3 Brandon Newill. In last season’s dual, McCormack was the winner over Newill by major decision, 27-9.

133 — Senior Scott Bair (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle-Nittany) or junior Chris Spealler (Paoli/Great Valley) will take the mat at 133 pounds. Bair, now 8-2 overall, went 2-0 last weekend by scoring a 10-2 major decision over Boston’s Mike Messina and a 3:52 fall over Ohio’s Anthony Carrizales. Spealler has a 7-4 ledger following an 8-3 decision over N.C. State’s Ryan McCallum. Last season, Bair lost a 7-11 decision to UPJ’s Rob English, who is currently ranked 7th in Division II at 141 pounds.

141 — The Haven’s #11 Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area), still unbeaten at 10-0, is slated to take the mat at 141 pounds. Maney went 3-0 last week, opening up competition with a technical fall (22-4; 6:03) over Boston’s Mark Lawrence, then scoring a 13-5 major decision over N.C. State’s Oraefo Brown, before closing with 5-2 decision over Ohio’s Shane Hartzler.

149 — Sophomore James LaValle (East Hanover, N.J./Hanover Park) and junior Frank Piff (Catasaqua/Catasaqua) are both poised to earn wins for LHU at 149 pounds. LaValle is now 8-4 following a 1-1 performance at the Sheridan Duals, including a 9-4 decision over Ohio’s Andy Reichenbach. Piff improved to 6-3 after earning the start against N.C. State’s Justin Parlier, defeating him by a 5-3 score. LaValle matched up against UPJ’s Dustin Ziegler last season at 141 pounds, earning the 5-3 decision.

157 — Senior Rob Weikel (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) or red-shirt freshman Jason Gilligan (Brookville/Brookville) will earn the starting nod at 157 pounds. Weikel went 1-1 this weekend to move his overall mark to 5-3, with his one victory a 4-1 decision over Boston’s Ben Scheliens. Gilligan came back after a two-week hiatus due to injury and scored a 4-2 decision against Ohio’s Ryan Smith. UPJ is expected to mat #5 Shad Benton here to challenge either Weikel or Gilligan.

165 — Senior Brian Olenek (Hazleton/Hazleton) hopes to pocket two more wins this weekend, now 8-4 after going 2-1 last Saturday. Olenek opened with a 3-1 decision over Boston’s Zack Edmond, received the forfeit win in the N.C. State match, but lost a tight 4-3 decision to Ohio’s John Wervey in the final match of the day. Olenek faced UPJ’s Aaron Rendos last season in the dual at 157 pounds, scoring a 10-3 decision over the Mountain Cat. This season, Olenek could meet up with #3 Ryan Buterbaugh of UPJ, who defeated LHU’s Ben Stehura, 11-6, in the two squad’s 1999 match-up.

174 — LHU will choose between red-shirt frosh Ed Pawlak (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern) or junior Eric O’Connor (Elizabethtown/Elizabethtown) for the two bouts at 174 pounds. Pawlak is 9-4 following a 2-1 showing at the Sheridan Duals. He will look to get back on track after suffering a 3-1 loss to Ohio’s Luke Moore in his only wrestled bout last weekend, also earning two wins from forfeits. O’Connor is 2-4, last wrestling in Penn State Open. Dave Surovec (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area), who earned the start in the Boston University dual, suffered a sprained ankle during the bout, but is expected to be back in top health for the Bald Eagles’ next duals in early January.

184 — Junior Josh Millard (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle Area) increased his overall record to 7-3 after going 2-0 last weekend, scoring a 17-7 major decision over N.C. State’s Jason Gore before pinning Mark Shrout of Ohio in 3:09. Millard beat UPJ’s Ted Rakar by a 17-5 major decision in the 174 pound bout last season. The Bald Eagle will most likely face ranked competition in Kent’s #20 Nick Magistrelli along with UPJ’s #10-ranked 184 pounder Jim Custred. Custred suffered a 10-1 major decision to LHU’s Ken Haines (197 lbs.) last year.

197 — Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham) and Jarred Dressler (Mifflin/Juniata) could split time at 197 pounds this weekend. Zerkle is 7-4 overall, suffering two losses along with a win this weekend. His one win came wrestling at heavyweight, pinning Boston’s Nick Zeras in just 1:05. Dressler reports in at 1-5 after a rough weekend, going 0-3 at the Sheridan Duals.

285 — Senior Craig Tefft (Oxford, N.Y./Oxford) is expected back this weekend, still sporting a 2-1 ledger. Last season, UPJ’s Brad Hughes emerged the 3-1 winner in the match-up against Tefft.

UP NEXT: The LHU wrestlers are not back in action again until January, when they open the EWL dual meet season with a match against Virginia Tech on Friday, January 5, at 7:30. The University of Virginia comes to Thomas Field House the next day, Saturday, January 6, for a dual starting at 7:30 p.m.

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Dec. 12, 2000 - LHU'S MCCORMACK EARNS EWL WRESTLER OF THE WEEK AWARD

(Lock Haven, Pa.) -   Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany), a Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestler, earned the Eastern Wrestling League's Wrestler of the Week award for the week ending December 10.  
          The junior 125-pounder went 2-0 this past week, helping the #16 Bald Eagle team to a 3-0 performance at the Sheridan Duals being held at Lehigh University.  McCormack, 15^th in the latest InterMat rankings, took the mats against 18^th-ranked Jose Leon of Boston University, scoring a 9-3 decision to help lift LHU to a 30-12 victory over the Terriers.  The Haven was down, 8-0, when McCormack was set against Ohio University's Barry Saley in the 125-pound bout.  McCormack wasted little time, pinning Saley in the first period (2:10), and setting off a string of five LHU victories in the lower-to-middle weights and an eventual 27-14 match win.  Lock Haven also defeated N.C. State, 26-13, at the Duals.
            McCormack is currently 8-1 on the season, and has two major decisions and a fall to his credit.  The 2000 EWL Champion and a two-time NCAA qualifier, the junior Bald Eagle grappler sports a 45-16 career mark at LHU.
            The Lock Haven wrestling team is 6-1 overall, and next competes at the Clarion Duals on Sunday, December 17.

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Dec. 7, 2000 - LHU WRESTLING WILL CHALLENGE BOSTON, NC STATE, AND OHIO UNIVERSITY AT THIS WEEKEND'S SHERIDAN DUALS

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling team travels to the Sheridan Duals hosted by Lehigh University on Saturday, December 9. The LHU Bald Eagles will challenge Boston University at 10 a.m., then N.C. State University at 12:30 p.m., capped off with Ohio University at 3 p.m.

The Haven is currently ranked 16th in the nation by both InterMat and NWCA polls, and two wrestlers are ranked among the top 15 in their respective weight class. At 125 pounds, Trap McCormack is ranked 15th, and red-shirt freshman Mike Maney is currently ranked 12th at 141 pounds.

LHU has a 1-0 series record against Boston University, defeating the Terriers 29-17 in their only meeting back in 1980. The Bald Eagles’ ledger against NC State is even at 1-1, with LHU winning the most recent battle in 1995, 16-5. The Haven and Ohio University series is also even at 2-2 after the two squads met on the mat last season, with LHU emerging the 39-6 victor.

125 — Junior Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany) or sophomore Justin Owens (Morrisdale/West Branch) will take the mat at 125 pounds this Saturday. McCormack is 6-1 overall following a third-place showing at Mat-Town two weekends ago. Owens is 6-2 after going 3-0 this past weekend. Owens received two forfeit wins, then handed Shippensburg’s Joey Finkey a 20-3 (3:28) technical fall.

133 — Senior Scott Bair (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle-Nittany) and junior Chris Spealler (Paoli/Great Valley) will both look to earn the start at 133 pounds. Bair improved to 6-2 on the season following a 12-4 major decision over Jason Zinn of Shippensburg last Saturday. Spealler is now 6-4, and most recently defeated Lycoming’s Matt Hoffman by a 14-4 major decision.

141 — LHU’s only undefeated wrestler, red-shirt freshman Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area), ranked 12th by InterMat, will take the mat looking to defend his 7-0 mark. Maney, the 141 pound Mat-Town champion, went 2-0 last weekend by pinning Shippensburg’s George Blessing in 1:09 and handing Lycoming’s Mike Sommer a 13-5 major decision.

149 — Sophomore James LaValle (East Hanover, N.J./Hanover Park) and junior Frank Piff (Catasaqua/Catasaqua) will both offer stiff competition to Haven opponents for the win at 149 pounds. LaValle is 7-3 after going 2-0 last Saturday, defeating Lycoming’s Jeremy Adams, 9-2, and Shippensburg’s Brett Owen, 4-0. Piff pinned Wagner’s Paul Cozzi in 1:19 in the Lock Haven Duals before suffering a 6-3 decision to Lycoming’s Royce Eyer at 157 pounds last Saturday to move to 5-3 on the season.

157 — LHU has the option of senior Rob Weikel (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) or red-shirt freshman Jason Gilligan (Brookville/Brookville) at 157 pounds. Weikel stands at 4-2 following two wins last Saturday, including a 17-7 major decision over Shippensburg’s Tom Mertz. Gilligan, 0-1, has not wrestled since sustaining a rib injury in the Lehigh dual on November 17, but could be ready to go come Saturday.

165 — Senior Brian Olenek (Hazleton/Hazleton) will wrestle for the Bald Eagles at 165 pounds. Olenek is 6-3 after going 3-0 last Saturday. He opened with a technical fall over Wagner’s Omar Harper (16-1;3:24), then earned a 13-2 decision over Lycoming’s Jon Cogan, and was on his way to another major decision before Shippensburg’s Jason Bainey walked off the mat, giving Olenek the default win.

174 — The Bald Eagles can utilize the skills of either red-shirt freshman Ed Pawlak (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern) or junior Dave Surovec (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area) in the bouts at 174 pounds. Pawlak has been the starter at 174 for LHU in the early season duals, and is currently 7-3 overall after scoring three wins last Saturday, including two pins and a technical fall. Surovec is 4-2, last making an appearance at the East Stroudsburg Open, where he finished sixth.

184 — Junior Josh Millard (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle Area) is 5-3 overall, most recently scoring a 16-6 major decision over Lycoming’s Jeff Tierney and a 23-7 (5:55) technical fall over Shippensburg’s Nick Hensley.

197 — Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham) or Jarred Dressler (Mifflin/Juniata) could earn the start for the Bald Eagles at 197 pounds. Zerkle is 6-2, following a 20-3 (5:15) technical fall over Lycoming’s heavyweight Andy Atkinson. Dressler is 1-2 overall, last pinning Lycoming’s Derek Jones in 2:02.

285 — Senior Craig Tefft (Oxford, N.Y./Oxford) pinned Shippensburg’s Jon Cox in 1:43 last Saturday to improve to 2-1 overall, and is expected to wrestle at heavyweight for the Bald Eagles this weekend.

UP NEXT: The Bald Eagles travel to the Clarion Duals next weekend, Sunday, December 17, for their last competition before the end of the year.

Nov. 30, 2000 - BALD EAGLE WRESTLING TO HOST LOCK HAVEN UNIVERSITY DUALS

(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling will host the Lock Haven Duals on Saturday, December 2, beginning at 11 a.m.  The Bald Eagles will dual Wagner College at 11 a.m.  LHU then takes on Lycoming College, and Shippensburg University will battle Wagner at 1 p.m.  At 3 p.m., Lock Haven will challenge Shippensburg while Lycoming and Wagner square off. 

            Lock Haven, 0-1 in dual meets, most recently finished third at the annual Mat-Town U.S.A. tournament, and is currently ranked 15th in the latest NCAA Division I InterMat poll. Wagner College is 0-2 overall, and most recently finished 10^th at the Kutztown Invitational.  Shippensburg University is 1-1 and ranked 12^th in the latest NCAA Division II poll after finishing fourth at the Kutztown Invitational.  Lycoming College, No. 9 in the latest NCAA Division III Brute/adidas Coaches Poll, is also 1-1, last splitting a pair of matches in a tri-meet, defeating Shippensburg 36-6 but falling to Bucknell, 23-20.

Below is a preview of the probable starters by weight class:

125

            Lock Haven's sophomore Justin Owens (Morrisdale/West Branch) or red-shirt freshman Dave Predko (Ridgway/Ridgway) will take the mat at 125 for the Bald Eagles.  LHU's top 125-pounder Trap McCormack will not be in action this weekend in order to attend an academic conference.  Owens is 3-2 overall and finished seventh at Mat-Town last weekend.  Predko went 2-2 at Mat-Town in his first appearance of the year.

            Shippensburg sophomores Joey Finkey or Todd Hawn will most likely be the wrestler in competition at 125 for the Red Raiders this weekend.   Finkey is 2-3 for the season, while Hawn has a 4-2 ledger.  Wagner's Kam Chang will earn the start for the Seahawks, and is 1-2 on the season.  Lycoming will utilize Nate Niman to try to earn points at 125 pounds.  Niman (10-4) won both of his bouts at the tri-meet, pinning both Shippensburg's Todd Hawn (6:55) and Bucknell's Josh Perrin (6:42), and was also the champion at the Central Jersey Open in early November. 

133

            Challenging for the win at 133 lbs. will be the Bald Eagles' Scott Bair (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle-Nittany) or Chris Spealler (Paoli/Great Valley).  Bair, a senior, has a 4-2 record after finishing fifth at last weekend's Mat-Town tourney.  Spealler, a junior, is 5-4 following a seventh place performance at Mat-Town. 

            Shippensburg's Jason Zinn will be in competition, having already accumulated an 8-3 record.  Zinn was the runner-up at the Kutztown Invitational last weekend.  Wagner freshman Christian Ewing will be in the hunt for the points at 133, and has posted a 2-3 overall and 1-1 dual meet record.  Matt Hoffman (11-5) of Lycoming will provide tough competition here as well, having won his past two dual meet bouts in Shippensburg's Zinn (F, 1:40) and Bucknell's Jeremy Weller (3-1).

 141

            EWL Wrestler of the Week Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area)  is the favorite in duals where Lock Haven is concerned.  Ranked 14^th in the latest InterMat poll, Maney is 5-0 after capturing the individual Mat-Town crown at 141 pounds.  He is 1-0 in dual meets after posting a 5-2 victory over Lehigh's Matt Goldstein on November 17.

            Mark Mentzer of Shippensburg has an overall mark of 1-1, and currently ranked No. 5 in Division II, will be the top choice for the Red Raiders here at 141 pounds.  Wagner freshman Paul Cozzi will take the mat for the Seahawks, currently sporting an 0-4 ledger.  Lycoming's Mike Sommer (7-7) went 1-1 in the tri-meet, including an 8-2 decision over Shippensburg's Mentzer.

149

            Lock Haven will be able to choose between James LaValle (East Hanover, N.J./Hanover Park)  and Frank Piff (Catasaqua/Catasaqua) at 149 pounds.  LaValle, a sophomore, has a 5-3 record after finishing fifth at Mat-Town last weekend.  Piff is 4-2, placed sixth at the East Stroudsburg Open, and currently owns LHU's quickest fall in a time of 0:50.

            Senior grappler Brett Owen will earn the start for Shippensburg.  Owen is 5-4 overall following a runner-up finish at the Kutztown Invite, and leads the Red Raiders in the early season in major decisions with three.  Junior Seahawk Kyle Chiaverini is 2-4, and is the predicted starter here at 149 pounds for Wagner.  Earning the start for the Warriors will be Jeremy Adams. Adams most recently defeated Shipp's Owen in overtime, and also finished fifth at the Bloomsburg Tournament. 

157

            Rob Weikel (Bellefonte/Bellefonte), a Lock Haven senior, has moved up a weight class since last season, and will look to improve his 2-2 ledger this weekend after finishing sixth at Mat-Town.

            Senior Red Raider Tom Mertz is the frontrunner for the start at 157 pounds, and has a current 7-4 record after finishing third at the Kutztown Invitational.  Wagner's Frank Zappulla, another freshman, will wrestle for the points here.  Zappulla is 0-6 overall.  Lycoming's third-ranked Royce Eyer is 13-3 and is the top choice for the 157 pound bouts.  Eyer pinned Shippensburg's Mertz in 1:45 and Bucknell's Mike Saunders in 0:47 in his most recent outing.

165

            The Bald Eagles' Brian Olenek (Hazleton/Hazleton)  is Lock Haven's top challenger at 165 pounds.  The senior is 3-3 and was the fourth-place finisher at Mat-Town last weekend.

            Shippensburg's Jason Bainey, a sophomore, is 5-2 and was the runner-up at the Kutztown Invitational.  Wagner will utilize freshman Omar Harper at 165, who is currently 1-8 overall.  John Cogan  (8-8) of Lycoming will handle the duties at 165 pounds for the Warriors after going 0-2 in the tri-meet, including a 10-3 loss to Shippensburg's Bainey.

174

            Two red-shirt freshmen will dual for The Haven at 174 pounds, Ed Pawlak (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern) and Tim Boetsch (Lincolnville, Me./Camden Rockport).  Ed Pawlak earned the start in the first dual meet of the season, defeating Lehigh's Bill Brine by a 17-9 major decision.  He has a current 4-3 record after finishing sixth at Mat-Town.  The Bald Eagles' Boetsch is 0-4 overall.

            Local Bald Eagle-Nittany product Andy Hull will vie for wins at 174 pounds for Shippensburg, and is currently 5-6 following a sixth-place finish at the Kutztown Invitational.  Wagner's John Leone has compiled a 4-8 ledger over the course of the early season.  Lycoming's Nate Jones is 2-8, suffering two losses in their tri-meet, including a 7-4 decision to Shippensburg's Hull. 

184

            Lock Haven junior Josh Millard (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle Area)  is expected to wrestle all three bouts at 184 pounds.  Millard was fourth at Mat-Town, and is 3-3 overall.

            Shippensburg's Nicholas Hensley, a sophomore, is 2-6 overall.  Wagner's 184 slot is wide open, but could be filled by junior Joel Richardson.  Lycoming's Jeff Tierney (4-3) will earn the starting role at 184 pounds, splitting a pair of bouts at the tri-meet including a win over Shippensburg's Nick Hensley, 5-0.

197

Junior Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham) was one of two Bald Eagles advancing to the finals at Mat-Town, finishing as the runner-up after bowing out to Purdue's Jon Bush in the championship bout.  Zerkle is currently 3-2 overall.

Shippensburg senior Kevin Boccella is currently 7-3 overall and the top ranked wrestler in Division II.  Boccella earned the 197 pound title at the Binghamton Open, and also finished second at the Kutztown Invitational.  Wagner will look to sophomore Ryan McCarthy, 0-1, for points here.  Taking the mat for Lycoming will be Ithaca College Tournament champion and fifth-ranked Andy Lausier. Lausier, 11-2, went 2-0 at the tri-meet, scoring a 4-2 decision over Shippensburg's Boccella and a similar decision over Bucknell's Brian Falciglia. 

HWT

            The Lock Haven Bald Eagles are thin at heavyweight, with senior Craig Tefft (Oxford, N.Y./Oxford Academy) the only possibility pending a nagging injury. Tefft is 0-1 this season, suffering a loss in the Lehigh dual.

            Shippensburg freshman Chris Bulley or senior Jon Cox will handle heavyweight responsibilities, with Bulley coming in at 4-2 after finishing fifth at Kutztown, and Cox with an 0-4 record.  Wagner is also thin in the upperweights, but could use junior Harry Marquez.  Lycoming's Andy Atkinson (4-8) will start for the Warriors at heavyweight, following a win over Shippensburg's Jon Cox (F1:58).

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Nov. 28, 2000 -  BALD EAGLE'S MANEY EARNS EWL WRESTLER OF THE WEEK SELECTION

(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area), a wrestler for Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, earned Eastern Wrestling League Wrestler of the Week honors for competition ending November 26.

            Maney, a red-shirt freshman for the Bald Eagle wrestling team, captured the Mat-Town USA title at 141 pounds last Saturday helping lead the squad to a third place finish.  He entered the tournament as the top seed, proceeding to win opening round bouts over the University of Virginia's Bob Seidel, Purdue University's Paul Sacquitne, and then the University of Missouri's J.P. Reese in the semifinals.  Advancing to the championship match against the University of Pittsburgh's No. 10-ranked (InterMat) Justin Giovinco.  Maney handled the Pittsburgh sophomore, cruising to the 5-1 victory.

            For the season, Maney is undefeated at 5-0.  The Bald Eagle wrestling team currently sports a 0-1 dual meet record, and is next in action this weekend, hosting the Lock Haven University Duals on Saturday, December 2.  Wagner College, Lycoming College, and Shippensburg University round out the field of competition for the Duals.

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Nov. 15, 2000 -  BALD EAGLE WRESTLING OPENS SEASON 
                      AT LEHIGH UNIVERSITY

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - The Lock Haven University Bald Eagle grapplers will take to the mats on Friday, November 17, opening the 2000-2001 season on the road at Lehigh University’s Grace Hall. The Bald Eagles, ranked 12th in NCAA Division I by InterMat, finished 11-7 last season and 40th at the NCAA Division I Championships after sending four wrestlers to the national tournament. The Mountain Hawks of Lehigh went 19-2 last year, and finished 12th in the final NWCA poll. They are currently seated eighth in the most current InterMat poll. 

The Bald Eagles and the Mountain Hawks have met only eight times before, but each dual has been a spirited battle, with Lehigh owning a 5-3 series advantage. The Haven has the edge recently, however, winning the past three contests in 1995 (191-5), 1996 (22-11), and 1997 (20-19). Lehigh’s last win came in 1994, when the Mountain Hawks edged LHU 13-19 at Grace Hall. 

Below is a weight-by-weight preview:

125: The Bald Eagles’ Trap McCormack, a 2000 NCAA qualifier and EWL champion, takes the mat against Lehigh rookie Terrance Clendenin. McCormack compiled a 22-7 record last season, including a 6-1 EWL bout mark. A two-time NCAA qualifier, McCormack is ranked 14th in the latest AWN polls. His Mountain Hawk opponent Clendenin is a true freshman and a former New Jersey state champion.

133: LHU’s Scott Bair, also a two-time NCAA qualifier, matches up with Lehigh’s Tristan Boyd for the points at 133 pounds. Ranked 15th by AWN, Bair finished the season with a 20-10 ledger, was runner-up at the PSAC tournament and finished fourth at the EWL championships to earn a wild card bid to the national tourney. His opponent is sophomore Mountain Hawk Tristan Boyd, who finished fifth at the EIWA championships in 2000 and wrapped up the season at 16-18.

141: Red-shirt freshman Mike Maney or junior Chris Spealler will challenge Lehigh’s Matt Goldstein for the win at 141 pounds. Maney red-shirted last season but compiled a 13-4 record in unattached matches including a second-place finish at the Edinboro Open. Spealler is an intense competitor who recorded a 17-12 ledger in ‘99-2000, including a fourth-place finish at the PSAC championships. The Brown and White’s Goldstein was the EIWA champion at 141 pounds last year, capping off the season with a 22-12 record and a trip to the NCAA championships. He is ranked 13th in the nation (AWN). 

149: Bald Eagle James LaValle and Lehigh’s Dave Esposito will take the mats for the dual at 149 pounds. LaValle wrestled at 141 pounds last season, recording an 11-8 mark, including a fifth-place finish at Mat-Town. Last season, Esposito capped off a 34-3 run with All-America honors, earning third place at the NCAA Division I tournament.

157: Red-shirt freshman Jason Gilligan and senior Rob Weikel are the two likely candidates to face Lehigh’s Ryan Bernholz at this weight. Gilligan is a former Pennsylvania state champion and went 10-5 last year as an unattached wrestler. Weikel has put in five strong years at The Haven, including a 15-5 campaign last season. The senior was the 1999 Mat-Town USA champion at 149 pounds, and finished third at the PSAC championships. Bernholz is a 1999 All-American, and returns after sitting out the 1999-2000 season due to injury. Over his three seasons of competition, Bernholz has recorded an impressive 72-17 ledger.

165: Lock Haven’s Brian Olenek is preparing to match up against Lehigh’s Chris Vitale for the 165 pound bout. Olenek, a senior, moved up a weight class since last year, when he went 20-8. Last season, the Bald Eagle was the PSAC runner-up and finished fourth at the EWL tournament, just missing a bid to the NCAA championships. Vitale, a junior, went 18-10 last season. 

174: LHU red-shirt freshman Ed Pawlak will take to the mats for the first dual meet of his collegiate career, challenging another red-shirt freshman, Lehigh’s Bill Brine, for the win at 174 pounds. Pawlak sported a 5-4 tournament record last season, including a 6th place finish at the East Stroudsburg Open. Brine defeated teammate junior Ted Dufresne, 13-3, in the wrestle-offs for the start on Friday.

184: Lock Haven’s Josh Millard and Lehigh’s Rob Rohn will lock arms for the points at the 184 pound weight class. Millard, like a number of returning Bald Eagle starters, moves up one weight class from last year, when he went 10-16 at 174 pounds. Millard earned fourth-place finishes at Mat-Town USA and at the PSAC championships. Rohn is a returning All-American, finishing fifth at nationals last year with a 2-1 victory over Edinboro’s Kevin Welsh. The LU Hawk recorded a 32-4 overall record in 1999-2000.

197: Lock Haven junior Avery Zerkle’s opponent for the bout at 197 pounds will be red-shirt freshman Jon Trenge. Zerkle finished at 11-7 last year, including a fourth place finish at the PSAC tournament and a sixth-place finish at EWL’s. 

HWT: Two experienced veterans hit the mats at heavyweight, as LHU senior Craig Tefft and Lehigh junior Shawn Laughlin square off for the win here. Last season, Tefft struggled against EWL opponents, recording an overall 5-12 ledger, but peaked early in the season with a fourth-place finish at Mat-Town USA. Laughlin went 26-12 last season and finished third in his inaugural appearance in the EIWA championships. 

UP NEXT: Team Lock Haven will host the annual Mat-Town USA Tournament on Saturday, November 25, with the wrestling slated to kick off at 9 a.m. This year’s field brings 13 programs into competition, including Ohio University, Penn State University, Purdue University, and Rider University. Lock Haven’s seven-time national champion Gray Simons will also be in attendance, now in his 14th year as head coach at Old Dominion University. Lehigh University will travel to the University of Pittsburgh for a dual meet on Sunday, November 19, at 1 p.m.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestler Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany) was named a recipient of the prestigious Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Winter Top Ten Award for the 1999-2000 season.   The Top Ten awards recognize five male and five female student-athletes from the PSAC who distinguish themselves in the classroom, as well as in the arena of competition.  The conference designates Top Ten Award winners after each of the competitive sports seasons, fall, winter and spring. 

            McCormack, a sophomore, was the Haven's starting 125-pounder, closing out his season with a 22-7 final record, including a team-best eight major decisions.  McCormack made his second trip to the NCAA Division I National Championships this season, advancing to the national tournament after capturing his first-ever Eastern Wrestling League title.  The fourth-place finisher at the PSAC Championships, McCormack also finished third at this season's Mat-Town U.S.A. tournament.    

A junior academically, McCormack carries a 3.54 GPA as a health and physical education major at Lock Haven.  He is a PSAC Scholar Athlete, a multiple member of the Dean's List, and received LHU's Health and Physical Education Freshman of the Year Award in 1998 and the Health and Physical Education Sophomore of the Year Award in 1999.

The Lock Haven wrestling team finished with an 11-7 dual meet record, and finished third at the PSAC Championships, sixth at the EWL Championships, and 40^th overall at the NCAA Division I National Championships.           

To be a candidate for the Top Ten Awards, a student-athlete must have achieved a minimum of a 3.25 cumulative grade point average and be a starter or key reserve with legitimate athletic credentials.  Only student-athletes from the winter sports season are eligible for the Winter Top Ten Awards.  Those sports include men's and women's basketball, men's and women's swimming, and men's wrestling.

            The Top Ten Awards provide the PSAC an extra tier in the recognition of the top student-athletes on all PSAC squads with 3.25 cumulative GPA's or better.  Additionally, the PSAC names the top Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.  

March 29, 2000 - LHU GRAPPLERS TOPS IN CLASSROOM

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - A total of 14 Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestlers are among the 63 grapplers in the Eastern Wrestling League honored as members of the All-EWL Academic team for the 1999-2000 season.  Wrestlers on each of the squads of the eight member institutions earning a 3.00 G.P.A. or higher receive the award.

The Haven's 14 recognized grapplers sport an average G.P.A. of 3.32.  The list includes four Dean's List student-athletes (3.50 or higher) -- Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany), Charlie Brenneman (Hollidaysburg/Hollidaysburg), Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area), and Mike Miller (Sparta, N.J./Sparta).   It also includes six wrestlers who started for the Bald Eagles this season -- senior Ken Haines (Gettysburg/Gettysburg), juniors Scott Bair (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle-Nittany), and Ben Stehura (Jefferson, Ohio/Jefferson Area), sophomores Trap McCormack and Craig Tefft (Oxford, N.Y./Oxford Academy), and freshman Charlie Brenneman. 

LHU has the most wrestlers achieving the academic recognition out of the eight EWL teams, with Cleveland State University coming the closest, tallying 12 student-athletes receiving honors. 

LHU WRESTLERS EARNING ALL-EWL ACADEMIC TEAM HONORS

(Lock Haven, Pa.) -- Four members of the Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling team will travel out to St. Louis, Mo., for the 2000 NCAA Division I National Wrestling Championships being held March 16 through 18 at the Kiel Center in downtown St. Louis. The event is being hosted by the University of Missouri along with the St. Louis Sports Commission. 

First round action begins on Thursday at 11 a.m., which will be followed by the wrestle-back preliminary bouts, as needed, and the first round of wrestle-backs at 6:30 p.m.. The third round opens on Friday at 11 a.m., consisting of the quarterfinals and second and third round of wrestle-backs. The semifinals and fourth and fifth rounds of wrestle-backs begin at 6:30 p.m. that same day. The fifth session is slated to open on Saturday at 11 a.m., with the semifinal round of wrestle-backs and the remaining medal bouts. The Grand March and ceremonies are scheduled for 6:30 p.m., with the championship matches to begin at 7 p.m.

THE TOURNAMENT FIELD

A total of 330 wrestlers make up the 2000 tournament field. The top eight finishers in each weight class earn All-America honors. Four champions from the 1999 tournament return to defend their title, including Iowa teammates Doug Schwab (141 pounds) and T.J. Williams (157/149 in '99). At 165 pounds, Kirk White of Boise State will be looking for a repeat, as will last year’s Outstanding Wrestler Cael Sanderson (184 pounds) of Iowa State. 

In the race for the team title, the University of Iowa has won the last five team titles, and has nine wrestlers qualified to battle for yet another top-team honor.

LHU HEAD COACH CARL POFF 

Tenth-year Head Coach Carl Poff (128-56-3) has now guided 66 wrestlers to the NCAA tournament. Of those wrestlers, 11 have advanced to earn All-America honors, including two-time national champion Cary Kolat (1996, ‘97). 

Teams under Poff have finished in the top ten on two occasions, the most recent in 1997 when the squad earned a fifth place finish. Last season, the Bald Eagles placed 44th in the 79 team field.

LAST DANCE

Seniors Ken Haines (Gettysburg/ Gettysburg) and Dave Murray (Jersey Shore/Jersey Shore) will take to the mats for the last time at the 2000 Championships. Haines (10-2), ranked 20th in the nation (InterMat), is now a three-time NCAA qualifier, earning this year’s ticket with an automatic bid after finishing third in the heavyweight division at the EWL Championships. Haines lost his first match-up at EWLs, dropping a 3-0 decision to eventual champion Josh Pearce of Edinboro. A 4-0 win over Bloomsburg’s Pat Spirelli advanced him to the consolation semifinals, and a medical forfeit by West Virginia’s No. 12-ranked Sean Hage tossed Haines into the third-place bout versus Clarion’s John Testa. A takedown at 0:50 put Haines on top, and gave the LHU senior another shot at All-America accolades. 

Last season, Haines competed at 197 pounds at the NCAA tournament, going 0-2 with losses to Jameel Abdullah of Boston University (F, 0:43) and Josh Schroeder of American University (F, 5:14). Haines also went 0-2 in 1998 while competing at 190 pounds.

Dave Murray (19-7) is also a three-time NCAA qualifier, and brings a 2-4 record into national championship competition. Murray, who is ranked 12th in the nation (InterMat), earned a spot on the 184-pound bracket by way of a third place finish at the EWL Championships, defeating Virginia Tech’s Scott Justus by an 8-2 decision. Murray opened EWL action by pinning Cleveland State’s Devin Pethel in 4:56. A loss to Kevin Welsh of Edinboro (Dec, 9-3) placed the senior in the consolation bracket, where he won by a 10-2 major decision over Bloomsburg’s Chris Froelich in the semifinal. 

In last year’s national tournament, Murray went 1-2, earning an 11-5 decision over Brown’s Nate Burroughs, but dropping a close 3-2 decision to Mike Greenfield of Central Michigan and a 14-5 major decision to Oklahoma’s Tom Grossman. Murray went 1-2 in 1998 competing at 177 pounds.

“BAIR” NECESSITIES

Two-time national qualifier Scott Bair (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle-Nittany) earned a wild card to compete at nationals this season, finishing one place shy of an automatic bid with a fourth-place showing at 133 pounds at the EWL Tournament. Bair, now 19-8 and ranked 16th (InterMat), opened league championship competition with an 8-4 decision over Virginia Tech’s Mike Mercado, then dropped a 7-1 decision to eventual champion Bob Patnesky of West Virginia. In the consolation bracket, Bair pinned Cleveland State’s Phil Mansueto in 2:32 to advance to the third-place bout, where he was outdone, 2-1, by Pittsburgh’s Rob Loper. 

The junior grappler competed at 141 pounds last season, sporting a 2-2 overall NCAA tournament record. He fell, 4-0, to Northwestern’s Scott Schatzman, but then won two straight. Bair’s wins came over Edinboro’s Rafael Vega (6-5 tb) and Jeremy Hart (5-1) of Appalachian State. His quest for All-America honors was ended after a 3-0 loss to Cal-State Bakersfield’s Jon Archuleta. 

MIGHTY McCORMACK

At 125 pounds, sophomore Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany) has also qualified for his second appearance on the mats at nationals, doing so in impressive fashion by winning his first EWL title. Ranked 12th in the nation by InterMat, he has built a 22-5 overall record this season after tallying three more wins at the EWL championships. McCormack opened with his third win of the season over Pittsburgh’s Zach Hasse, this time by pinning the Panther in 4:43, which was also his first fall this season. From there, he posted his second win of the season over Virginia Tech’s Mike Akers with a 7-3 decision. Advancing to the finals against Angelo Zegarelli of West Virginia, McCormack emerged from the close battle with the 9-8 victory and his first, and the 2000 team’s only, EWL title. 

Last season, McCormack went 1-2 at the NCAA’s, winning his first bout at nationals, a 6-4 decision over 11th seed Dominic Caruso of Northwestern, then losing to Moses Delfin of Cal-State Bakersfield (8-6 sv) and Tom Combes of Eastern Illinois (F, 1:24). 

WAITING IN THE WINGS 

Junior Brian Olenek (Hazleton/Hazleton Area) and sophomore Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham) were both selected as alternates to the tournament, and have a shot at competing should any one of the 39 EWL wrestlers already qualified be unable to participate. 

Olenek is 20-8, and finished in fourth place at the EWL Championships at 157 pounds. A 1999 NCAA qualifier, he went 0-2 in last year’s venture. 

Zerkle has recorded an 11-7 overall record, and finished sixth at 197 pounds at the EWL tournament. Should he get a chance to compete at nationals, it would mark his inaugural appearance.

March 6, 2000 - LHU GRAPPLER McCORMACK EARNS EWL TITLE;
   Bald Eagles Qualfiy Four For NCAA's, Place Sixth at EWL Championship

 (Lock Haven, Pa.) - The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania Wrestling Team qualified four wrestlers for the NCAA Division I National Championships, including individual champion Trap McCormack (125 pounds), while finishing in sixth place out of eight teams at the 2000 Eastern Wrestling League Tournament being held at Fitzgerald Field House on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh this past weekend. 

Edinboro University won its third consecutive team title, edging out West Virginia University by 3.5 points with 116.5 team tallies.  WVU was second with 113 points.  Finishing third and fourth were Virginia Tech University (91 points) and Bloomsburg University (89 points), respectively.  The host team Pittsburgh placed fifth with 88.5 points.   Lock Haven was sixth with 79 team points, and Cleveland State University (47 points) and Clarion University (46 points) closed the tournament in seventh and eighth place.

The Bald Eagles crowned one individual champion, sophomore 125 pounder Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany).  McCormack pinned his first opponent, Zach Hasse of Pittsburgh, in the second period (4:43).  In the semifinals, he matched up with Virginia Tech's Mike Akers, taking the 7-3 decision to advance to the finals. In the championship bout, McCormack faced a fiery West Virginia grappler in Angelo Zegarelli.  The two traded points throughout the match, with Zegarelli leading, 5-4, after the first period.  McCormack took over the lead by the end of the second period, choosing the defensive position to start, then scoring the escape and a takedown to go up, 7-6.  The Mountaineer tied up the bout at 7-7 with an escape to open the third period, but McCormack gained control 15 seconds into the stanza.  An escape by Zegarelli with 1:28 remaining brought him to within one point of McCormack, but neither wrestler was able to regain an advantage, leaving McCormack the 9-8 victor. McCormack had previously defeated the Mountaineer, 6-4, in the dual meet competition.  This was the sophomore's first EWL title, having placed as the runner-up at the tournament last season.

            The Haven qualified four grapplers for the NCAA Tournament:  McCormack, junior Scott Bair (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle-Nittany), and seniors Dave Murray (Jersey Shore/Jersey Shore) and Ken Haines (Gettysburg/Gettysburg).  The top three placewinners along with nine wild card selections at the EWL tournament qualify for the national championships, giving the league 39 wrestlers in competition at the NCAA's.  McCormack took home the crown at 125 pounds and Bair earned a wild card bid after finishing fourth at 133 pounds.  Murray (184 pounds) and Haines (HWT) both won their battles for third place in their respective weight classes, earning the automatic bid to nationals.   Junior Brian Olenek (Hazleton/Hazleton Area) and sophomore Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham) are both alternates, and could earn a trip to the NCAA's should any of the 39 EWL wrestlers not be able to compete.

            This season marks the first time since 1986 that the Bald Eagles have qualified less than five wrestlers for the NCAA Tournament, but it also signals the sixth straight season that The Haven has had at least one individual champion. 

March 1, 2000 -- LHU GRAPPLERS SET FOR EWL CHAMPIONSHIPS

 (Lock Haven, Pa.) - Edinboro University claimed its third consecutive Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference wrestling championship this evening, outdistancing the 10 team field and placing all ten of its wrestlers in the top-five in each of their respective weight classes. Clarion University's Mark Angle, the individual champion at 141 pounds, was selected the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler.

The Fighting Scots of Edinboro posted their third team title in as many years with 165.5 team points. It is the seventh time in PSAC history that a school has accomplished such a feat. Edinboro's Chad Caros (133 pounds), Josh Koscheck (174 pounds), and Kevin Welsh (184 pounds) all earned individual titles, and four EUP grapplers finished as runners-up in their respective weight brackets.

Bloomsburg University was the team runner-up, gaining a tournament-high of four individual champions for a total 131.5 team points. Lock Haven University was close behind in third place with 125 points, and Clarion University finished in fourth place with a total of 103.5 team points. East Stroudsburg University (60), Slippery Rock University (53.5), Millersville University (45.5), Shippensburg University (30), Kutztown University (28), and Cheyney University (0) rounded out the field.

Clarion University's Mark Angle, a senior wrestling at 141 pounds, earned his third PSAC Championship trophy after pinning Edinboro's Corey Ace in 3:56 in the title bout.

Angle pinned (1:17) Millersville's Steve Harper in the first round, and earned a 6-2 decision over Chris Spealler of Lock Haven in the semifinals.

Complete results can be found at http://lhup.edu/psac/wrchamp2000.htm

(Lock Haven, Pa.) Five individual champions will return to defend their titles as the 57^th Annual Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Wrestling Championships get under way this weekend at Lock Haven University's Thomas Field House.

Results will be posted online at http://www.lhup.edu/psac/wrchamp2000.htm

--Click here for Weight-by-Weight Results--

The Haven's next hosts EWL opponent West Virginia University on Friday, January 14 at 7:30 p.m. in Thomas Field House.

(Lock Haven, Pa) ~ The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania Wrestling Team will travel to the third annual Lone Star Duals in Grand Prairie, Texas at the Warrior Coliseum and at South Grand Prairie High School on Saturday, January 8, 2000. This year's competition brings together 11 of the nation's most talented Division I squads, including six teams ranked among the country's Top 20 with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd ranked teams in attendance. Competing this weekend will be #1 University of Iowa, #2 Iowa State University, #3 University of Oklahoma, #14 Boise State University, #18 University of Wisconsin, #20 University of Oregon, Lock Haven University, Northern Illinois University, Northwestern University, Brown University, and the University of Wyoming. The Bald Eagles have a bye in the first round, and are slated to face Northern Illinois at 1 p.m., Iowa State at 4 p.m., followed by Wisconsin at 6 p.m.

The Bald Eagles have had a month off since their last competition back on December 4th when they hosted the Lock Haven Duals. There, The Haven went 3-0, defeating Division III power Lycoming College, 24-18, Shippensburg University, 32-15, and Eastern Wrestling League opponent Cleveland State University, 28-9. Standing at 6-1overall in dual meets this season, The Haven is ranked 24th by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), and has also been ranked as high as 24th in the nation by InterMat and the Amateur Wrestling News (AWN). Lock Haven's only dual meet loss came at the open of the season in a highly contested battle against #11 (InterMat ranking) University of Nebraska where they fell, 16-20.

Despite the month’s hiatus, three Haven grapplers are still listed among the best in the nation. Junior Scott Bair (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle-Nittany) (8-1) is the Bald Eagles’ top-ranked wrestler, maintaining an No. 11-ranking at 133-pounds. Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle Area) (9-1), The Haven’s sophomore 125-pounder, and senior 184-pound Dave Murray (Jersey Shore/Jersey Shore) (9-1) are both ranked 20th in their respective weight classes.

The Haven will utilize the talents of red-shirt freshman James LaValle (East Hanover, N.J./Hanover Park) at 141-pounds. LaValle went 2-1 at the Lock Haven Duals, falling to Lycoming’s Mike Sommer before rebounding with a win by fall (0:52) over Shippensburg’s Nick Hoffmaster and a 13-4 major decision over Cleveland State’s Ryan Guciardo.

At 149-pounds, the Bald Eagles will look to junior Robbie Weikel (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) and red-shirt freshman Dave Shafer (Nuremburg/Hazleton Area). Weikel, 6-0, was one of the Haven’s two champions at Mat-Town, and most recently scored a 5-0 decision over Cleveland State’s Jason DeFranco. Shafer is currently 3-5, suffering two losses at the LHU Duals.

Junior Brian Olenek (Hazleton/Hazleton Area) and true freshman Charlie Brenneman (Hollidaysburg/Hollidaysburg) will represent The Haven at 157-pounds. Olenek, now 9-2, finished third at Mat-Town, and recorded two wins at the LHU Duals, including a 6-0 decision over EWL opponent Brandon Gibbs of Cleveland State. Brenneman has had an impressive season thus far, posting a 12-6 overall record after finishing 5-2 for a sixth-place finish at the Penn State Open back in December.

Dave Surovec (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area) and Ben Stehura (Jefferson, Ohio/Jefferson Area) will take to the mat at 165-pounds. Surovec and Stehura have shared duties this semester, with Surovec recording a 3-2 record and Stehura posting a 5-5 mark.

Second-year starter at 174-pounds Josh Millard (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle Area) will also be in action for The Haven. Millard is currently 6-5 overall.

Alongside Murray at 184-pounds is freshman Mike Greenberg (Canton/Canton Area). Greenberg has built a 9-6 record this season, including two wins at the Lock Haven Duals over Shippensburg’s Keith Hoffman and Josh Greenspan of Cleveland State.

The Bald Eagles also expect the return of two-time NCAA qualifier senior Ken Haines (Gettysburg/Gettysburg) at 197-pounds to bolster The Haven’s upper weights after an early injury at Mat-Town forced him to the sidelines for the remainder of the first half of the season. Sophomore Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham) will also make a return to the mat after a pre-season injury.

Finally, though the Bald Eagles have been struggling to find a solid competitor at heavyweight, sophomore Craig Tefft (Oxford, N.Y./Oxford Academy), 4-8 overall, will look to turn The Haven’s luck around.

THE HAVEN'S OPPONENTS:

NORTHERN ILLINOIS: The Haven's first match-up at the Lone Star Duals will be against Northern Illinois. The Haven holds a 4-1 advantage in dual meets between the two schools, with the last time the two met being back in 1990, a 26-16 win for LHU. The Huskies,currently 2-1 in dual meets, most recently suffered a 15-17 loss to the University at Buffalo last Monday. Prior to that loss, Northern Illinois produced a 25th place finish at the prestigious Midlands Wrestling Championships. Huskie heavyweight Jon Lovrich was the team's only place-winner, finishing seventh with a win by (medical) forfeit over Illinois' John Lockhart.

IOWA STATE: Lock Haven’s toughest match of the day will be a dual against the No. 2-team in the nation, Iowa State University. The Cyclones are currently 6-0 in dual meets, and are fresh off a sixth-place finish at the Midlands Championships. Top-seeded Cael Sanderson (184-lbs.) captured his second straight Midlands crown by defeating No. 2 Nate Patrick of Illinois, 7-2, in the championship match. However, the Cyclones are experiencing the injury bug, as three of their top wrestlers have gone down in the past two weeks. Heavyweight Trent Hynek advanced to the semifinals before being forced to withdraw due to injury, and settled for a sixth-place finish. The Cyclones may have to find replacements for All-Americans Cody Sanderson (133-lbs) and Joe Heskett (165-lbs) as well. Both sat out of the Midlands Championships nursing injuries.

WISCONSIN: The University of Wisconsin is presently 2-1-1 in dual meets, its one loss coming against #2 Iowa State University. Most recently, the Badgers defeated Minnesota State-Mankato, 36-6, in their home-opener. The Lock Haven-Wisconsin series stands in favor of the Badgers, 6-2. The last time these two squads met was in 1997, with The Haven emerging with a 23-12 victory. Wisconsin has four wrestlers ranked among the top grapplers in the nation, including No. 4 Don Pritzlaff (165-pounds), No. 9 Cory Wallman (157-pounds), No. 11 Kole Clauson (174-pounds), and No. 15 Steve Alf (197-pounds).

(Lock Haven, Pa.) ~ Lock Haven University junior Scott Bair (Mill Hall, Pa./Bald Eagle-Nittany) has been named the Eastern Wrestling League's Wrestler of the Week for the week ended November 28, 1999.

Bair won the 133 pound championship at Saturday's prestigious Mat-Town Invitational Tournament hosted by LHU. He defeated Rob Loper of the University of Pittsburgh by a score of 4-2 in the final, and was voted the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament by participating coaches.

On his way to the finals, Bair majored Pittsburgh's Sam Davis by a score of 20-8 in the first round, pinned Bucknell's Tommy Doerr (at 1:25) in the quarter-finals and beat Cornell's Sean Doyle by a margin of 6-3 in the semi-finals.

Bair, currently ranked No. 11 in the nation at 133 pounds by Amateur Wrestling News, has a record of 6-1 this season and has compiled a 37-28 career record while at The Haven. He was fourth at last year's EWL Tournament en route to qualifying for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships where he won two matches.

125

 133

Though a little thin, the field at 133-lbs. should be an exciting one, sporting two ranked (Intermat) wrestlers in Pittsburgh's No. 9 Rob Loper and The Haven's Scott Bair, who moved down a weight class from last season, ranked 15^th in the nation. Cornell's Sean Doyle and Bucknell's Adam Webb both return after scoring fourth and seventh-place finishes at Mat-Town last season.  

141

149

157

165

174

184

197

HWT

Cornell's dominance in the upper weights may show itself again at heavyweight, as 1998 runner-up Seth Charles, ranked 16^th (Intermat) returns. Penn State's Mark Janus, ranked No. 9 in the nation, will also be looking to take sole ownership of the championship crown. Pittsburgh's Matt Mueller is an experienced wrestler who finished fifth last season, and Rider's Marc DeFrancesco will also look to finish up among the top pack.

A year of hard work and dedication has paid off for Head LHU Wrestling Coach Carl Poff and his staff as they approach the coming season with one of the strongest recruiting classes in the country. LHU is ranked 12th in InterMat’s recently released list of the Top 20 Recruiting Classes for NCAA Division I wrestling.

Seven state champions comprise LHU’s incoming class, which Poff says is the best he’s ever had. In addition, three state qualifiers will join the Bald Eagles this fall.