ERIE, Pa. – The Lock Haven University wrestling team finished fourth at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships today, hosted by Mercyhurst University.

The Bald Eagles were fourth behind team champion Edinboro (173.5), Bloomsburg (108) and Clarion (101). Mercyhurst, the 2008 host and PSAC newcomer was fifth overall, as the top four teams remained the exact same from last December’s PSAC tournament in Clarion, Pa.

Senior Ben Hepburn (Williamsport, Pa./Loyalsock) led the way for the crimson and white as he placed second at 197 pounds.

Hepburn advanced to the finals by way of wins over Ryan Sutton and Shane Mallory. He recorded a 3-2 sudden victory of Bloomsburg’s Sutton. In his second match of the tournament, Hepburn was solid again, downing East Stroudsburg’s Mallory 5-2.

In the 197-pound final, Hepburn lost to Edinboro’s Pat Bradshaw 5-3.

Hepburn was the only Bald Eagle in the finals.

Lock Haven had five different grapplers battle it out in third-place bouts.

Of the five grapplers in third-place bouts, two came away with wins.

Seniors Matt Fittery (Denver, Pa./Cocalico), 149 and Tom Kocher (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township), 184 both placed third today.

Fittery kicked off his tournament in a big way, starting with a tech fall and a major. In his opening match he downed Brett Martinez of Kutztown by way of the tech fall and followed that up with a 12-1 major over JJ Lester of Millersville.

Fittery fell in his third match, 3-1 to Bloom’s George Hickman, but the Bald Eagle senior responded in a big way with a pin to advance to the third-place bout.

In the third-place match Fittery majored ESU’s Scott Heckman 17-9.

Kocher won 11-9 in his first match of the tournament, before falling to No. 1 seed Chris Honeycutt of Edinboro 7-2. Kocher came back to win 10-2 (major) over Mercyhurt’s Bryan Wofff, advancing to the third-place bout.

He won 6-2 over Jacob Tazzi of Gannon to take home bronze medal honors.

Nick Hyatt (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown), Billy Ashnault (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) and Owen Wilkinson (Howell, Mich./Hartland) all earned fourth-place finishes for The Haven.

Hyatt went 2-2 on the day at 125. He opened the day with a 4-2 win, but was edged 3-2 by eventual champion Jay Ivanco in his second match of the day. Hyatt got a major decision in his next match, but fell 10-3 in the third-place bout.

Ashnault lost 6-3 to start the day, but cruised back into the third-place bout by way of three wins.

He lost 3-0 to Jason Gaffey to take home fourth place.

Wilkinson lost his opening match, but responded in a big way with two straight pins. Following two pins to get back on track, Wilkinson downed No. 1 seed Sal Lasacari 7-6 to earn the right to battle for third, but lost 6-1 to Ricky Donald.

Gabe Murtorff(Boiling Springs, Pa./Boiling Springs) went 2-2 on the day and won the fifth-place bout. Murtorff opened his tournament with a 3-2 when over host-Mercyhurt’s Kenny Blusha and then topped Blusha a second time in the 5th-place bout.

Aaron Ernest (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove) was sixth for LHU. Ernest went 2-2 at 165 and his first win was a special one as he pinned Joe Yavoich in just 56 seconds. In the fifth-place bout Ernest lost 6-2 to Jeff Jacobs of ESU.

Dave Richmond (Oxford, N.J./Warren Hills) went 2-2 for LHU at 157.

Dan Tolbert (Chattanooga, Tenn./Red Bank), a freshman was in action for the first time in his Bald Eagle career and went 0-2 on the day.

LHU is back in action on Sunday, Dec. 14 when the Bald Eagles host the LHU Duals in Thomas Fieldhouse.

For full results click on the link below.