LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Lock Haven University wrestling team has qualified two grapplers for the finals at the 2009 Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) Championships held today in Lock Haven’s Thomas Fieldhouse.

After Session I the Bald Eagles are in fifth place with 57.50 points.

Edinboro leads the team race with 110 points. The Fighting Scots have seven athletes set to wrestle in the finals.

West Virginia (70 pts.), Pittsburgh (67 pts.), Bloomsburg (58 pts) round out the top four teams.



Set to compete in the finals for LHU is a pair of seniors.

Matt Fittery (Denver, Pa./Cocalico) and Ben Hepburn (Williamsport, Pa./Loyalsock), both 2008 NCAA Division I National Qualifiers will both look to make it back-to-back trips to St. Louis for the NCAA Championship tournament.

Fittery enters the 149-pound championship after going 2-0 in Session I.

He opened the tournament with an 8-3 win over Cleveland’s States Antonio Nicholson, avenging an early-season dual-meet loss.

Fittery followed that up with a 5-3 win over David Jauregui of West Virginia.

Hepburn only needed one win to make it the 197-pound championship bout.

His only action of the tournament thus far was a 2-1 win over Clarion’s Jamie Luckett. Hepburn lost to Luckett in The Haven’s season-finale.

EWL Championships

Match 7, 2009

Individual Lock Haven Results:

Quarterfinals:

Round 1

125: Nick Hyatt, LHU dec. Chris Albright, Pitt 5-0

133: Billy Ashnault, LHU tech fall Josh Palivoda, Clev.St. 18-1 ()

141: Tyler Nauman, Pitt major dec. Zach Kell, LHU 12-3

149: Matt Fittery, LHU dec. Antonio Nicholson, Clev.St. 8-3

157: Matt Moley, Bloom pinned Ollie Copperwood, LHU 2:17

165: Jarrod King, Edinboro major dec. Aaron Ernest, LHU 11-0

174: Scott Joseph, Clarion dec. Travis Stem, LHU 9-5

184: Tom Kocher, LHU dec. JT Miller Clev.St. 4-2

197: Ben Hepburn, LHU First Round Bye

HWT: Dustin Rogers, WVU tech fall Gabe Murtorff, LHU 17-1

Round 2

125: Paul Donahoe, Edinboro major dec. Nick Hyatt, LHU 17-7

133: Jimmy Conroy, Pitt dec. Billy Ashnault, LHU 4-0

149: Matt Fittery, LHU dec. David Jauregui, WVU 5-3

165: Dominic Ross, Clarion dec. Aaron Ernest, LHU 6-4

197: Ben Hepburn, LHU dec. Jamie Luckett, Clarion 2-1

HWT: Gabe Murtorff, LHU dec. Roman Husam, Clarion 8-4

Team Scores:

1 110.00 Edinboro

2 70.00 West Virginia

3 67.00 Pittsburgh

4 58.00 Bloomsburg

5 57.50 Lock Haven

6 45.00 Cleveland State

7 41.00 Clarion

Full Tournament Results can be found at