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	January 3, 2001 #12 Bald Eagles Prepare For Another Three-Meet Weekend LHU To Face Virginia Tech, Virginia, and George Mason in Weekend's Travels

	(Lock Haven, Pa.) -The #12 Bald Eagle wrestling team of Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania will travel south for a series of three duals, opening up the Eastern Wrestling League schedule against Virginia Tech on Jan. 4 at Tech’s Cassell Coliseum at 7 p.m. LHU will then take on the University of Virginia in Memorial Gymnasium on Jan. 5 at 12 p.m. before dualing George Mason University, also at UVA’s Memorial Gym, directly following at 2 p.m. The Bald Eagles are 7-1 in dual meets entering into 2002, last going 2-1 at the Clarion Duals before the break. There, LHU defeated Pitt-Johnstown, 22-15, and Kent State, 23-13, before falling to #7 Ohio State, 28-11. EWL opponent Virginia Tech is currently 1-2 overall in dual meet action. In their most recent dual meet, the Hokies lost, 42-9, to #1 Minnesota in early December. Since then, Tech competed at the Penn State Open, with #3-ranked 141-pounder Sean Gray and #5-ranked 184-pounder Scott Justus both winning individual titles. The University of Virginia has yet to wrestle in a single dual meet, competing at a series of invitationals in the early portion of the 2001-02 season. Most recently, several Cavaliers competed at the Wilkes Open, with 157-lb. Don Carlo-Clauss pacing the team with a fourth place finish. George Mason University is 1-0 in dual meets, easily defeating American University, 38-6, in their only head-to-head match-up this season.	Bald Eagle senior Avery Zerkle in action against Pitt-Johnstown in December.
	ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS: The Haven has a combined 12-0 record against this weekend’s opponents. LHU leads the Virginia Tech series, 4-0. Last season Lock Haven, then ranked #20, was a 26-14 victor over the #21 Hokies. LHU has a 2-0 series advantage over UVA, running off with a 33-10 victory over the Cavaliers last season. Against George Mason, the Bald Eagles have a 6-0 series lead including the most recent 35-6 victory back in 1997. Below is a weight-by-weight preview: 125: Lock Haven’s Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle Nittany) and Dave Predko (Ridgway/Ridgway) take the mat at 125 pounds. McCormack carries a #18 national ranking and is 7-2 following a 2-1 performance at the Clarion Duals in mid-December. Predko is 4-5 overall. In dual meet match-ups last season, McCormack received a forfeit win against Virginia Tech and defeated UVA’s Ryan Stewart by fall in 4:56. Virginia Tech is likely to use sophomore Geoff Head (8-4) and Virginia will utilize Byron Dunlap (7-8) or Ryan Stewart (0-0). George Mason’s Aaron Suranofsky (7-3) will also be in action. 133: The Crimson and White’s mainstays at 133 pounds are senior Chris Spealler (Paoli/Great Valley) and sophomore Victor Jackson (Hampton, Va./Poquoson). Spealler is 8-3 for the season after going 1-1 at the Clarion Duals, including a 19-8 major decision over Pitt-Johnstown’s Brad Yoder. Jackson is currently 11-5 overall. Freshman David Hoffman (14-2) is the probable starter for Virginia Tech. Virginia’s Joe Alexander (0-0) is likely to step on the mat for the first time this season, and George Mason will put forward junior Matt Hunckler (4-2). 141: Bald Eagle grapplers Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area) and John Holsinger (Pennsburg/Quakertown) are both probable starters for any of the three matches this upcoming weekend. One of two undefeated Haven wrestlers, Maney is 10-0 overall and has resided at #5 on the national rankings since the second week of the season. The LHU sophomore went 3-0 at the Clarion Duals in December, including a 5-5 rideout win in the tie-breaker round over Ohio State’s #9 Robert Sessley. Holsinger is currently 3-2 for the season. Either LHU wrestler will have his hands full with #3 Sean Gray (11-2) of Virginia Tech. Last season, Gray won by injury default over Maney in the dual meet, then defeated the Bald Eagle, 6-3, in the EWL Championships. The Cavaliers will mat Bob Seidel (3-4), and probable George Mason starter Rob Becker (10-2) most recently finished third at the Wilkes Open. 149: #2 JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area) and James LaValle (East Hanover, N.J./Hanover Park) hold down responsibilities at 149 pounds. Billman is the other undefeated Haven grappler, sporting an unblemished 15-0 mark. Billman won three matches at the Clarion Duals including a fall in 4:15 over Division III’s top-ranked wrestler in Joe Lloyd of Pitt-Johnstown. With three possible matches this weekend, Billman (96-9) could move even closer to becoming the 13th Haven grappler to reach the 100-wins career milestone. LaValle is 8-4 overall. Virginia Tech’s Reed Carpenter (9-4) and the Cavaliers’ Paul Dunstan (9-6) or John Christopher (2-4) are likely opponents for the pair of Bald Eagles. George Mason will use junior Adrian Austin (11-6). 157: The Crimson and White continue to use the services of sophomore Jason Gilligan (Brookville/Brookville) at 157 pounds. Gilligan is 5-5 overall, last dropping two close matches at the Clarion Duals including a 5-3 decision to #12 Josh Janson of Ohio State. Virginia Tech junior Mike Cox (1-4) is most likely to be Gilligan’s opponent, as is either Virginia’s Tim Foley (6-6) or Don Carlo-Clauss (15-7), who finished fourth at the Wilkes Open and third at the Penn State Open. The probable George Mason starter will be Chad Scheidegger, a junior with a 4-4 season mark. 165: Either sophomore Charlie Brenneman (Hollidaysburg/Hollidaysburg) or junior Chris Haines (Gettysburg/Gettysburg) will earn the starting nod for The Haven at 165 pounds. Brenneman is 5-8 overall following an 0-3 stint at the Clarion Duals. Haines moves up a weight class, and is 11-6 for the season after scoring a 6-4 overtime victory over Kent State’s #17 Mike Tolar at the Clarion Duals. Virginia Tech is expected to use freshman Jake Wareing (2-8) in its starting lineup at 165 pounds. Virginia will wrestle Will Durkee (9-6), and George Mason has Richard Appau (5-5). 174: Ed Pawlak (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern) and Eric O’Connor (Elizabethtown/Elizabethtown) will attempt for the wins at 174 pounds this weekend. Pawlak is 3-6 for the season, and O’Connor is 4-5 overall. Tech’s Tomas Ovalle (3-6) will challenge Pawlak or O’Connor for the win here. The Haven will also be challenged by Virginia’s Brian Muir (10-6) and George Mason’s Nick Webster (0-2). 184: Lock Haven’s Josh Millard (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle Area) and Mike Greenberg (Canton/Canton) provide the one-two punch at 184 pounds. Millard is ranked 17th in the nation with an 8-4 overall ledger following a 2-1 performance at the Clarion Duals. His only loss on the day was a 13-7 decision to Ohio State’s #16 Anton Talamantes. Greenberg is 3-3 for the season, and went 1-1 at the Clarion Duals, defeating Kent’s Zeb Miller by major decision, 11-1, before putting up an impressive 12-8 fight against Ohio State’s #4 Nick Preston while wrestling up a weight class at 197 pounds. Virginia Tech’s Scott Justus (11-0) is currently ranked #5 nationally, but LHU’s Millard defeated the Hokie twice last season, 6-5 in the dual meet and 13-6 in the EWL finals. Virginia’s Jimi Massey (9-3) most recently finished third at the Las Vegas Invitational. Massey defeated Millard in dual meet action last season, 3-2. George Mason’s John Davis (4-4) will also be in the hunt for the dual meet victory. 197: Senior Bald Eagle Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham) along with sophomore Jarred Dressler (Mifflin/Juniata) take the mat for Lock Haven at 197 pounds. Zerkle continues to work back to full strength after sustaining two knee injuries. He is 4-3 on the season after last defeating Pitt-Johnstown’s Ben Kuntz, 10-3. Dressler currently owns a 4-2 overall mark. Either Canaan Prater (4-3) or Michael Carr (4-3) will wrestle at 197 pounds for the Hokies. Taking the mat for Virginia will be either Scott Mania (2-6) or Andrew DeMartino (1-7), and for George Mason will be Frank DiPiano (0-0). HWT: Tim Boetsch (Lincolnville, Maine/Camden Rockport) and Brett Kleckner (Beech Creek/Central Mountain) will once again hold down duties at heavyweight. Boetsch is now 3-5 overall after going 1-1 at the Clarion Duals. Kleckner is 1-5 for the season. Junior Pete Pool (7-7) will wrestle for the Hokies at heavyweight. The Bald Eagle duo will face Virginia’s Josh Etu (6-4) or Ryan Painter (8-6) along with George Mason’s Sandy Ailor (5-4). UP NEXT: The Bald Eagles continue their travels on January 11, when they will return to Clarion, Pa., for an EWL and PSAC dual against the Clarion University Golden Eagles. Match time is set for 7:30 p.m.
	###LHU###