| |
(Lock
Haven, Pa.) - Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania
wrestling returns to the mats in Thomas Field House this weekend as the Bald Eagles will host a pair of Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) opponents on Friday and Saturday, February 1-2. LHU takes on Edinboro University on Friday at 7:30 p.m., then matches forces against Cleveland State University on Saturday, also at 7:30 p.m.
The Bald Eagles, now ranked #19 in the current InterMat poll, are 11-3 in dual meets and 2-0 in the EWL. This past weekend, Lock Haven finished as the runner-up at the PSAC Championships, crowning five individual champions. Trap McCormack (125 lbs.), Mike Maney (141 lbs.), James LaValle (149 lbs.), JaMarr Billman (157 lbs.), and Josh Millard (184 lbs.) all garnered top honors in their respective weight classes.
Edinboro carries a #17 national ranking and is 7-2 overall and 3-0 in EWL dual meet action. The Fighting Scots captured the PSAC team title and three earned individual crowns -- Cory Ace (133 lbs.), Matt King (165 lbs.), and Josh Koscheck (174 lbs.), who was also named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler.
|
LHU's Victor Jackson (above left)
finished third at 133 pounds at
last weekend's PSAC Championships
|
| |
Cleveland State is 3-4 overall and 0-2 in the EWL, and is among the list of ten teams fighting to break into InterMat’s Top 25. In most recent competition, the Vikings hosted the Cleveland State Open. In their latest dual meet, CSU defeated Eastern Michigan, 24-17.
The Series: Lock Haven holds a sizeable 26-9 lead in the Edinboro series, but have not defeated the Fighting Scots since a 40-3 victory in 1996. Last season, Edinboro scored a 23-12 win over the Bald Eagles.
Lock Haven has a 10-match win streak on the line against Cleveland State, including last year’s 47-0 blanking of the Vikings. The last time CSU finished with the upper hand was actually a two-year stand, beating LHU in 1990 (19-15) and 1991 (21-16).
Below is a weight-by-weight preview:
125: Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle Nittany) is now a two-time PSAC champion after claiming the crown at last weekend’s tournament. McCormack is currently ranked 20th in the nation and improved to 15-3 overall.
Edinboro’s Shawn Bunch (13-4) is the likely starter for the Fighting Scots. McCormack defeated Bunch, 10-7, in the finals of the PSAC tourney last Saturday. The probable starter for Cleveland State is junior Rocco Mansueto (12-7). Though they have not met in close to two years, McCormack and Mansueto did wrestle on one occasion, with the Bald Eagle scoring a 6-3 decision over Mansueto in the 1999-2000 season’s dual meet.
133: With the return of Chris Spealler (Paoli/Great Valley) (10-4) still questionable, Victor Jackson (Hampton, Va./Poquoson) will more than likely receive the starting nod at 133 pounds. Jackson, now 14-9 overall, placed third at last weekend’s PSAC championships.
Jackson lost in sudden victory, 4-2, in the PSAC semifinals to one of two probable Edinboro opponents, Cory Ace (13-6). Ace, ranked 13th in the nation, went on to capture the tournament title. The other Edinboro wrestler who could also get the call is senior Charlie Soto (17-4). Wrestling for Cleveland State will be #16 Phil Mansueto. who has posted a season mark of 9-5.
141: Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area) repeated as PSAC champion this past weekend, scoring falls in the first and semifinal rounds before a 7-1 decision over Edinboro’s Chad Caros in the finals. Maney is ranked seventh in the nation, and is 17-2 overall on the season.
Edinboro’s Caros has built an 18-6 season tally. Cleveland State will mat Nick Boucher (5-5) for the win at 141 pounds.
149: Lock Haven’s JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area) and James LaValle (East Hanover, N.J./Hanover Park) will both weigh in at 149 pounds this weekend. The Bald Eagle pair won two individual PSAC titles last weekend, LaValle earning his first at 149 pounds, and Billman his second straight, this time around at 157 pounds. LaValle is currently 12-4 and was selected as this week’s EWL Wrestler of the Week. Billman is ranked third in the country and is 22-2 after a 5-2 loss to Iowa’s #1 Mike Zadick in Monday’s NWCA All-Star Classic.
Edinboro will choose between Michael Ashby (1-5) and Nate Yetzer (3-3). LaValle scored a 14-4 major decision over Ashby in the opening round of the PSAC tourney.
The Vikings list Anthony Coleman (9-11) as their workman here at 149 pounds. In last season’s dual meet, Billman pinned Coleman in the first period.
157: Jason Gilligan (Brookville/Brookville) will return to action for this weekend’s dual meets. Gilligan currently owns a 7-9 overall mark.
Edinboro’s Ryan Yates (10-5) will offer stiff competition to the Bald Eagle after advancing to the PSAC finals last weekend before running up against LHU’s Billman in the finals. Cleveland State’s probable wrestler of choice at 157 pounds will be James Greenwood (2-12).
165: Charlie Brenneman (Hollidaysburg/Hollidaysburg) and Chris Haines (Gettysburg/Gettysburg) are both ready to support the Crimson and White effort this weekend. Brenneman (8-9) is likely to wrestle in Friday’s match, while Haines (15-8), who finished third at 165 in the PSAC tournament, is a possibility for Saturday’s dual meet.
The Fighting Scots will use Matt R. King (16-3), who earned his first PSAC championship over the weekend. Cleveland State will wrestle Jason Effner (11-10), who was the only Viking placewinner in last weekend’s Cleveland State Open after finishing second.
174: Ed Pawlak (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern) advanced to the finals of last weekend’s PSAC championships, closing as the runner-up to Edinboro’s Josh Koscheck after an 8-2 decision in the championship bout. Pawlak currently owns a 8-9 overall mark.
The Boro’s returning national champion and four-time PSAC titlist Josh Koscheck (7-1) is ranked second in the latest national poll, but the Fighting Scots are
also listing Vinnie Courts (6-5) as a possibility at 174 pounds this weekend. Cleveland State’s #17-ranked Gerald Harris II (17-5) will be Pawlak’s adversary on Saturday.
184: Lock Haven’s Josh Millard (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle Area) and Mike Greenberg (Canton/Canton) will both be possibilities for this week’s two dual meets. Millard, who moved up to #18 in the latest InterMat poll, captured the PSAC title at 184 pounds this past weekend and is now 12-5 on the season. Greenberg is currently 5-6 overall.
Edinboro will utilize Matt Camino (7-10), who finished fourth at the conference tournament. Millard and Camino squared off in the semifinals, with the Bald Eagle taking a 10-2 major decision. The Vikings will wrestle Joe Phillips (11-10).
197: Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham) closed out the 2002 PSAC tournament with a third-place finish, improving his overall ledger to 8-5 on the season.
Zerkle could battle Edinboro’s ninth-ranked David Shunamon (20-5) for the win here. Zerkle and Shunamon met three times last season, with Zerkle scoring two wins - one for the PSAC title and the other for the EWL crown. LHU’s opponent on Saturday will be Cleveland State’s Stipe Miocic (11-6).
HWT: The Haven’s Tim Boetsch (Lincolnville, Maine/Camden Rockport) or Steve Itterly (Bethlehem/Nazareth) will try for the points at heavyweight. Boetsch went 0-2 at the conference tournament, and is now 3-11 overall. Itterly has not yet competed this season.
Edinboro’s Josh Pearce (14-6) has the starting nod from Fighting Scot coach Tim Flynn after finishing as the runner-up at the PSAC championships. The Vikings’ #17 Russ Davie will also offer tough competition to whichever Bald Eagle wrestler takes the mat on Saturday.
UP NEXT: The Bald Eagles are on the road for EWL action on February 8-9, traveling to West Virginia University on Friday and the University of Pittsburgh on Saturday. Both dual meets are scheduled to begin at 7:30
p.m.
|
