2/23 - Lock Haven 24, Penn State 14

(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania Bald Eagle wrestling team captured a 24-14 win over Penn State in front of a capacity crowd in Thomas Field House this evening.  The win improves LHU to 17-4 on the season and also marks the only back-to-back wins the Bald Eagles have earned over the Nittany Lions.
            Penn State was the first to strike as Nate Wachter scored a 7-3 decision over James LaValle (East Hanover, N.J./Hanover Park) at 149 pounds.  LHU senior JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton) gave LHU the 6-3 advantage and scored a pin over his PSU opponent for the second straight year, this time wrestling at 157 pounds against Jason Woodall and scoring the fall in just 2:17.   
            The Nittany Lions evened the score with a win at 165 pounds, then jumped back out into the lead, 9-6, with a decision at 174 pounds.  Lock Haven regained the advantage, 13-9, with wins at 184 by Josh Millard (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle Area) and at 197 pounds by Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham). 
            A fall by PSU heavyweight Pat Cummins over LHU’s Tim Boetsch, however, bounced the lead back to Penn State, 15-13, with three bouts remaining. Lock Haven’s Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle Nittany) posted a decisive 7-2 win over Justin Kast to move LHU ahead, 16-15.
            At 133 pounds, LHU’s Chris Spealler (Paoli/Great Valley) was down 5-3 to Marat Tomaev entering into the third period.  The senior Bald Eagle started in the down position, and earned the escape, then scored a takedown with 28 seconds to move ahead, 6-5.  He got hit with his second stall warning of the match with two seconds to go, however, sending the bout into overtime.  Spealler used up 41 seconds of that overtime period maneuvering but emerged the winner after scoring takedown in the final seconds.  
            With just one bout remaining and LHU holding the slim 18-14 lead, 141-pounder #13 Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area) secured the victory for the Bald Eagles by putting #14 Scott Moore on his back in 2:27 to give the home team the 24-14 final win.
            Lock Haven will next compete in the Eastern Wrestling League Championships on March 9-10.  The Bald Eagles are the host institution for the championships.

*Team point deducted from LHU for unsportsmanlike conduct.
**Team point deducted from PSU for unsportsmanlike conduct.

2/21 - Lock Haven 37, Bucknell 11
            Lock Haven 39, Bloomsburg 3

(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling team (16-4, 6-1 EWL) swept its doubleheader of dual meet action this evening in Thomas Field House, defeating Bucknell University 37-11 before following up with a commanding 39-3 victory over Bloomsburg University.  Bucknell falls to 2-8 overall, while Bloomsburg is now 1-13 overall and 0-7 in the Eastern Wrestling League.
            The Bald Eagles captured wins in seven bouts versus Bucknell to roll to the 37-11 victory.  Posting first period falls against their Bison opponents were Justin Owens (Morrisdale/West Branch) with a 1:21 pin over Brandn Green at 141 pounds and Chris Haines (Gettysburg/Gettysburg) with a 2:08 working over of Mike Saunders in the bout at 165 pounds.  JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton) and Steve Itterly (Bethlehem/Nazareth) both scored technical falls at 149 and 285 pounds, respectively, while Mike Greenberg (Canton/Canton) emerged the winner in a 1-1 rideout tiebreaker victory over Brian Neuman at 184 pounds.  Both Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany) and Chris Spealler (Paoli/Great Valley) accepted the forfeit wins at 125 and 133 pounds.
            The Bald Eagles hosted Bloomsburg in their final EWL match of the season, grabbing the 39-3 victory to finish at 6-1 in league competition. The sole Huskie victory came at heavyweight in the first bout of the evening, giving Bloomsburg its only lead of the match.  The Haven reeled off wins in the last nine bouts, including technical falls by Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area) at 141 pounds and Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham) at 197 pounds over their respective Bloomsburg opponents.  At 174 pounds, Ed Pawlak (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern) trailed 5-3 to Josh Hewes after the first period, but fought back to take an 8-5 lead before Hewes stopped the match due to injury, awarding the Bald Eagle the medical default.

2/9 - Lock Haven 27, Pittsburgh 6

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) -  The #16 Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling team scored a commanding 27-6 victory over #23 University of Pittsburgh in Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) action this evening in Fitzgerald Field House, snapping the Panthers’ five-meet win streak.  The Bald Eagles improve to 14-4 overall and 5-1 in the EWL, while Pittsburgh falls to 11-4 overall and 3-1 in the EWL.
                Lock Haven came out strong tonight after suffering its first EWL dual meet loss on Friday evening to West Virginia, winning eight of ten bouts for the 27-6 victory over the Panthers.  The Bald Eagles opened up with a 16-0 lead started off by a 4-1 decision by Jason Gilligan (Brookville/Brookville) over Zach Doll at 157 pounds.  At 165 pounds, Charlie Brenneman (Hollidaysburg/Hollidaysburg) defeated #17 Carl Fronhofer, handing the Panther an 8-6 decision.  Ed Pawlak (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern) added to the point total with his 11-5 decision over Matt Catullo, then #15 Josh Millard (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle Area) tacked on a 15-5 major decision over Rob Black at 184 pounds.  
                At 197 pounds, LHU’s Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham) posted a 5-2 decision over #19 David Sandberg.  Pittsburgh got on board with wins in two of the next three bouts, but Trap McCormack’s (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany) 7-4 decision over James Thornton helped elevate the score to 19-6 entering into the final two bouts.|
                The Haven’s duo of top-ten ranked grapplers finished off the job, as ninth-ranked Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area) and third-ranked JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area) both posted major decisions over their respective Pittsburgh opponents at 141 and 149 pounds to bring the final tally to 27-6 in favor of the Bald Eagles. 
              The Jay Kilheeney Wrestler of the Match award goes to two wrestlers, Charlie Brenneman and Jason Gilligan, after both scored decisions over top-notch Pittsburgh competitors.
                Lock Haven next hosts Bucknell University and Bloomsburg University on Thursday, Feb. 21.

2/8 - West Virginia 19, Lock Haven 12

(Morgantown, V.Va..) -  The 16^th ranked Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling team suffered its first loss in the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL), falling to #11 West Virginia University, 19-12, in Morgantown, W.Va., this evening.  The Bald Eagles are now 13-4 overall and 4-1 in the EWL, while West Virginia improves to 7-2 and 3-0 in league action.
            Lock Haven took a 9-4 lead after four bouts, opening the match with a 6-0 advantage.  At 184 pounds, #15 Josh Millard (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle Area) posted a 7-5 decision over Ryan Wilman followed up with a 2-0 decision by Avery Zerkle (Urbana, Ohio/Graham) over Brent Miller at 197 pounds. The Mountaineers’ heavyweight #19 Ryan Kehler handed LHU’s Tim Boetsch (Lincolnville, Maine/Camden Rockport) a 9-1 major decision to put WVU on the scoreboard.  The Bald Eagles answered at 125 pounds with an 11-7 decision by Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany) over Nathan Kendjorsky to bring the team score to 9-4 in favor of Lock Haven.
            West Virginia won five of the final six bouts, however, inching ahead then maintaining the lead after the 157-pound bout for the victory. Lock Haven’s #3 JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area) posted the lone victory for the Bald Eagles in the latter half of the match, scoring a 7-4 decision over #20 Billy Smith in the bout at 149 pounds.
            The Jay Kilheeney Wrestler of the Match honors go to senior 197-pounder Avery Zerkle for his 2-0 victory over WVU’s Miller.

2/2 - Lock Haven 30, Cleveland State 13

(Lock Haven, Pa.) -              The Haven won seven out of the ten bouts and scored bonus points in four, including two consecutive falls at 184- and 197 pounds.  Cleveland State opened up on top, however, as #17 Gerald Harris scored a reversal in the third period to take the 4-3 decision over Lock Haven’s Ed Pawlak in the bout at 174 pounds.  The Bald Eagles countered with their two pins -- #18 Josh Millard sticking Joe Phillips in 3:41 at 184 pounds and at 197 pounds, Avery Zerkle scored a first-period fall (1:15) over the Vikings’ Stipe Miocic.  
            Cleveland State drew closer with a fall at heavyweight by their #17-ranked Russ Davie over LHU’s Steve Itterly and an 18-6 major decision by #16 Phil Mansueto over Victor Jackson at 133 pounds, but the points would not be enough to challenge for the win.
            At 125 pounds, Lock Haven’s Trap McCormack scored a 7-2 decision over Rocco Mansueto, and seventh-ranked Mike Maney (141 lbs.) bounced back from a loss in yesterday’s dual versus Edinboro with a 7-2 decision over CSU’s Nick Boucher.  LHU’s third-ranked JaMarr Billman posted a technical fall over Anthony Coleman (27-11; 6:41), and at 157 pounds, Jason Gilligan handed James Greenwood a 16-5 major decision.  The Crimson and White topped off the match with a 7-4 win by Chris Haines over Jason Effner at 165 pounds.
            Lock Haven is now 13-3 overall and 4-0 in the EWL.  Up next for the LHU wrestling squad is a trip to West Virginia University on Feb. 8.  The match start time is set for 7:30 p.m.

###LHU###

2/1 - Lock Haven 22, Edinboro 18

(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  The #19 Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania (12-3, 3-0 EWL) wrestling team handed #17 Edinboro University (7-3, 3-1 EWL) its first Eastern Wrestling League loss in over three seasons, coming away with the 22-18 victory in Thomas Field House this evening.  The Bald Eagles also break a Fighting Scot non-losing streak of 25 matches and an eight-match EWL win streak. The Crimson and White extend their own league win streak to five dual meets, dating back to last season.
            The Bald Eagles jumped out to a 4-0 lead after a 12-3 major decision by JaMarr Billman over Ryan Yates in a rematch of last weekend’s PSAC championship at 157 pounds.  A massive Fighting Scot lineup shuffle began at 165 pounds, where usual 149-pound starter Nate Yetzer jumped up two classes to challenge LHU’s Charlie Brenneman.  Yetzer made good on the opportunity, surprising Brenneman to score the 5-4 decision after putting up three points in the third period.  Matt R. King of Edinboro moved up a weight class to defeat Ed Pawlak, 6-2, at 174 pounds to move the Scots ahead, 6-4.  
            Lock Haven’s biggest win of the match came at 184 pounds, as #18-ranked Josh Millard took Edinboro’s Josh Koscheck, the second-ranked wrestler at 174 pounds, to the tie-breaker round.  Millard won the toss and took the down position, using up just three seconds to break free and score the reversal for the 3-1 victory.   Ninth-ranked David Shunamon of Edinboro handed LHU’s Avery Zerkle a 5-2 decision to put Edinboro back on top, 9-7.
            The Bald Eagles won the next two bouts and moved ahead once again, 16-9, as heavyweight Tim Boetsch scored a decisive 6-1 decision over Reuben Daniels, and 125-pounder Trap McCormack received the forfeit win.
            The Fighting Scots fought back hard at 133- and 141 pounds, as Charlie Soto defeated Victor Jackson, 4-1, and Chad Caros scored a big win over seventh-ranked Mike Maney, catching the Bald Eagle for the fall with just 17 seconds expired.  Caros’ fall gave Edinboro an 18-16 lead, but a forfeit at 149 pounds spelled the end of the match and the 22-18 Lock Haven win. 
            The Bald Eagles will next host EWL opponent Cleveland State University (3-4, 0-2 EWL) tomorrow evening at 7:30 p.m. in Thomas Field House.

###LHU###

1/19 - at Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals
             hosted by: Ohio State University
     Ohio State 37, Lock Haven 3
     Michigan State 25, Lock Haven 10

(Columbus, Ohio) -  The #11(NWCA)/13(InterMat) Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania Bald Eagle wrestling team went 0-2 in competition at the Cliff Keen/NWCA National Wrestling Duals today, falling to #7 Ohio State University, 37-3, in the preliminary round, before taking a 25-10 hit from Michigan State University in the first round of the consolations.  The Bald Eagles are now 11-3 on the season in dual meets.
            Lock Haven faced a strong #7 Ohio State squad in the preliminary round, falling to the Buckeyes by a final 37-3 margin.  LHU’s 125-pounder Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle Nittany) was the sole Bald Eagle to score a victory, defeating Jesse Lang, 7-2, in the first bout of the match.  
            In the wrestlebacks, Lock Haven met up with another Big Ten program in #17/16 Michigan State, who had lost a 36-5 battle against #2 Oklahoma State University in the opening round.  Three Bald Eagles scored victories, including JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area), who registered his 100^th career victory with a 14-5 major decision over Karl Nadolsky at 149 pounds. Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area) improved to 14-2 with a 1-0 decision over the Spartans’ Charles Sageman, and Josh Millard (Mill Hall/Bald Eagle Area) made his return to the mat following injury for a 9-5 decision over Nathaniel Mesyn.  

Click for full results of Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals

###LHU###

1/11 - #13 Lock Haven 25, Clarion 13
             Tippin Gymnasium  - Clarion, Pa.

(Clarion, Pa.) -  The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling team improved to 11-1 overall and 2-0 in the Eastern Wrestling League with tonight’s 25-13 victory at Clarion University (2-8, 0-2 EWL).
            The Bald Eagles jumped out to a quick lead over their EWL and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference foe Clarion University, as #2 JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area) pinned Dominic Surra in the second period to put LHU on the board at 6-0 after the opening match.  Wins by Charlie Brenneman (Hollidaysburg/Hollidaysburg), Ed Pawlak (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern), and Mike Greenberg (Canton/Canton) over their respective Golden Eagle opponents gave LHU a 16-3 advantage mid-way through the match.  Brenneman scored a 6-4 decision over Clarion’s Jamie Durkin at 165 pounds, while Pawlak fought back from a first period deficit and added a last second takedown for the 10-6 victory over Todd Schuchert.  Greenberg outperformed Marcus Surin, not giving up a single takedown for the 13-2 major decision at 184 pounds.
            Two more wins by the Bald Eagles, a 4-1 decision by Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany) over Peter Derstine at 125 pounds and a first-period pin by Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area) over Stephen Stremple, sealed the 25-13 victory.
            This evening’s Jay Kilheeney Wrestler of the Match was JaMarr Billman (149 lbs.).
            The Bald Eagles will compete in the Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals at Ohio State University next weekend, Jan. 19-20.  Other NCAA Division I teams in competition include Minnesota, Arizona State, Central Michigan, Edinboro, Fresno State, Iowa, Iowa State, Lehigh, Michigan, Michigan State, Northern Iowa, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Penn.

###LHU###

1/5 - #12 Lock Haven 29, Virginia 12
                 Lock Haven 43, George Mason 0
              Memorial Gymnasium  - Charlottesville, Va.

(Charlottesville, Va.) -  The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling team improved to 10-1 overall with two wins today, a 29-12 victory over the University of Virginia (0-1) and a 43-0 shutout over George Mason University (1-1), at the Memorial Gymnasium in Charlottesville, Va.
            Lock Haven won seven of ten matches in a dominant 29-12 victory over the University of Virginia.  An early Cavalier advantage after the heavyweight bout was the only time the Bald Eagles would find themselves behind, as the Haven lower-weight contingent blazed through the competition to boost up the score, 20-3, after five match-ups.  Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle Nittany) started off the surge with a technical fall over Byron Dunlap, 22-6.  Chris Spealler (Paoli/Great Valley) pinned Ryan Stewart in the second period, 4:05, to tack on six more points to The Haven team score. Mike Maney (Clarence/Bald Eagle Area) scored a 7-4 decision over Bob Seidel, and JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area) controlled John Christopher, pinning the Cavalier in just 2:18.  
            Charlie Brenneman (Hollidaysburg/Hollidaysburg) (165 lbs.), Ed Pawlak (Lakewood, N.Y./ Southwestern) (174 lbs.), and Jarred Dressler (Elizabethtown/Elizabethtown) (197 lbs.) each picked up wins to help bring LHU to the final 29-12 victory.
            The Crimson and White turned right around after its win over UVa and defeated George Mason University, shutting out the Patriots by the final margin of 43-0.  
             Earning Jay Kilheeney Wrestler of the Match recognition were Chris Spealler in the Virginia match and James LaValle in the George Mason contest. 
            The LHU wrestling team will next travel to Clarion University for an Eastern Wrestling League dual meet against the Golden Eagles on January 11 at 7:30 p.m.

###LHU###

1/4 - #12 Lock Haven 23, Virginia Tech 18
              Cassell Coliseum - Blacksburg, Va.

(Blacksburg, Va.) -  The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania wrestling team (8-1, 1-0 EWL) earned a 23-18 victory over Virginia Tech (1-3, 0-1 EWL) in its opening Eastern Wrestling League match this evening in Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va.  
            The Bald Eagles opened up the dual meet on the positive side, as 125-pounder Trap McCormack (Loganton/Bald Eagle-Nittany) scored a 14-5 major decision over David Freidman.  The Hokies quickly recovered, however, and took over the lead after wins at the next two weights.  The Haven’s lower-middle weights helped regain the advantage, as LHU’s 149- through 174-pounders posted wins over their Tech opponents.  JaMarr Billman (Easton/Easton Area) wasted just 4:03 in handing VT’s Reed Carpenter a technical fall, and a riding time point proved to be the difference for Jason Gilligan (Brookville/Brookville) as he defeated Mike Cox, 4-3 at 157 pounds.  Charlie Brenneman (Hollidaysburg/Hollidaysburg) upped the Lock Haven advantage to 17-6 with a technical fall over Shaun Guttridge in 7:00, then Ed Pawlak (Lakewood/Southwestern) made quick work of Tomas Ovalle, pinning the Hokie in just 54 seconds.  
            Lock Haven’s 23-6 lead held strong despite a surge by Virginia Tech in the upper weights, winning by the final 23-18 margin.
            Lock Haven remains on the road, tomorrow matching up against the University of Virginia and George Mason University at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively, at UVA’s Memorial Gymnasium.

###LHU###