Wrestling Drops Two at #3 Iowa State

AMES, Iowa—The Lock Haven University wrestling team (3-4) was unable to fend off some difficult dual-meet opponents this evening as the Bald Eagles fell to Stanford University (4-2) 22-15 and #3 Iowa State University (13-0), 35-12 tonight in a pair of dual meets hosted by Iowa State.

The Bald Eagles jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the Cardinal after a 6-4 sudden-victory win by freshman 125-pounder Obe Blanc (Naples, Fla./Lely). After two losses, the Haven would tie the score at six on a 7-5 decision by junior Josh Medina (Las Vegas/Pima C.C.) in the 149-pound bout.

After sophomore Seth Martin’s (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove) forfeit victory, LHU had it’s largest lead of the dual at 12-6. Three consecutive losses later, the Haven was facing a 18-12 deficit with two matches left.

Sophomore Mike Metzger (Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) earned a 10-6 win over Ian Bork at 197, cutting the Cardinal lead to three, but a major-decision loss at heavyweight gave the Bald Eagles the 22-15 loss.

Against Iowa State the Bald Eagles faced a lineup of six ranked matmen, and again jumped out to a 3-0 lead on a 7-5 win by Blanc. The Haven would drop the next two, falling behind 9-3, before 8-7 decision by Medina cut the edge to three.

LHU traded a technical fall for a B.J. Mikeska (Derry, Pa./Bloomsburg University) pin at 165 to cut the advantage to just two. The Cylcones would run the table on the final four bouts, all ranked grapplers for ISU, making the 35-12 final tally.

Blanc, Medina, Martin, Metzger, Mikeska and the rest of the Bald Eagles are back in action Friday-Saturday, Jan. 28-29 at East Stroudsburg University for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships.