LHU’s Season Comes to an End at NCAA Championships

 

ST. LOUIS – Lock Haven University junior 197-pounder Morgan Horner (Hasbrouck Heights, N.J./Hasbrouck Heights) came one step away…again. Two years removed from being a win away from All-American status, Horner found himself faced with the same situation, and unfortunately the same result.

Horner made a gallant effort of this year’s tournament, topping No. 4-seeded Scott Barker of the University of Oregon and Ohio University’s Joel Weimer on day one. Day two wasn’t as kind to the junior matman, as a matchup with the University of Northern Iowa’s No. 5 Sean Stender ended Horner’s national-championship run in the quarterfinals.

Stender and Horner battled to a 2-2 tie at the end of regulation, but Stender earned the riding-time point for the 3-2 win. Horner’s first consolation bracket bout would involve facing a hot Ryan Flaherty of the University of Wisconsin.

Flaherty had pinned Cleveland State University’s Joe Phillips in 11 seconds in his first wrestleback bout. Flaherty started the match with a strong headlock on Horner, eventually working it into the pin after 53 seconds.

Junior Joshua A. Medina (Las Vegas/Pima C.C.) was the only other LHU wrestler left after day one.

Medina started his day on a good note, outlasting No. 12 Darren McKnight of Michigan State 7-6. Medina’s next bout would show him on the losing end of the same score, as his drive would come to an end with a loss to Virginia Tech’s Tyde Prader.

The Bald Eagles wrap up a season that saw 10 place-winners at the EWL Championships, including six national qualifiers. LHU earned a second-place finish, the highest in head coach Rocky Bonomo’s tenure. In duals, they finished 6-8, including a win over then-No. 22 West Virginia University.

197 Morgan Horner
v. Joel Weimer (Ohio) W, MD 10-2
v. #4 Scott Barker (Oregon) W, dec. 6-4
v. #5 Sean Stender (Northern Iowa) L, dec. 3-2
v. Ryan Flaherty (Wisconsin) L, Fall 0:53

149 Joshua A. Medina
v. Anthony Baza (Cal State-Bakersfield) L, dec. 4-2
v. Alex Hernandez (NC State) W, 12-6
v. #12 Darren McKnight (Michigan St.) W, dec. 7-6
v. Tyde Prater (Virginia Tech) L, 7-6

125 Obe Blanc
v. #1 Sam Hazewinkel (Oklahoma) L, Fall 2:01
v. Mark McKnight (Buffalo) L, dec. 7-5

141 Matt Fittery
v. #10 Ricky LaForge (Hofstra) L, Fall 1:29
v. Anthony Constantino (Columbia) L, dec. 3-1

157 Seth Martin
Bye round one 
v. #5 Jake Percival (Ohio) L, TF 15-0
v. Brandon Becker (Indiana) L, Fall 1:59

174 Carlos Ponce
Bye round one
v. Daniel Waters (American) L, dec. 4-1
v. J.J. Holmes (Eastern Michigan) L, 19-4