PSAC Wrestling Championship: Edinboro Wins PSAC Title
FINAL BRACKETS
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
SCHEDULE
|
7:15 a.m. |
Medical check |
|
7:30 a.m. |
Weigh-in |
|
9:30 a.m. |
First & Second round matches (4 mats) |
|
|
Consolation Round Matches (4 mats) |
|
|
Semifinals (2 mats) |
|
|
First Round Consolations (2 mats) |
|
|
Consolation Semifinals (3 mats) |
|
6:15 p.m. |
Opening Ceremonies |
|
6:30 p.m. |
Championships (3 mats) |
|
|
Awards following 157 & Heavyweights |
EDINBORO WINS PSAC TITLE
FINAL BRACKETS
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
Edinboro Story
Edinboro, Pa. – Edinboro clinched the program's third-straight PSAC Wrestling Championship title on Saturday in Edinboro, Pa. with 172.5 team points.
The Fighting Scots were led by six individual champions at the 71
st PSAC Wrestling Championships; Kory Mines (125), A.J. Schopp (133), Mitchell Port (141), David Habat (149), Johnny Greisheimer (157), and Kasey Davis (165). Schopp, Port, and Habat all became three-time conference champions. Schopp was also named the PSAC Championship Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Edinboro has won the last three PSAC titles, eight crowns in the last nine seasons, and 14 overall under head coach Tim Flynn.
Bloomsburg finished second with 135 points, and Lock Haven was third with 102. Clarion came-in fourth with 92 points, while Mercyhurst finished fifth with 90 points.
Other individual champions include Mike Dessino of Bloomsburg (174), Tyler McKillop of Pitt-Johnstown (184), Richard Perry of Bloomsburg (197), and Justin Grant of Bloomsburg (285). McKillop became Pitt-Johnstown’s first-ever PSAC individual title winner in school history. Dessino is now a three-time PSAC champion, while both Perry and Grant defended their 2012 crowns.
Team Standings
1. Edinboro, 172.5
2. Bloomsburg, 135.0
3. Lock Haven, 102.0
4. Clarion, 92.0
5. Mercyhurst, 90.0
6. Pitt-Johnstown, 62.0
7. Kutztown, 48.5
8. East Stroudsburg, 44.5
9. Shippensburg, 26.0
10. Gannon, 17.5
11. Seton Hill, 13.0
12. Millersville, 12.0
Individual Finishes
First Place
125 lbs. – #1 Kory Mines (EDIN) dec. #3 Dave Fogle (UPJ), 8-2
133 lbs. – #1 A.J. Schopp (EDIN) fall over #3 Sam Sherlock (CLAR), 1:59
141 lbs. – #1 Mitchell Port (EDIN) tech. fall #3 Matt Rappo (BLM), 16-1 (5:00)
149 lbs. – #1 Dave Habat (EDIN) dec. 32 Bryce Busler (BLM), 5-3
157 lbs. – #1 Johnny Greisheimer (EDIN) dec. #2 Austin Matthews (CLAR), 9-8
165 lbs. – Kasey Burnett-Davis (EDIN) dec. #1 Jake Kemerer (LHU), 9-4
174 lbs. – #1 Mike Dessino (BLM) fall over #3 August Mizia (MER), 2:19
184 lbs. – #2 Travis McKillop (UPJ) med. forf. 31 Vic Avery (EDIN)
197 lbs. – #1 Richard Perry (BLM) dec. #3 Vince Pickett (EDIN), 7-2
Hwt. — #1 Justin Grant (BLM) dec. #2 Ernest James (EDIN), 2-1
Third Place
125 lbs. – #6 Sean Boylan (BLM) dec. #2 Matt Turek (GAN), 5-3
133 lbs. – #2 Nick Wilcox (LHU) dec. Cody Wheeler (LHU), 5-3
141 lbs. — #4 Dylan Durso (MER) maj. dec. #5 Tyler Bedelyon (CLAR), 10-2
149 lbs. — Joe Esposito (KU) fall over #4 Mac Maldarelli (LHU), 0:55
157 lbs. — #3 Kevin Hartnett (BLM) dec. Francis Mizia (MER), 8-7 tb1
165 lbs. — #4 Gary Lantz (UPJ) fall over Michael Pavasko (CLAR), 4:50
174 lbs. – #4 Zach Towers (EDIN) maj. dec. Adam Mackie (LHU), 16-3
184 lbs. – Evan Ramos (SU) dec. Joseph Rimel (LHU), 6-0
197 lbs. — #2 Phil Sprenkle (LHU) med. def. #5 Brandon Clark (KU)
Hwt. – Andrew Welton (MER) dec. #3 Evan Daley (CLAR), 6-4
Fifth Place
125 lbs. – Jonathan Mele (CLAR) maj. dec. Ryan Bohince (MER), 16-2
133 lbs. – Kody Young (MER) med. forf. Evan Link (UPJ)
141 lbs. – #2 Dave Cawley (UPJ) dec. David Charles (MER), 2-0
149 lbs. – Ray Nicosia (ESU) med. forf. Justin Arthur (CLAR)
157 lbs. — #3 Elias Biddle (LHU) dec. Zach Voytek (SHU), 6-4
165 lbs. – Justin Heller (KUTZ) med. forf. #2 Braden Turner (ESU)
174 lbs. — #2 Ryan Darch (CLAR) med. forf. Joey Fogle (ESU)
184 lbs. — #4 Giovanni Ortiz (KUTZ) dec. #3 Sam Shirey (BLM), 7-4
197 lbs. – Brian Beattie (MER) med. forf. #4 Tyson Searer (ESU)
Hwt. – #5 Brad Emerick (LHU) dec. Nick Budd (GAN), 2-0
CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
Courtesy of Edinboro Sports Information
EDINBORO, Pa. – The new-look PSAC will have 12 teams converging on Edinboro University for the 71
st Annual PSAC Wrestling Championship on Saturday, December 7. The action will get underway at McComb Fieldhouse at 9:30 a.m. with Session One including two rounds of championship matches plus the semifinals, along with the wrestlebacks through the consolation semifinals. Session Two will begin with the opening ceremonies at 6:15 p.m., with the medal rounds to follow at 6:30 p.m.
Edinboro is in search of its third straight PSAC crown and eighth in the last nine years. A year ago the Fighting Scots finished with 160.5 points to outdistance second place Clarion (140 points). Bloomsburg was third (134) and Lock Haven fourth (125). This year the PSAC field will include league newcomers Pitt-Johnstown, a perennially strong Division II program, and Seton Hill.
A total of seven 2012 champions return. The Fighting Scots showcase A.J. Schopp at 133 lbs., Mitchell Port at 141 lbs. and Dave Habat at 149 lbs., all seeking their third straight PSAC titles. Schopp (4
th) and Port (2
nd) are returning Division I All-Americans. In addition to the Edinboro trio, three Bloomsburg wrestlers are returning champions. Bloomsburg’s Josh Veltre came away with the 165 lb. crown a year ago, while Richard Perry won at 197 lbs. and Justin Grant was the champion at heavyweight. Lock Haven’s Fred Garcia won the crown at 184 lbs.
Several other former champions are in the field. Mike Dessino of Bloomsburg won at 174 lbs. in 2010 and again in 2011. Edinboro has two more former PSAC champions in its lineup in Vic Avery, who came away with the 184 lb. title in 2011, and Ernest James, who won that same year at heavyweight. Kutztown’s Evan Yenelovich was the 125 lb. champion in 2010 while wrestling for Edinboro. He now competes at 141 lbs.
Here’s a look at the 2013 PSAC Championships by weight class:
125 lbs. – With two-time PSAC champion Robert Rehm redshirting, the crown is vacant. Edinboro’s Kory Mines finished as the runner-up a year ago, dropping a 10-4 decision to Rehm. He also has a third place showing to his credit. The junior is the highest of three returning place-winners and comes in with a 5-1 record and is ranked 16
th by Amateur Wrestling News. Matt Turek (3-0) of Gannon was fourth in 2012 and is currently ranked sixth in the NCAA Division II rankings and first in the Super Region One rankings. The junior is a returning All-American after placing eight at the Division II National Championships. Bloomsburg’s Sean Boylan (2-6) looks to return to the championship match after placing fifth last year. The senior was the runner-up in 2010 and 2011. Pitt-Johnstown’s Dave Fogle, a senior with a 7-2 record, Mercyhurst junior Ryan Bohince (6-2) and Clarion freshman Jonathan Mele (7-6) could make a run at the title, as well. Fogle was a 2012 Division II All-American, placing third, and was a national qualifier in 2013. Bohince was a 2012 national qualifier. Fogle is second and Bohince third in the Super Region One rankings.
133 lbs. – A.J. Schopp of Edinboro seeks to become a three-time PSAC champion. A year ago he bested Nick Wilcox of Bloomburg for the second straight year, prevailing via a 9-0 major decision. Schopp is ranked eighth nationally with a perfect 6-0 record. The junior earned All-American honors a year ago with a fourth place finish at Nationals. Wilcox, a senior, has reached the PSAC finals three times, taking home the title in 2010. He has a 6-4 record and is ranked 17
th by AWN. Schopp and Wilcox are the lone returning place-winners, with two others moving up to 141 lbs. However, Sam Sherlock (8-5) of Clarion, who was second at 141 lbs. a year ago, moves down to 133 lbs. In addition, Evan Yenolevich (7-1), a former PSAC champion and sixth place finisher at 141 lbs. in 2012, is also competing at 133 lbs. The senior was the 2010 champion at 125 lbs. while wrestling for Edinboro. He is a three-time PSAC place-winner who qualified for the Division II Nationals last year and is currently ranked sixth in DII. Mercyhurst’s Kody Young (4-0) is ranked third in Super Region One, with Gannon’s Adam Weinell (3-1) fourth. Young was a 2012 national qualifier, while UPJ’s Evan Link (5-3) qualified in 2013 at 125 lbs. Cody Wheeler (6-3) of Lock Haven is another wrestler looking to medal. He comes off a first place finish at the Mat Town Open. Seton Hill freshman Andy Schultz is off to a fast start at 9-3.
141 lbs. – Like Schopp, Mitchell Port (3-0) of Edinboro is a two-time PSAC titlist and a returning All-American. In fact, the junior place second at 141 lbs. at Nationals and was later named the PSAC Wrestler of the Year. He comes of an ankle injury but is expected to compete. Port is ranked second nationally. He bested Sam Sherlock of Clarion, 11-1, in last year’s finals. No fewer than five former place-winners look to challenge Port. Daniel Neff (8-3) of Lock Haven and Bloomsburg’s Matt Rappo (7-7) likely pose the biggest challenges. Neff was a national qualifier a year ago, and the third-year sophomore is ranked 17
th by AWN, but he was nicked up at last week’s Mat Town Open and may not compete. Rappo is also a third-year sophomore who took fourth last year. Two wrestlers who competed at different weight classes last year look to make some noise. Tyler Bedlyon (3-7) of Clarion was third at 149 lbs., while Mercyhurst’s Dylan D’Urso (7-1) took fourth place at 133 lbs. D’Urso was a 2013 national qualifier and is ranked first in Super Region One. Kutztown’s Mitch Voelker is off to a slow start at 3-4, but he was a national qualifier last year and is ranked second in the region. Voelker took sixth at PSAC’s last year while competing at 149 lbs. Shippensburg senior Simon Rice (1-0) is third in the region. Don’t forget UPJ’s Dave Cawley (3-0), ranked sixth in Division II after earning All-American accolades following a seventh place finish.
149 lbs. – Dave Habat is the third of Edinboro’s juniors in pursuit of a third straight PSAC championship. He is off to a 7-1 start and is ranked seventh by AWN and tenth by InterMat. Habat picked up a medical forfeit win over Bloomsburg’s Josh Roosa. A number of talented wrestlers are lining up in search of an upset. For starters, there’s Bryce Busler of Bloomsburg, the owner of a 10-1 record and ranked ninth by AWN and 16
th by InterMat. He was third in 2011. Then there’s Clarion standout freshman Justin Arthur (13-2), who is ranked 17
th by AWN and 18
th by InterMat. Other challengers include Lock Haven’s Mac Maldarelli, who was fourth a year ago and comes in at 10-5; Gannon redshirt freshman Garret Smith (10-4); and Seton Hill freshman Tanner Druck (7-3).
157 lbs. – A year ago this was possibly the most talented weight class in the PSAC, featuring Clarion’s James Fleming, Bloomsburg’s Frank Hickman and Jake Kemerer of Lock Haven. Now only Kemerer remains, and he has moved up to 165 lbs. That leaves 157 lbs. the most wide-open weight class in 2013. Matt Martoccio (2-5) of Kutztown and Tyler Berger (5-2) of Mercyhurst are the lone returning medalists, coming in fourth and fifth, respectively. Edinboro’s Johnny Greisheimer (4-3), second a year ago at 165 lbs., returns to 157 lbs., where he finished second in 2010. Austin Matthews is a highly-regarded freshman at Clarion off to a 6-1 start, and has climbed into 20
th in the AWN poll, while Seton Hill freshman Zach Voytek is 8-2. Bloomsburg’s Kevin Hartnett (7-5), East Stroudsburg’s Ethan Howey (6-4), Gannon’s Buddy Blotzer (0-0), a 2012 Division II national qualifier, and UPJ’s Sam Molina (6-2) are other contenders. Lock Haven will choose between Elias Biddle (10-5) and Billy Randt (8-5).
165 lbs. – Josh Veltre of Bloomsburg is the returning champion at 165 lbs. thanks to a 6-3 decision over Greisheimer. He figures to face a stern test from Jake Kemerer of Lock Haven, the PSAC runner-up at 157 lbs. in 2012. Veltre, a fifth-year senior, is a perfect 5-0 and ranked 12
th by InterMat and 14
th by AWN. Kemerer, a senior, has a 9-3 record and won the Mat Town Open last Sunday. The trio of Braden Turner (9-2) of East Stroudsburg, Clint Schaefer (8-1) of Mercyhurst, and Pitt-Johnstown’s Gary Lantz (6-2) look to push Veltre and Kemerer for a spot at the top of the podium. Turner, sixth at 157 lbs. at the 2012 PSAC Championships, is a two-time Division II national qualifier at 157 lbs., earning All-American honors in 2012 with a sixth place showing. He is currently ranked eighth at that weight and is second in the Super Region One rankings at 165 lbs. Schaefer holds down the top spot in the region after qualifying for Nationals last year. Lantz qualified for DII nationals at 174 lbs. in 2013 and 184 lbs. in 2012. Millersville senior Zach Pincus (3-4) was sixth last year at 174 lbs.
174 lbs. – A new PSAC champion will be crowned at 174 lbs., but an old one is lurking in the dark. Bloomsburg’s Mike Dessino was the champion in 2010 and 2011. Now a fifth-year senior, he has an 8-4 record. Clarion junior Ryan Darch dropped a 4-2 decision to Bloomsburg’s Chris Smith in sudden victory in last year’s finals. Darch brings a 6-6 ledger into the 2013 PSAC’s. He is one of three place-winners returning, joined by Patrick Jennings (4-1) of Edinboro, fourth a year ago, and Bo Candelaria (4-5) of Kutztown, who came in sixth at 165 lbs. Brendan McKeown (3-2) of East Stroudsburg is ranked fifth in Division II, was a 2013 All-American with a sixth place finish, and is a two-time national qualifier. Keep an eye on Lock Haven’s Travis Moyer (11-8) and Mercyhurst’s August Mizia (7-1), who is ranked third in Super Region One, right behind McKeown. Mizia redshirted last year and took third place at PSAC’s in 2011.
184 lbs. – The potential exists for an interesting showdown between 2012 PSAC champion Fred Garcia of Lock Haven and Edinboro’s Vic Avery (0-1), the champion in 2011. That is if Avery can wrestle. The sophomore was injured a month ago and has yet to return. He remains highly-ranked – seventh by AWN, eighth by InterMat. Garcia defeated Andre Petroski of Bloomsburg 4-1 last year. He comes in with a 13-3 record after finishing second in the Mat Town Open, losing in the finals to top-ranked Ed Ruth of Penn State. Garcia is ranked 15
th by AWN and 19
th by InterMat. The only other place-winner still competing at 184 is Giovanni Ortiz (5-3), sixth in 2012. Pitt-Johnstown junior Travis McKillop is one of two wrestlers ranked in the top in Division II. He has a 3-2 record and is ranked number two nationally and first in Super Region One. Gannon hopes to have Zack Zelcs make his season debut on Saturday. The fourth-year junior is a two-time All-American who finished eighth last year and is ranked fourth. He is second in the region.
197 lbs. – Richard Perry claimed the 2012 PSAC crown thanks to a 6-4 decision over Clarion’s Justin Ortega. Ranked eighth by InterMat and tenth by AWN, the fifth-year senior looks to improve on his 8-1 record and claim his second PSAC crown. He also has a third place finish on his resume’. Lock Haven’s Phil Sprenkle (9-6) likely poses the greatest threat to a second straight title, with Edinboro’s Vince Pickett (4-1) also a talented challenger. Sprenkle comes off a win at the Mat Town Open. Pickett was third at 184 lbs. in 2013. East Stroudsburg’s Tyson Spearer (2-2) was sixth last year and went on to qualify for Nationals. Kutztown’s Brandan Clark (7-3) and Aram Moffit (8-5) look to earn a spot on the stand, as well.
Hwt – The most interesting weight class at the 2013 PSAC Championships may be the final one. While there may not be as much action, there is definitely plenty of competition. It starts with defending champion Justin Grant of Bloomsburg. The fifth-year senior is 8-3. A year ago he claimed the title with a fall over Ziad Haddad of North Caroilina. Haddad looks to take another run at the title. He has 4-0 record and is the number one ranked heavyweight in Division II. The former transfer from North Carolina earned All-American honors a year ago. Edinboro’s Ernest James was the 2011 PSAC champion, and took home third place a year ago. The senior owns a 4-2 record and is a two-time national qualifier. Both Grant and James have been ranked this year. A group of up-and-coming wrestlers figure to make the heavyweight division competitive for several years. Clarion freshman Evan Daley (7-5) and Andrew Welton (5-2) of Mercyhurst are both from the Erie area. Two more freshmen to watch are Gannon’s Nick Budd (6-3) and Brad Emerick (9-9) of Lock Haven. UPJ’s Josh Duplin (5-3) is a sophomore who is ranked eighth nationally and was a national qualifier last year.