Mercyhurst's Jordan Shields (left) and Clarion's James Fleming (right) are this week's Wrestling Athletes of the Week.
PSAC Wrestling Athlete of the Week - 1
Lock Haven, Pa - Jordan Shields of Mercyhurst and James Fleming of Clarion are the wrestling season’s inaugural Athletes of the week as they each began the season in dominant fashion.
Jordan Shields, Mercyhurst
Sophomore - 157
Burrell, Pa. / Burrell
Shields compiled a 6-0 record this past weekend at the Washington and Jefferson open, which featured 17 teams and 295 wrestlers. Shields registered a fall in his opening round match victory over Clarion’s Kyle Braddock. He then wrestled to a 3-1 decision over Pitt-Johnstown’s Chad Miller. From there Shields faced off against three more Division I competitors earning himself a 16-0 major decision against Ryan Donavan from West Virginia, then collected a 5-3 decision over Penn State’s Jim Vollrath to claim the 157-lb championship. Shield’s was named the outstanding wrestler of the tournament as he claimed his first collegiate tournament Championship, besting the other 34 wrestlers in his weight class.
James Fleming, Clarion
Sophomore - 157
West Mifflin / West Mifflin
Fleming won the title at 157-lbs wrestling at the Knight Point Open. He opened the tournament with an 11-2 major decision over Keith Ryan of Pitt-Johnstown, claimed a 15-0 tech fall over James Rafferty of Army. In the third round he pinned Army's Kirk Landon at 6:40, before posting an 11-1 major decision over Matt Jackson of Navy to pick up the championship. Fleming returned to the mat a week later for the Oklahoma Invite in which he reached the finals with three wins over Clay Reeb of Oklahoma by pin-fall at an impressive 0:47, Rudy Chelednik of Army by major decision by a score of 12-0, and majored the #2 seed Daryl Cocozzo of Rutgers 11-0 who was ranked 13th in the nation to start the season. He then lost to Oklahoma’s Matt Lester by a score of 7-3 in the finals.