Mercyhurst to Host 2008 PSAC Wrestling Championships
Mercyhurst Tournament Central
B2TV Information
Courtesy of Mercyhurst Sports Information
Erie, Pa. - Mercyhurst College hosts the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference 66th Annual Wrestling Championship with 10 squads competing for the team crown and four individuals returning to defend their titles from a year ago.
Action gets underway at 9:30 a.m. in the Mercyhurst Athletic Center with two rounds of championship matches and two rounds of consolation bouts. The championship finals, which will include matches for third and fifth place, will begin at 6:30 p.m. with ceremonies slated to open the session at 6:15 p.m.
Tournament passes for adults ($12) and students ($3), as well as individual session tickets for adults ($7) and students ($2), will be available at the door. Students from PSAC member institutions are admitted free with a valid ID.
For fans that cannot attend the championship session, Mercyhurst College will webcast the finals live via B2 Networks. More information on the webcast and B2 Networks can be found by accessing the Mercyhurst College Athletics Website: www.hurstathletics.com
Tournament Preview
Last year at Clarion’s Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium, Edinboro captured its third-straight team title with 152.5 points, followed by Bloomsburg as the runner-up with 118.5 points and Clarion in third with 88.5 points. Lock Haven and Shippensburg rounded out the top five with 76.0 and 62.0 points, respectively. Millersville (51.5), East Stroudsburg (46.0) and Kutztown (34.0) filled out the eight-team field.
Only one institution has posted four or more consecutive team titles, with Lock Haven winning from 1940-42 and 1947-48. No tournament was sponsored from 1943 through 1946 because of World War II.
The league has crowned a champion every year since 1947 and no team has won more than three straight titles during that stretch. Seven times a squad has won three consecutive crowns, only to be upset in their quest for a fourth.
Edinboro looks to become the first in over 50 years to win four straight team titles as the Fighting Scots boast all four returning tournament champions, led by three-time All-American and 2007 National Champion at 149 lbs, Gregor Gillespie. Also returning to defend their titles from a year ago are Ricky Deubel at 133 lbs, Jarrod King at 165 lbs and Pat Bradshaw at 197 lbs.
Lock Haven owns the most team titles with 19, followed by Bloomsburg with 14 crowns, Clarion with 13 and Edinboro with 11. East Stroudsburg and Millersville round out the active teams with two titles each. West Chester (3) and Slippery Rock (1) have also claimed the team title but neither institution currently sponsors wrestling.
Mercyhurst College and Gannon University are in their first year as PSAC members and will join Kutztown and Shippensburg as the only Division II programs in the annual tournament.
Edinboro, ranked 15th in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association poll, is the pre-tournament favorite. The Fighting Scots have won nine of the last 11 PSAC team titles, including 2008-06, 2004-02 and 2000-1998. The other two teams to win during that stretch were Bloomsburg in 2005 and Lock Haven in 2001.
Preview by Weight Classes
125: With three-time and defending champion Mike Sees of Bloomsburg graduated, several wrestlers should figure to make a run, including Edinboro’s Kyle Fluke and Clarion’s Jay Ivanco, who finished fourth behind Lock Haven’s John Trumbetti a year ago. Another threat is Bloomsburg’s Ian Moser, ranked 20th in the latest USA Today/NWCA/InterMat rankings. Mercyhurst’s Payne Flint could be a contender as well.
133: Defending champion Ricky Deubel will face tough competition again from Bloomsburg’s Jason Guffey after posting a 12-5 victory over Guffey in the title bout a year ago. East Stroudsburg’s Matt Swallow also returns after taking third place. Another grappler in contention for a title is Kutztown’s Joe Kemmerer, the Division II National Champion in 2006-07.
141: Shippensburg’s Steve Fittery took a close 5-4 decision over Clarion’s Sal Lascari a year ago, but is not in the Red Raiders’ lineup. Plenty of new faces will see action at this weight class as third-place winner Sean Carr (ESU) graduated, and Edinboro’s Torsten Gillespie has moved to 149. Bloomsburg’s Rick Donald is also a threat, along with the Fighting Scots Joel Webster.
149: Edinboro’s Torsten Gillespie is ranked 16th in the latest rankings. He will be challenged by Lock Haven’s Matt Fittery, who recently won the Mat Town Open. Bloomsburg’s George Hickman also moved up a weight class with ESU’s Scott Heckman, the PSAC champion in 2006-07, returning after missing all of last season with an injury.
157: One of the deepest weight classes, Edinboro’s Gregor Gillespie looks to defend his title among a bevy of challengers led by Bloomsburg’s Matt Moley, Clarion’s Hadley Harrison and Chris Chambers of Kutztown. Gillespie and Moley rank no. 2 and no. 11 in the country, respectively. Harrison finished third at 141 a year ago. Also ranked in the Division II circuit are Mercyhurst’s Andy Lamancusa and Gannon’s Brandon Monin.
165: Edinboro’s Jarrod King, ranked no. 5 nationally, also will look to defend his title and will be challenged by Bloomsburg’s Rick Schmelyun. Others expected to challenge include Shippensburg’s Jake Wilson and Mercyhurst’s Josh Shields.
174: Kutztown’s David Zeek makes the move from 157 while Bloomsburg’s Nathan Graham and Shippensburg’s Chris Barrick are the only returnees from last year’s finals session with defending champion Phil Moricone of Edinboro injured.
184: Bloomsburg’s Jesse Hasseman and Edinboro’s no. 11 Chris Honeycutt are the favorites. Challengers include Ship’s Jon Hade and Lock Haven’s Tom Kocher, who took second at 174 last year.
197: Edinboro’s Pat Bradshaw will defend his title with competition from Mercyhurst’s Trevor Gallo and ESU’s Shane Mallory, who was third at 174 last year.
Hwt: Chris Birchler (ESU) finished second a year ago and will face Edinboro’s no. 7 Joe Fendone. A national qualifier last year, Gannon’s Frank McGrath should also figure into the mix.