Eastern Wrestling League Conferance Conferance

Pitt's Rande Stottlemyer Named EWL Coach of the Year

PITTSBURGH - Pitt wrestling head coach Rande Stottlemyer has been named the Eastern Wrestling League Coach of the Year and Anthony Zanetta, the EWL Freshman of the Year, as announced Wednesday by the league.

Stottlemyer and his staff led the Panthers to their first-ever EWL Championship in 2010 with a perfect 6-0 record on the season. Pitt recorded a school-record 17-1-1 mark on the season and helped lead six wrestlers to the NCAA Championship. Included in that number was sophomore Tyler Nauman, who earned All-America status with a fifth place finish at the national tournament.

"There are two reasons for this award, our assistants Jason Peters and Matt Kocher," Stottlemyer said. "They do the work and because I'm the head coach, I get the award for our success. Jason Peters is and continues to grow into such an amazing coach and the commitment level of our guys has really changed things for us. We are headed in the right direction."

In addition to the outstanding team success the Panthers achieved this season, Pitt enjoyed numerous individual accolades as well. Four Pitt wrestlers earned EWL titles including Zanetta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks), Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown), Matt Wilps (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) and Ryan Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford).

Stottlemyer recently completed his 31st season at the helm of the program and has recorded a 268-206-13 record during that time. This year's honor marks the fourth time he has won the EWL honor (2007-08, 1989-90 and 1986-87). Stottlemyer has also coached at least one All-American in 20 of the last 27 years.

Zanetta, a true freshman, wrestled at 125 all season and enjoyed a fantastic season in his rookie year recording a 34-10 record on the year. Zanetta claimed the EWL title and turned quite a few heads in his first NCAA Championship. In the Pitt record books, Zanetta finished tied for second in wins in a season with 34. His mark is also good enough for the 10th most wins recorded in a season by a Pitt wrestler in any year.

"Anthony is such a great kid," Stottlemyer said. "He is someone that you just can't help but pull for. He works hard and long and always with a smile on his face. But Anthony wants bigger and better things. He doesn't see himself settling. With his work ethic, he is going to continue to improve and make great strides."
Pitt's Anthony Zanetta Named EWL Wrestler of the Week

PITTSBURGH - Pitt freshman wrestler Anthony Zanetta has been named the Eastern Wrestling League's wrestler of the week for his efforts against Rutgers and No. 14-ranked Penn State.

Zanetta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) posted a 7-4 decision over Joseph Langel of Rutgers at 125, before defeating No. 7-ranked Brad Pataky of Penn State, 15-9. The true freshman improves to 5-0 on the dual match season, and has earned his first ranking of the season, moving into the top 20.

In the win over Pataky, Zanetta jumped out to an 8-3 lead after the first period and earned three points for the Panthers as they earned a 19-19 tie against in-state rival Penn State.

Pitt is off until the end of the month when they make their trek to Evanston, Ill. to compete at the Midlands Championships. Action at the two-day event starts on Dec. 29.
Pitt's Tyler Nauman Named EWL Wrestler of the Week

PITTSBURGH - Pitt sophomore Tyler Nauman was named the Eastern Wrestling League's Wrestler of the Week for his efforts on the weekend. Nauman went a perfect 3-0 at the Sprawl & Brawl duals, improving to 11-0 on the season.

In the latest InterMat rankings, Nauman is ranked 10th and is ranked as high as seventh in other national polls. The Middletown, Pa., native will surely move up this week as he registered a tech fall (16-0) against Ryan Prater of Illinois, who was ranked No. 17 entering the weekend.

Nauman, in addition to his tech fall, recorded two falls in his final two matches of the day. He defeated Davidson's Ben Thompson by fall (1:28) and Rider's Aaron Nestor in a fall (2:17).

Nauman joins teammate Ryan Tomei as an EWL Wrestler of the Week recipient this year. Tomei was honored after the Panthers' first tournament of the season - the Buffalo Open.

Pitt will send individuals to tournaments this weekend, but will not travel as a team. The Panthers' next match will be Dec. 6 at the Penn State Open, an all-day event.  
 Ryan Tomei Named EWL Wrestler of the Week

PITTSBURGH - Pitt junior wrestler Ryan Tomei has been named the Eastern Wrestling League's Wrestler of the Week following his dominating performance at the Buffalo Open on Sunday.

Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) breezed through five matches en route to the heavyweight title. He opened the tournament with a first-period fall and followed it up with two straight major decisions to advance to the semifinals. In the semis, Tomei claimed an 8-2 win over Jason Weber of Buffalo and a 9-2 finals win over Patrick Gilmore of Maryland for the title.

The junior redshirted last season and has returned as possibly the biggest surprise heavyweight in the country. The Wrestler of the Week honor is Tomei's first of his career.

Pitt got off to a strong start on the weekend with 14 wrestlers placing in the Buffalo Open, including three who won their weight class - Dane Johnson at 141, Matt Wilps at 197 and Tomei at 285.

The Panthers will host their annual Blue and Gold intersquad match Thursday at 6 p.m. at Fitzgerald Field House
EWL Announces Hall of Fame Class of 2008

Five Pitt alums, two former Penn State grapplers join distinguished group

PITTSBURGH-The Eastern Wrestling League will welcome seven new members into its Hall of Fame on Saturday, March 8, as the Class of 2008 will be formally inducted at the 33rd annual EWL Tournament at Fitzgerald Field House. The seven new members will swell the EWL Hall of Fame membership to 73 inductees.

This year's group includes five University of Pittsburgh representatives: Mark Bodo, Carl Fronhofer, Rob Loper, head coach Rande Stottlemyer and John Withrow, and two former competitors from Penn State - Dan Mayo and Tim Wittman.

"This is a tremendous Hall of Fame class and an outstanding group of men," commented Bruce Baumgartner, the EWL's tournament director. "The University of Pittsburgh and Penn State have been very instrumental to the growth and success of the EWL and each of these men is certainly deserving of this honor."

Below is a synopsis of the seven inductees, in alphabetical order.

Mark Bodo (Pitt '98)

A three-time All-American, Bodo was selected as team captain during his redshirt senior season. He compiled a 31-7 overall record in 1997 and placed fourth in the nation in the 190-pound weight class at the NCAA Championships. He helped the Panthers place 18th that year at the NCAA's, which was the team's highest finish since 1989. Bodo ranks fifth on Pitt's lists for most wins by a sophomore with 31 and finished his career with 106 victories, placing him 13th on the all-time list. He graduated from Pitt with a biology degree in 1998 and currently works for Natus Medical Inc. as a district sales manager. Bodo resides in Greenville, Pa.

Carl Fronhofer (Pitt '03)

A four-time NCAA qualifier, Fronhofer earned an All-America honor with a runner-up finish at the 2003 Championships. That same season, he was named as the EWL's Wrestler of the Year. Fronhofer claimed the EWL title in 2001 at 165-pounds after a fifth-place showing the previous year. He followed his championship run with a third-place finish at the 2002 conference tournament and completed his career with a second-place plaudit in 2003. He currently stands in fourth place on Pitt's all-time career wins with 123 victories. He also made his way into the school record books after compiling the sixth-most wins by a freshman (30) in Pitt history. Fronhofer is a 2003 Pitt graduate and currently works as an assistant wrestling coach at Bloomsburg University. He and his wife Amy reside in Danville, Pa.

Rob Loper (Pitt '01)

Loper was a two-time EWL Champion and four-time place-winner at the EWL tournament from 1997-2001. He qualified for the NCAA meet four times during his career, one of only 11 Pitt wrestlers to achieve this feat. Loper garnered All-America honors in 2000 at 133-pounds, going 38-6 with 14 major decisions and eight technical falls. He was honored as the EWL Freshman of the Year in 1997 and recorded the third-most career wins in Pitt history with 131 during his four year career. He also ranks fifth for most wins in Pitt history by a freshman (31 in 1997); eighth for most wins by a sophomore (30 in 1998) and second for most victories by a junior (38 in 2000). Loper graduated in 2001 with a degree in communications and currently works as a Regional Manager for Providence Insurance. He currently lives in Sewickley with his wife Holly and their new-born daughter, Dulcinea.


Dan Mayo (Penn State '88)

Mayo won three consecutive EWL Championships from 1986-88, making him one of only 21 men to have been crowned three times. He grabbed a runner-up showing at the NCAA Championships in 1988. He currently ranks 12th on Penn State's all-time wins list with 110 career victories and is tied for first on the dual winning percentages list for a season with a 14-0 (1.000) record in 1987-88. Mayo is tied for eighth-place on PSU's list for most wins by a senior with 34 victories during the 1987-88 season. He captured 47 career dual meet victories, placing him in a tie for 14th place on Penn State's all-time list. Mayo graduated from Penn State in 1988 with a B.S. in public relations. He currently works for Inventiv Health in their sales department and has two children, a daughter Logan, 14, and a 10-year old son, Daniel. Mayo resides in Skillman, N.J.

Rande Stottlemyer (Pitt '78)

As a student-athlete, Stottlemyer qualified for the NCAA Championships in each of his four years at Pitt, making him one of only 11 Panthers to accomplish the feat. Out of those four appearances at the national tournament came three All-America honors, including two sixth-place finishes at 134 pounds. Stottlemyer served as a team captain in each of his varsity seasons and is one of only seven Pitt wrestlers to have been named an All-American on three separate occasions. He became Pitt's first EWL Champion after claiming the 134-pound crown in the conference's first year of existence. In his 28 years as head coach of the University of Pittsburgh, Stottlemyer has produced a two-time national champion in Pat Santoro, 26 NCAA All-Americans, 111 national qualifiers and 28 Eastern Wrestling League Champions. In 18 of the past 24 years, Stottlemyer's teams have finished in the top-30 nationally and have seen at least one wrestler achieve the status of All-American. His teams have finished in the nation's top-25 in six of the past 11 seasons. He graduated from Pitt in 1978 with a B.S in physical education. Stottlemyer and his wife Regina have four daughters: Tara, Rebecca, Jaclyn and Kelsey. The Stottlemyers currently reside in Charleroi, Pa.


John Withrow (Pitt '98)

Withrow, a three-time NCAA qualifier, returned as an All-American after each visit to the national tournament. He was a three year place-winner at the EWL Championships, finishing third in three different weight classes from 1995-98. He completed his collegiate career with 122 victories, placing him fifth on Pitt's all-time list. A four-year letter-winner and team captain in 1997 and 1998, Withrow compiled a 26-6 record as a fifth-year senior. He was a two-time National Wrestling Coaches Association tour participant and was selected to the 1997-98 GTE Academic All-America Third Team. Withrow was also a 1998 National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic First Team honoree and the recipient of the University of Pittsburgh Athletic Department's Blue and Gold Award for his academic and athletic achievement. Withrow graduated with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and obtained his Master's Degree in bio engineering from Pitt and later received his MBA from Duke. He is currently working for Old Lane as a Head Fund Portfolio Manager on Wall Street. Withrow and his wife Jessica live in Scotch Plains, N.J., with their 18-month-old son, J.T., and are expecting another son in June.

Tim Wittman (Penn State '92)

A three-time All-American from 1990-92, Wittman was also a two-time EWL Champion in 1991 and 1992. At the 1992 conference tournament, he was honored with the Outstanding Wrestler Award. His best showing at the national tournament was a fourth-place finish in 1990. The following year he came in seventh before finishing his career with a sixth-place plaudit in 1992. He occupies ninth-place on Penn State's list for career victories (14) at the NCAA Championships. Wittman helped the Nittany Lions to back-to-back third place finishes at the NCAAs and their second-highest point total (89.25 points) in school history at the 1992 championships. He earned a B.S. in landscape contracting from Penn State in 1992 and is currently employed by Landscaping Management Services. He and his wife Alley reside in Hibernia, N.J.

The 2008 EWL Championships will begin at 10 a.m. at Fitzgerald Field House. For ticket information, please call (800) 643-PITT or log on to www.pittsburghpanthers.com.
31st Annual Eastern Wrestling League Championships Results

EDINBORO WINS FOURTH STRAIGHT EWL CROWN
Shawn Bunch Wins Fourth Consecutive Title and Named Outstanding Wrestler

EDINBORO, PA ­ The Edinboro University wrestling team captured its fourth straight Eastern Wrestling League championship and eighth in the last nine years, outdistancing second place West Virginia to win the 31st Annual EWL Tournament. The event was held at McComb Fieldhouse.

Edinboro finished with 120.5 points, while the Mountaineers totaled 110.5 points. A total of nine Fighting Scots qualified for the NCAA Division I National Championships set for March 16-18 in Oklahoma City, OK. That ties the school record previously set in 1998. West Virginia led all seven teams with four champions, and has six wrestlers headed to Nationals.
Pittsburgh finished in third place with 97 points, while Bloomsburg was fourth (94.5), followed by Cleveland State (82) in fifth place. Lock Haven (70.5) and Clarion (29.5) rounded out the field.

Head coach Tim Flynn was elated with the title. "I'm always happy when we win a tournament. Obviously losing the last three matches leaves you with a bad taste. But we came here to win the tournament and we did."

Edinboro entered this morning's consolation semifinals and consolation finals trailing by 2.5 points, but when the session was done, the Fighting Scots held a comfortable 14-point lead. Three of Edinboro's five wrestlers in the consolation bracket captured third place, along with a fourth and fifth place.

"I don't think we wrestled our best, but I never think that," commented head coach Tim Flynn. "I give credit to the kids in the wrestlebacks. This morning I challenged those kids to win the tournament for us. We entered the session down by 2.5 points, and we finished it up 14 points.

Edinboro had two champions, including Shawn Bunch (Leavenworth, KS/Leavenworth) at 133 lbs. The senior, who is ranked number one in the country, captured a 10-3 decision over Pittsburgh's Mike Ciotti and will make his fourth trip to Nationals. In doing, so he became just the fifth wrestler in EWL history to win four EWL titles. He joins Don Reese of Bloomsburg, Clarion's Kurt Angle, Vertus Jones of West Virginia, and Greg Jones of West Virginia. Bunch was named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler while improving to 35-1.

Gregor Gillespie (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) was Edinboro's other champion, defeating Lock Haven's Joshua Medina for the third time this season, 7-3, in the 149 lb. final. Gillespie is now 36-2 and is ranked seventh

The EWL title continues an outstanding season for the Fighting Scots. Edinboro finished as the lone undefeated team on the Division I level with a perfect 12-0 record, and are currently ranked 16th in the USA Today/NWCA/InterMat Division I Coaches Poll.


March 4-5, 2006 (McComb Fieldhouse, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania)

Final Team Scoring
Rk. Team Points
1. Edinboro 120.50
2. West Virginia 110.50
3. Pittsburgh 97.00
4. Bloomsburg 94.50
5. Cleveland State 82.00
6. Lock Haven 70.50
7. Clarion 29.50

2006 "OW" ­ Outstanding Wrestler ­ Shawn Bunch

2006 EWL Finals
125- (2) Obenson Blanc, Lock Haven dec. (1) Mike Sees, Bloomsburg 7-3
133- (1) Shawn Bunch, Edinboro dec. (2) Mike Ciotti, Pittsburgh 10-3
141- (1) Brandon Rader, West Virginia dec. (2) Ron Tarquinio, Pittsburgh 10-6
149- (1) Gregor Gillespie, Edinboro dec. (2) Joshua Medina, Lock Haven 7-3
157- (1) Matt Lebe, West Virginia dec. (2) Seth Martin, Lock Haven 3-2
165- (2) Justin Nestor, Pittsburgh dec. (4) Larry Hall, West Virginia 2-0
174- (2) Kurt Brenner, West Virginia dec. (1) Eric Ring, Edinboro 5-2
184- (1) Ron Howard, Cleveland State dec. (2) Alex Clemsen, Edinboro 3-2
197- (2) Jared Villers, West Virginia dec. (1) Joe Fendone, Edinboro 7-1
HWT- (1) Mike Spaid, Bloomsburg dec. (2) Rashard Goff, Cleveland State 3-2

Third Place
125- Brad Gentzle, Pittsburgh dec. (4) Joe Wornoff, Cleveland State 7-6
133- (6) David Armstrong, Cleveland State fall over (3) Seth Lisa, West Virginia 4:50
141- (5) Mike Hurley, Cleveland State dec. (4) Rick McLaughlin, Edinboro 5-3 sv
149- (3) David Jauregi, West Virginia dec. (4) Joey Ecklof, Pittsburgh 4-3
157- (3) Matt Hill, Edinboro dec. (5) Aric Fuhrman, Bloomsburg 6-4
165- (1) Deonte Penn, Edinboro fall over (5) Frank Beasley, Bloomsburg 0:59
174- (3) Jim Bertulis, Bloomsburg dec. Nick Padezan, Pittsburgh 10-3
184- (3) Derrick Morgan, Lock Haven dec. Chance Litton, West Virginia 10-5
197- Mike Heist, Pittsburgh dec (4) Jesse Hasseman, Bloomsburg 3-2 2 sv
HWT- (3) Jeremy Mosley, Edinboro dec. (4) AJ Brooks Clarion 5-3

Fifth Place
125- (3) Ricky Deubel, Edinboro tech. fall Scott Stuart, West Virginia 17-1 (3:13)
133- (4) Rick Donald, Bloomsburg dec. Rob LaBrake, Clarion 3-1 sv
141- (3) Brad Forbes, Bloomsburg dec. (6) Greg Lewis, Clarion 3-1
149- (5) Ryan Hurley, Cleveland State dec. (6) George Hickman, Bloomsburg 11-5
157- (4) Victer Crenshaw, Cleveland State dec. Sean Richmond, Pittsburgh 9-6
165- (3) Tim Scarl, Cleveland State dec. Rory McCoy, Lock Haven 11-2
174- (4) Carlos Ponce, Lock Haven maj. dec. (5) David Gardner, Clarion 13-5
184- (4) Nate Shirk, Bloomsburg dec. Kyle Deliere, Pittsburgh 5-3
197- (3) Tom Kocher, Lock Haven maj. dec. Logan Downes, Clarion 9-0
HWT- (5) Lou Thomas, Pittsburgh dec. Matt Holsopple, West Virginia 8-4

Semifinals
125 lbs.- (1) Mike Sees, Bloomsburg fall (4) Joe Wornoff, 3:37
(2) Obenson Blanc, Lock Haven dec. Brad Gentzle, Pittsburgh 13-6

133 lbs.- (1) Shawn Bunch, Edinboro maj. dec (4) Rick Donald, Bloomsburg 12-3
(2) Mike Ciotti, Pittsburgh dec. (3) Seth Lisa, West Virginia 8-1

141 lbs.- (1) Brandon Rader, West Virginia dec. (4) Rick McLaughlin, Edinboro 10-5
(2) Ron Tarquinio, Pittsburgh maj. dec (3) Brad Forbes, Bloomsburg 13-0

149 lbs.- (1) Gregor Gillespie, Edinboro dec. (4) Joey Ecklof, Pittsburgh 6-0
(2) Joshua Medina, Lock Haven dec. (3) David Jauregui, West Virginia 13-6

157 lbs.- (1) Matt Lebe, West Virginia dec. (5) Aric Fuhrman, Bloomsburg 8-6 sv
(2) Seth Martin, Lock Haven dec. (3) Matt Hill, Edinboro 6-0

165 lbs.- (4) Larry Hall, West Virginia dec. (1) Deonte Penn, Edinboro 10-6
(2) Justin Nestor, Pittsburgh maj. dec. Rory McCoy, Lock Haven 10-0

174 lbs.- (1) Eric Ring, Edinboro dec. (4) Carlos Ponce, Lock Haven 6-2
(2) Kurt Brenner, West Virginia dec. (3) Jim Bertulis, Bloomsburg 10-6

184 lbs.- (1) Ron Howard, Cleveland State maj. dec Kyle Deliere, Pittsburgh 15-3
(2) Alex Clemsen, Edinboro dec. (3) Derrick Morgan, Lock Haven 6-2

197 lbs.- (1) Joe Fendone, Edinboro dec. (4) Jesse Hasseman, Bloomsburg 2-1
(2) Jared Villers, West Virginia maj. dec. (3)Tom Kocher, Lock Haven 9-0

285 lbs.- (1) Mike Spaid, Bloomsburg fall over (4) AJ Brooks, Clarion 1:42
(2) Rashard Goff, Cleveland State dec. (3) Jeremy Mosley, Edinboro 4-0

Quarterfinals
125 lbs.- (1) Mike Sees, Bloomsburg BYE
(4) Joe Wornoff, Cleveland State maj. dec. Scot Stuart, West Virginia 12-4
Brad Gentzle, Pittsburgh dec. (3) Ricky Deubel, Edinboro 6-4
(2) Obenson Blanc, Lock Haven BYE

133 lbs.- (1) Shawn Bunch, Edinboro tech. fall Rob LaBrake, Clarion 22-6 (5:58)
(4) Rick Donald, Bloomsburg dec. (5) Casey Moore, Lock Haven 7-2
(3) Seth Lisa, West Virginia fall over (6) David Armstrong 4:44
(2) Mike Ciotti, Pittsburgh, BYE

141 lbs.- (1) Brandon Rader, West Virginia fall over Brian Ellis, Lock Haven 4:00
(4) Rick McLaughlin, Edinboro dec. (5) Mike Hurley, Cleveland State 6-4 sv
(3) Brad Forbes, Bloomsburg dec. (6) Greg Lewis, Clarion 7-5
(2) Ron Tarquinio, Pittsburgh BYE

149 lbs.- (1) Gregor Gillespie, Edinboro BYE
(4) Joey Ecklof, Pittsburgh dec. (5) Ryan Hurley, Cleveland State 3-2
(3) David Jauregui, West Virginia dec. (6) George Hickman, Bloomsburg 5-3
(2) Joshua Medina, Lock Haven maj. dec. Derrick Smith, Clarion 12-3

157 lbs.- (1) Matt Lebe, West Virginia BYE
(5) Aric Fuhrman, Bloomsburg maj.dec. (4)Victer Crenshaw, Cleveland State 11-1
(3) Matt Hill, Edinboro maj. dec. Lucas Christopher, Clarion 10-2
(2) Seth Martin, Lock Haven maj. dec. Sean Richmond, Pittsburgh 17-3

165 lbs.- (1) Deonte Penn, Edinboro BYE
(4) Larry Hall, West Virginia dec. (5) Franklin Beasley, Bloomsburg 6-3
Rory McCoy, Lock Haven dec. (3) Tim Scarl, Cleveland State 8-4
(2) Justin Nestor, Pittsburgh fall over Chris Goings, Clarion 5:53

174 lbs.- (1) Eric Ring, Edinboro tech. fall Anthony Mestek, Clarion 17-0 (3:56)
(4) Carlos Ponce, Lock Haven dec. (5) David Gardner, Clarion 9-3
(3) Jim Bertulis, Bloomsburg BYE
(2) Kurt Brenner, West Virginia maj. dec. Nick Padezan, Pittsburgh 11-3

184 lbs.- (1) Ron Howard, Cleveland State maj. dec Dominic Ross, Clarion 11-3
Kyle Deliere, Pittsburgh dec. (4) Nate Shirk, Bloomsburg 4-3
(3) Derrick Morgan, Lock Haven BYE
(2) Alex Clemsen, Edinboro dec. Chance Litton, West Virginia 4-0
197 lbs.- (1) Joe Fendone, Edinboro dec. Mike Heist, Pittsburgh 5-0
(4) Jesse Hasseman, Bloomsburg BYE
(3) Tom Kocher, Lock Haven dec. Logan Downes, Clarion 8-1
(2) Jared Villers, West Virgnia tech. fall Ismal Williams, Cleveland State 17-2 (5:10)

HWT- (1) Mike Spaid, Bloomsburg fall over Tim Meyers, Lock Haven 2:24
(4) AJ Brooks, Clarion dec. (5) Lou Thomas, Pittsburgh 3-2
(3) Jeremy Mosley, Edinboro BYE
(2) Rashard Goff, Cleveland State dec. Matt Holsopple, West Virginia 8-3

Consolation Semifinals
125 lbs.- Brad Gentzle, Pittsburgh dec. Scott Stuart, West Virginia 8-4
(4) Joe Wornoff, Cleveland State dec. (3) Ricky Deubel, Edinboro 3-1

133 lbs.- (3) Seth Lisa, West Virginia dec. Rob LaBrake, Clarion 10-5
(6) David Armstrong, Cleveland State, dec. (4) Rick Donald, Bloomsburg 8-4

141 lbs.- (5) Mike Hurley, Cleveland State dec. (3) Brad Forbes, Bloomsburg 3-2
(4) Rick McLaughlin, Edinboro maj. dec (6) Greg Lewis, Clarion 11-3

149 lbs.- (3) David Jauregui, West Virginia dec. (5) Ryan Hurley, Cleveland State 7-5 2 sv
(4) Joey Ecklof, Pittsburgh dec. (6) George Hickman, Bloomsburg 3-2

157 lbs.- (3) Matt Hill, Edinboro fall over (4) Victor Crenshaw, Cleveland State 2:08
(5) Aric Fuhrman, Bloomsburg dec. Sean Richmond, Pittsburgh 2-0

165 lbs.- (5) Franklin Beasley, Bloomsburg maj. dec. Rory McCoy, Lock Haven 12-2
(1) Deonte Penn, Edinboro maj. dec. (3) Tim Scarl, Cleveland State 8-0

174 lbs.- (3) Jim Bertulis, Bloomsburg fall over (5) David Gardner, Clarion 2:46
Nick Padezan, Pittsburgh dec. (4) Carlos Ponce, Lock Haven 2-0

184 lbs.- (3) Derrick Morgan, Lock Haven dec. (4) Nate Shirk, Bloomsburg 2-0
Chance Litton, West Virginia dec. Kyle Deliere, Pittsburgh 3-0

197 lbs.- Mike Heist, Pittsburgh dec. (3) Tom Kocher, Lock Haven 5-3
(4) Jesse Hasseman, Bloomsburg dec Logan Downes, Clarion 5-2

HWT.- (3) Jeremy Mosley, Edinboro dec. (5) Lou Thomas, Pittsburgh 5-2
(4) AJ Brooks, Clarion dec. Matt Holsopple, West Virginia 3-2

Consolation Quarterfinals
133 lbs.- Rob LaBrake, Clarion fall over (5) Casey Moore, Lock Haven 3:20
141 lbs.- Mike Hurley, Cleveland State fall over (5) Brian Ellis, Lock Haven 2:40
149 lbs.- (6) George Hickman, Bloomsburg dec. Derrick Smith, Clarion 8-4
157 lbs.- Sean Richmond, Pittsburgh fall over Christopher Lucas, Clarion 3:25
165 lbs.- (3) Tim Scarl, Cleveland State maj. dec. Chris Goings, Clarion 12-3
174 lbs.- (5) David Gardner, Clarion tech. fall Anthony Mestek, Cleveland State 16-0 (3:22)
184 lbs.- (4) Nate Shirk, Bloomsburg dec. Dominic Ross, Clarion 10-4
197 lbs.- Logan Downes, Clarion dec. Ishmal Williams, Cleveland State 6-3
HWT.- (5) Lou Thomas, Pittsburgh dec. Tim Meyers, Lock Haven 5-4

2006 EASTERN WRESTLING LEAGUE TOURNAMENT PREVIEW

EDINBORO, PA ­ Edinboro University will host the 31st Annual Eastern Wrestling League Tournament on Saturday, March 4 and Sunday, March 5 at McComb Fieldhouse. Saturday's first session gets underway at 11 a.m. with the quarterfinals. Session 2 starts at 6 p.m., with the championship semifinals and consolation quarterfinals taking place. On Sunday, Session 3 will begin at 10 a.m. and feature the consolation semifinals and consolation finals. Session 4, slated for 4 p.m., will begin with the 2006 EWL Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, followed by the finals.

The 2006 EWL Tournament Finals will be videotaped and shown on a tape-delay basis on three different networks ­ Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh, Fox Sports Net Ohio, and CSTV. The Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh broadcasts are set for Sunday March 12 at 1:00 p.m., and Friday, March 17 at 1:00 p.m. Fox Sports Net Ohio will rebroadcast the finals on Saturday, March 18 at 1:00 p.m. CSTV will have three airings ­ Monday, March 13 at 8:00 p.m., and Tuesday, march 14 at 2:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. In addition, InterMat Wrestling will have updates following each session and will have live scoring of Sunday's finals.

Edinboro seeks its fourth straight EWL title and eighth in the last nine years. West Virginia finished as the EWL champion in 2002, and the Fighting Scots and Mountaineers tied for first place in 2004. A year ago, Edinboro totaled 113 points to outdistance Lock Haven (104 points). Pittsburgh was third (98), followed by West Virginia (93), with Bloomsburg in fifth place (81). Clarion and Cleveland State tied for sixth with 62 points.

The top three finishers in each weight class automatically qualify for the NCAA Division I National Championships, scheduled for March 16-18 in Oklahoma City, OK. In addition, the league's coaches will choose five wild card selections to fill out the EWL's 35 national qualifiers.

Edinboro enters the tournament as the favorite after claiming the dual meet crown with a perfect 6-0 record. In fact, Edinboro finished as the lone undefeated team on the Division I level with a 12-0 ledger. The Fighting Scots are ranked 16th in the USA Today/NWCA/InterMat Division I Coaches Poll. West Virginia finished with a 5-1 EWL record, with Bloomsburg at 4-2.

Five 2005 EWL champions return, led by Edinboro's Shawn Bunch, who seeks to become just the fifth EWL wrestler ever to win four titles. West Virginia's Greg Jones made it four EWL titles a year ago. Dan Reese of Bloomsburg, Clarion's Kurt Angle, and Vertus Jones of West Virginia are the other four-time EWL champions. Bunch won the 133 lb. title a year ago and in 2003, and was the 125 lb. champion in 2002.

Bunch has been ranked number one at 133 lbs. for most of the season, and brings a record of 32-1 into the EWL's. A year ago he finished as the runnerup at Nationals, dropping a 6-3 decision to Travis Lee of Cornell.Bloomsburg's Mike Sees seeks his second straight crown at 125 lbs., while Joshua Medina of Lock Haven is the returning champion at 149 lbs. Matt Lebe of West Virginia faces a challenging field at 157 lbs. A year ago he prevailed as the champion and went on to earn All-American honors with a second place finish at Nationals. Jim Bertulis moves up to 174 lbs. after upsetting return champion Nate Yetzer of Edinboro at 165 lbs. a year ago.

In addition, Edinboro's Deonte Penn was the 2004 champion at 149 lbs. He redshirted a year ago, and is now competing at 165 lbs.

Here's a look at the 2006 EWL Tournament, weight class by weight class:

125 lbs. ­ Bloomsburg's Mike Sees, the defending champion, figures as the favorite in a talent-loaded weight class. The sophomore has a 23-3 record and enters the EWL's with a nine-match winning streak. He is ranked eighth by Amateur Wrestling News and 14th by InterMat. Lock Haven sophomore Obenson Blanc and Edinboro's Ricky Deubel, a redshirt freshman, figure to pose a stiff challenge. Blanc is ranked 13th by Amateur Wrestling News and 16th by InterMat with a 23-8 record, and was third a year ago. Deubel, meanwhile is 22-10 with seven falls, and is ranked 18th by Amateur Wrestling News and 20th by InterMat. Sees has defeated Blanc twice, 8-5 and 5-2, and is also 2-0 against Deubel, winning a pair of closes matches, 7-5 in overtime and 2-1. Deubel and Blanc have split two matches this year, with Deubel a 16-0 winner by technical fall at the Southern Scuffle, but Blanc coming back for a 12-6 win in the dual meet. Cleveland State's Joe Wornoff will look to crack the top three. The junior placed fourth a year ago, and has a 10-7 record. Three more youngsters make this a very promising weight class for the future. Sophomore Toby Seger of Clarion is 11-10, while Pittsburgh's Brad Gentzle (7-14) and Scott Stuart (2-14) of West Virginia are freshmen with an eye on the future.

133 lbs. ­ Shawn Bunch of Edinboro seeks his fourth EWL crown, and third at 133 lbs. A year ago Bunch finished with a 40-2 record, reaching the national finals before finishing as the runner-up. The senior has been just as dominant this year, going 32-1 and currently riding a 16-match winning streak. Bunch is ranked first in both the InterMat and Amateur Wrestling News' polls. A year ago Bunch was pushed to the limit before claiming a 4-3 decision over West Virginia's Seth Lisa. Lisa returns in hopes of pulling the upset. The senior has a 12-9 record, with a recent 14-6 loss to Bunch. Pittsburgh's Mike Ciotti is another senior in hopes of a trip to Nationals. He has a 15-8 record, with a 4-1 EWL dual meet ledger, losing only to Bunch. He placed fourth at 149 lbs. a year ago. Cleveland State' David Armstrong, a sophomore, shows a 16-11 ledger, although he was unable to crack the threesome of Bunch, Lisa and Ciotti. Bloomsburg freshman Rick Donald also has 16 wins, with a 16-11 record. Lock Haven junior Casey Moore (10-21) and freshman Robert LaBrake (9-18) of Clarion round out the field.

141 lbs. ­ Nationally-ranked Ron Tarquinio of Pittsburgh and West Virginia's Brandon Rader figure to have a spirited battle for the 141 lb. title. Tarquinio looks for his third straight trip to the finals after winning the crown in 2004 and dropping a 3-1 overtime decision to Clarion's Frank Edgar a year ago. The senior comes in with an 18-8 record and is ranked seventh by InterMat and ninth by Amateur Wrestling News. Rader is a talented freshman who has compiled a 23-3 record with eleven extra-point wins. He has split a pair of matches with Tarquinio, losing 3-1 in the Las Vegas Invitational, but then coming back for an 8-2 win a month ago. Rader is ranked seventh by Amateur Wrestling News and 15th by InterMat. Bloomsburg's Brad Forbes looks to elbow his way in between this duo. The senior owns a 23-6 record, including a narrow 2-1 loss to Tarquinio. Edinboro junior Rick McLaughlin has a 17-14 record, with a pair of narrow losses to Forbes. Clarion freshman Greg Lewis is 14-10, with Mike Hurley of Cleveland State, a junior, showing an 11-14 record, and Brian Ellis of Lock Haven, a sophomore, coming in at 4-11.

149 lbs. ­ Lock Haven's Joshua Medina is the returning champion, but he does not enter the tournament as the favorite. That designation would have to go to Edinboro's Gregor Gillespie, a freshman who comes in with a 34-2 ledger. Both wrestlers are nationally-ranked, with Gillespie ranked seventh by InterMat and eighth by Amateur Wrestling News, and Medina 18th and 20th, respectively. Gillespie has won 13 matches by technical fall, including 15-0 against Medina in the dual meet. He also handed Medina a 9-4 defeat in the PSAC Championships title match. Gillespie has won 11 straight bouts. Medina, a senior who is a former junior college All-American, owns a 22-7 record. The big question is whether someone else can crack the top two. It is a young and talented field, with David Jaureguit a third ranked competitor, standing 11th in the Amateur Wrestling News rankings. The Mountaineer freshman owns a 19-5 record, but has wrestled just twice since January 22. Another freshman to watch is three-time PIAA champion Joey Ecklof, now a freshman at Pittsburgh. Ecklof has a 17-10 record, but has lost three of his last four matches. However, they've been to Jauregui (3-1), Medina (5-4, and Gillespie (6-0). The rest of the field includes Bloomsburg sophomore George Hickman (13-18), Cleveland State junior Ryan Hurley (8-14), who placed third a year ago, and Derrick Smith of Clarion, a freshman with a 2-13 record.

157 lbs. ­ Like the 149 lbs. weight class, the field at 157 lbs. features three nationally-ranked wrestlers, led by West Virginia's Matt Lebe. The senior is the defending champion, and brings a glossy 30-3 record into the EWL's He had won 11 straight matches before suffering a 6-4 overtime loss to Edinboro's Matt Hill, but he rebounded against one the league's impressive newcomers, claiming a 10-2 major decision against Victer Crenshaw of Cleveland State. His other two losses came by decision to top-ranked Alex Tirapelle of Illinois. Lebe fell from second to fifth in InterMat's rankings after the Hill loss, while remaining third in the Amateur Wrestling News poll. A year ago he earned All-American honors with a seventh place finish at Nationals. Lock Haven's Seth Martin is ranked 14th by Amateur Wrestling News and 17th by InterMat. The senior has a 32-9 record with 11 falls. Lebe edged Martin, 10-9, in mid-February, but Martin owns a pair of wins against Hill. The Edinboro junior vaulted to 19th in the InterMat rankings with the win over Lebe, and has a 21-7 record despite missing time due to several injuries. A year ago Martin prevailed 5-0 over Hill in the third place match, although Hill earned a trip to Nationals as a wild card selection. Keep an eye on freshmen Aric Furhman of Bloomsburg and Crenshaw. Furhman is 21-13, with a pair of two-point losses to Martin. Crenshaw owns a 19-13 record. Pittsburgh sophomore Sean Richmond (10-16) and Clarion freshman Lucas Christopher (6-16) round out the field.

165 lbs. ­ Edinboro's Deonte Penn and Justin Nestor of Pittsburgh figure to be the two favorites. The two have split a pair of matches this year, with Nestor winning by fall at 5:40 in the Southern Scuffle, and Penn rebounding with a 3-1 decision. That is part of an 11-match winning streak for the junior, who is 26-9 with 11 falls. The victory over Nestor boosted Penn to 20th in the InterMat rankings. Penn redshirted a year ago, but in 2004 he won the 149 lb. EWL title. Nestor had occupied the 20th spot in the rankings before the loss to Penn, and left the senior with a 23-8 record. The Panther placed fourth a year ago. Larry Hall will represent West Virginia. The freshman has a 9-5 record. Cleveland State junior Tim Scarl brings a 10-5 record into EWL's, while while Bloomsburg senior Frank Beasley is 15-21. Rory McCoy, a sophomore from Lock Haven with a 4-10 record, and Clarion's Chris Goings, who is 0-3 after just returning in February, complete the weight class. Goings was fourth at 174 lbs. a year ago.

174 lbs. ­ In one of the more wide-open weight classes, no fewer than four grapplers could challenge for the crown. Jim Bertulis of Bloomsburg seeks his second straight EWL crown after moving up from 165 lbs. The senior has missed considerable time due to injury, but has a 14-3 record with five falls. Edinboro senior Eric Ring comes in with a 28-10 record, including a recent 2-0 decision over Bertulis. He also handed WVU's impressive redshirt freshman, Kurt Brenner, a 7-1 defeat in his last match, but has split with Lock Haven's Carlos Ponce. Ring placed second a year ago. Brenner is 20-6 and actually the only ranked wrestler of the group, standing 15th in the Amateur Wrestling News poll. Ponce captured third place a year ago, and comes in with an 18-13 record. The senior split a pair of 4-2 decisions with Ring. Clarion's Dave Gardner, a senior, comes in with a 14-14 record, while Pittsburgh sophomore Nick Padezan is 11-16 and Cleveland State senior Anthony Mestek is 10-14. Sophomore David Gilkey (9-13) is also a possible competitor for the Vikings. Padezan owns an 8-5 win over Ponce.

184 lbs. ­ For the first time in four years the 184 lb. class won't be dominated by Greg Jones. The former West Virginia national champion has taken his four EWL crowns to the WVY bench as an assistant coach, likely leaving Cleveland State's Ron Howard and Alex Clemsen of Edinboro as the favorites. Howard, a senior, is unranked but has a 10-7 win over Clemsen as part of his 25-7 record. He has won nine straight matches, going 6-0 against EWL foes during that time. Howard placed third a year ago. Clemsen's lone loss in EWL action came to Howard. The junior has a 29-7 record and is ranked 17th by InterMat. He redshirted a year ago, but took second place in 2004 and was third in 2003. Clemsen has won 10 of his last 11 matches, interrupted by the Howard setback. Keep an eye out for oncoming Derrick Morgan of Lock Haven and Bloomsburg's Nate Shirk. Morgan, a senior, is 22-11, and while he's dropped decisions to both Howard and Clemsen, he has a 6-1 win over Shirk. Shirk is a tough junior with a 15-10 ledger, with two losses to Clemsen and one to Howard. Chance Litton of West Virginia is 6-13, while Clarion's Dominick Ross is 1-17. They are both freshman. Pittsburgh sophomore Kyle Deliere is 6-18.

197 lbs. ­ Edinboro's Joe Fendone wasn't even a starter until early January. Now the redshirt freshman is the favorite at 197 lbs., thanks to a 26-6 record with 10 falls. He has won his last 11 matches. Fendone ended the dual meet season with a fall over West Virginia's Jared Villers, who is sure to look for revenge at EWL's. The Mountaineer sophomore has a 17-10 record, with nine wins going for extra points. Keeping with the youthful theme in this year's tournament, Lock Haven freshman Tom Kocher has a 16-15 ledger. Bloomsburg sophomore Jesse Hasseman is 15-15, with Mike Heist of Pittsburgh, a junior, coming in at 6-16. The final two competitors are Cleveland State senior Ishmal Williams (4-11) and Clarion freshman Logan Downes, who is 5-20 while competing at 165 lbs.

285 lbs. ­ A trio of sophomores spearhead a weight class that has none of the top four finishers back. Mike Spaid of Bloomsburg has a 20-9 record with five falls. He placed fifth last year, and came away with the PSAC crown earlier this year. Cleveland State's Rashard Goff was 5-1 in EWL action and 21-15 overall with five falls. He has come on strong of late, with wins in nine of his last ten matches. The lone loss ­ a 3-0 decision to Spaid. He had earlier defeated Spaid by a 3-0 count. Edinboro's Jeremy Mosley stepped into the starting lineup in early February, and ended up winning four of his five EWL bouts. The lone loss ­ a 4-0 decision to Goff, who also beat him 1-0 in the Cleveland State Open. But Mosley upset Spaid, 6-3, part of his 15-9 record. Lou Thomas of Pittsburgh moved up to heavyweight early in the year after finishing fourth at 197 lbs. last year. The sophomore shows a 7-12 record. Clarion freshman A.J. Brooks is 12-16. Rounding out the field is senior Tim Meyers of Lock Haven, who is 6-21, and West Virginia junior Matt Holsopple, who has a 3-14 record.