December 4, 2007

(CLARION, PA.): Eight PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) teams and 80 athletes will travel to Clarion this Saturday searching for PSAC "Gold" at the 65th Annual Wrestling Championships.

Action gets underway at 10am Saturday, December 8th at Clarion's W.S. Tippin Gymnasium with two rounds of championship matches and two rounds of consolation bouts. That session is expected to end around 2:30pm.

The championship finals, which will include matches for third and fifth place, will begin at 6pm with ceremonies slated to start the action at 5:45pm.

All Session 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. Free admission for all college students from member institutions with a valid ID.

A championship steeped in great tradition, the 65th PSAC Championship will feature the return of 6 individual champions and four runners-up from previous PSAC Championships.

Edinboro, ranked #15 in the latest NWCA poll, is the pre-tournament favorite. The Fighting Scots have won eight of the last ten PSAC team titles including 2007, 2006, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 and 1998. Bloomsburg won the team title in 2005 and Lock Haven won the team crown in 2001. In the 1990's Clarion, Edinboro and Lock Haven won three PSAC titles each, with Bloomsburg getting one. In the history of the PSAC's Lock Haven leads with 19 team titles, Bloomsburg has 14 team titles, Clarion 13, Edinboro 10, East Stroudsburg and Millersville 2 each. West Chester won 3 team crowns and Slippery Rock one, but both schools no longer have wrestling.

Last year at Bloomsburg's Nelson Field House, Edinboro won the team title with 147.5 points, Bloomsburg was second with 119, Lock Haven third with 111.5, Clarion fourth at 79, East Stroudsburg fifth with 57, Millersville sixth with 44.5, Kutztown seventh at 43.5 and Shippensburg eighth with 23 points.

In 2006 at Slippery Rock's Morrow Field House, Edinboro took the team title with 146 points, Bloomsburg second with 113.5, Lock Haven third at 91 and Slippery Rock fourth with 87.5. East Stroudsburg finished fifth with 83.5 points, Kutztown sixth at 46, Shippensburg seventh with 41.5, Clarion eighth with 31 and Millersville ninth scoring 29.5 points.

In 2005 at East Stroudsburg's Koehler Field House, Bloomsburg won the team title with 149.5 points, Edinboro was second with 134.5, East Stroudsburg third with 104.5, Lock Haven fourth at 87 and Clarion fifth with 73.5 points. Rounding out the nine team field were sixth place Shippensburg with 52.5 points, Millersville seventh at 41.5, Kutztown eighth with 39 and Slippery Rock ninth at 35 points.

The Fighting Scots hosted and won the 2004 title going away with 140.5 points with Lock Haven second at 118, Bloomsburg third with 91, East Stroudsburg fourth with 77.5 and Clarion and Millersville tied for fifth with 72 points.

Edinboro also won the 2003 title (hosted by Millersville) with 134.5 points, edging Lock Haven who had 127.5. Bloomsburg finished third with 98.5 points and Clarion was fourth with 97.5, while Slippery Rock finished fifth with 83.5.

The 2007 race appears to be Edinboro's to lose. The Fighting Scots under 11th year head coach Tim Flynn enter the tournament with a 3-0 dual record and a #15 ranking in the nation as a dual meet team.

Bloomsburg, the only team with a chance at challenging, is led by third year head coach John Stutzman, has a 1-3 dual meet record and is among others receiving votes in the latest poll.

Host Clarion, under second year head coach Teague Moore, leads the Eagles into the PSAC's with a 2-4 dual meet record. Two of the Golden Eagles losses have come against #2 ranked Iowa State and #3 Oklahoma State.

Clarion's PSAC lineup will be Jay Ivanco (Fr. 12-2, Monroeville) at 125; Rob LaBrake (So. 1-3, N. Bennington, Vt.) at 133; Sal Lascari (Jr.3-3 ; Gray) at 141; Hadley Harrison (So. 4-2; McKean) at 149; Travis Uncapher (Fr. 4-2, Grapeville/Hempfield) at 157; David Cox (So. 3-3, Orlando, Fl. Oviedo) at 165; Mario Morelli (So. 2-4; DuBois) at 174; Scott Joseph (So. 2-4; Export) at 184, Dixon Jordan (So. 1-5; Cheverly, Md.) at 197 and Roman Husam (Fr. 2-4; Lewisburg) at heavyweight.

CLARION NOTES: Clarion won 3 PSAC titles in the 1990's (1991, 92 & 94), placed 2nd three times (1990, 95, 96), finished third three times (1997, 98, 99) and fourth in 1993, 2000 and 2001... Clarion posted 31 individual champions in the 1990's, more than any other PSAC team... Of Clarion's 13 team titles the first came in 1965 under coach Frank Lignelli, then 11 under coach Bob Bubb in 1972, 73, 74, 76, 77, 78, 81, 83, 86, 91 &92, and one under Jack Davis (1994)... Clarion heavyweight John Testa was voted the "Outstanding Wrestler" of the 2003 PSAC Championship - Testa defeated Lock Haven's Steve Itterly 8-4 in the finals to win his fourth PSAC title... He was only the 12th wrestler in PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) history to win four individual titles and the first to win four titles at heavyweight... Clarion's other 4-time PSAC Champions were Wade Schalles (1971-74), Bill Simpson (1971-74), Don Rohn (1973-76) and Jim Beichner (1983-86) ... Clarion's 3-time PSAC champions include Chuck Coryea, Randy Miller, Ken Nellis, Mike Cole, Kurt Angle, Dan Payne, Sheldon Thomas and Mark Angle... Mark won his third in 2000 and was the PSAC's "OW" at the 2000 tournament... Clarion wrestlers have won 106 individual PSAC crowns... The 14 wrestlers to win PSAC titles in order of their accomplishment is: LH's Steve DeAugustino (1947-50), LH Ralph Clark (1957-60), LH Gray Simons (1959-62), LH Fred Powell (1961-64), LH Bill Blacksmith (1963-66), Clarion Wade Schalles

(1971-74), Clarion Bill Simpson (1971-74), Clarion Don Rohn (1973-76), Clarion Jim Beichner (1983-86), LH Mike Rogers (1994-97), ED Josh Koscheck (1999-2002), Clarion John Testa (2000-2003), LH Mike Maney (2001-2004), ED Alex Clemsen (2003, 04, 06, 07).

Here's a weight by weight look at the PSAC's - (Ranked wrestlers with highest ranking according to either AWN or Intermat - records in parenthesis):

125: Two time defending champ #12 Mike Sees (Bloom) will be the top seed. Sees was also second in 2005. Edinboro's #18 Eric Morrill, who was third last year, expects to challenge. Clarion's Jay Ivanco will also hope to get to the final. Other challengers include Matt Benedetti (ES), Eddie Harris (Ku), John Trombetti (LH), John Andel (Ml) and Gary Atiyeh (Ship).

133: #18 Ricky Deubel (Ed) is the defending champion and favorite to win again. Clarion's Rob LaBrake was 6th here in 2006 and is the only other returning placewinner. Bloom's Jason Guffy, Matt Swallow (ES), Rob Vollrath (Ku), Dale Fava (LH), Mark Stockdill (Mil) and Josh Proctor (Ship) will battle in this wide open field.

141: Another open weight class shows four returning placewinners at 141. Clarion's Sal Lascari was third at 133 in 2007 and 5th there in 2006. Lock Haven's Matt Fittery was 4th at 141 in 2005, Bloom's George Hickman was 4th at 149 in 2005 and East Stroudsburg's Sean Carr was 5th at 141 last year. Edinboro's freshman Torsten Gillespie expects to challenge. Others include Jamie Soupic (Ku), Mike Greck (Ml), and Steve Fittery (Ship).

149: Five returning placewinners dot 149. Edinboro's Daryl Cocozzo was second at 141 last year, and Bloom's Dennis Bermudez was third at 157 before dropping a weight. Millersvile's Cody Becker was third at 141 in 2006 and 5th in 2005, Clarion's Hadley Harrison placed 5th here last year, Ship's Kirby Fanus was 6th at 157 last year and Kutztown's Chris Chambers was sixth at 149 in 2007. Lock Haven's Ollie Copperwood and Alex Bimes (ES) also expect to challenge.

157: #1 ranked and 2007 NCAA Champ at 149 Gregor Gillespie moves up a weight this year. He won at 149 in 2006 and did not wrestle last year. Bloom's #10 Matt Moley also figures to be in the final. Jarrett Hostetter (Ml) was 4th here in 2007 and 5th at 149 in 2006. The rest include Clarion's Travis Uncapher, Kyle Heselpoth (ES), Dave Zeek (Ku), John Mangini (LH), and Dan Nauman (Ship).

165: Edinboro's #18 Jarrod King, a transfer from Oklahoma, appears to lead this class. Ricky Schmelyun (BL) was second here last year, and Lock Haven's Landis Wright was third a year ago. Clarion's Dave Cox, Leif Ruschmeyer (ES), Sonny Flood (Ku), Brent Huffman (Ml) and Jake Wilson (Ship) will all look to place.

174: #11 Phil Moricone (ED) is the defending champion and favorite. Tom Kocher (LH) was second at 184 last year and Jeremy Brooks (Ml) was 4th here a year ago. Clarion's Mario Morelli was 5th at 165 last year and Curtis Beardsell (Ku) was 6th at 197 in 2006. Shane Mallory (LH), Chris Barrick (Ship) and Nate Graham (Bl) also wrestle here.

184: A tough battle is expected here from five returning placewinners. Jesse Hasseman (BL) was third at 197 in 2006 and 4th at 184 in 2005, while Dave Williams (ES) was third here a year ago. Steve Funk (Ml) placed 5th last year, Clarion's Scott Joseph was 5th at 174 and Kyle Davis (Ku) was 6th at 197 in 2007. Edinboro's Dan Thompson expects to place high and Travis Stem (LH) will also challenge.

197: Edinboro's #16 Pat Bradshaw appears to be the top pick, while Ship's Peter Grodziak was third here a year ago and P.J. DiStefano (BL) was 4th in 2007. LH's Ben Hepburn has dropped from hwt. where he was 4th last year and could challenge. Others include Dixon Jordan (CL), Tom Serabian (ES), Scott Snyder (Ku), and Ray Bennett (Ml).

285: The best weight class has been saved for last. Two-time champion #13 Mike Spaid (Bl) is likely the underdog this week as Edinboro's #6 Joe Fendone is the top rated wrestler. Spaid defeated Fednone 9-0 in the finals last year. Fendone won at 197 in 2006. Spaid also placed second in 2005. Keith McDonald (Ml) was 5th last year. Looking to place are Clarion's Roman Husam, Chris Birchler (ES), Kevin Boling (Ku), Dan Craig (LH) and Brandon Miller (Ship).