Lycoming College wrestling joins the Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference in 2007-2008, which includes four SUNY schools (Brockport, Cortland, Oneonta and Oswego), as well as, Ithaca, RIT and Messiah. Warrior head coach Roger Crebs and his team look forward to the new alignment and are hungry to claim the conference title as a new member. The Warriors most recent conference championship came in 2000-2001 in the Middle Atlantic Conference.

"Joining the Empire Conference is a great move for Lycoming Wrestling. The Empire is one of the strongest conferences in the east,” says Crebs. “SUNY-Brockport and Ithaca alone have won six Division III national championships since the tournament began in 1974. We’re looking forward to the competition”

Crebs recruited diligently in the off-season and gathered a class capable of upholding Lycoming’s long history of excellence. This season’s team captains are seniors Matt Miller, Troy Hansen, junior Bryan Kopesky and sophomore Chris Dahlheimer. Crebs will also look to highly-touted Drew Barder and Tom Barger to set the bar high for the Warriors’ intensity on the mat.

In the 125-pound weight class, it’s a wide open race which stands to showcase some of Lycoming’s young talent. Incoming freshman Eric Grecco and Cody Billotte look to challenge sophomore John Estable for the top of the Warrior lineup. Although, it’s possible that Estable or Billotte will be at 133 pounds by the start of the season.

If they do, they will realize strong competition from junior James Saxton and freshman Andrew Lewis. Saxton was 12-9 in collegiate action last season, while Lewis finished sixth in the state as a senior at Wyalusing Valley High School. Sophomore Stephen Rupp is also in the mix to be the heir apparent to former All-American Sean Cullen, who graduated from Lycoming in the spring.

At 141 pounds, Tom Barger is the frontrunner to replace graduated Warrior Kyle Hopkins. Barger was a third-place finisher at states as a senior at Clearfield High School and looks to bring that success to Lycoming’s program. James Dolak will wrestle 157 or 165, while freshman Miguel Arroyo may be at 141 or move up to 149 pounds.

149-pounder Zach Frederick brings a year of college experience to his weight class, but the position also boasts two-time state place-winner freshman Michael Maurer, as well as fellow freshmen Zachary Ewbank.

Senior Drew Barder will see competition at 157 pounds from freshmen John Mastrobuono and Donald Bower, who are waiting in the wings for their shot at the Lycoming’s starting lineup.

Sophomore Chris Dahlheimer moves up a weight class this year to 165 pounds. He was 25-10 as a freshman and will be looked to for leadership in 2007-2008. Pushing Dahlheimer will be junior Eddie Brown, sophomore Clint Gardener, James Dolak and freshman Lucas Augenbaugh and Cody Williamson.

174 pounds is another battle, filled with new faces. Sophomore Justin Waycaster has experience, recording four wins last year. But freshmen Kyle Crouthamel, Troy Hayre, Wade Armstrong and Nick Lansberry are all hungry for the slot. Ultimately, Armstrong could move up to 184 and Lansberry could settle in at 165 for support. Meanwhile, Crouthamel won over 100 matches at Freedom High School in Bethlehem, while Hayre took third in Virginia’s AAA states.

Junior captain Bryan Kopesky is the frontrunner at 184 pounds and may need Armstrong at least as a practice opponent. The Warriors are somewhat thin at 184, although Kopesky is one of Lycoming’s toughest wrestlers. He was seeded number two in the 2007 NCAA Regional Qualifier Tournament after compiling a 25-11 regular season mark.

Perhaps the toughest battle throughout the year will be between senior captains Matt Miller and Troy Hansen at 197 pounds. Hansen filled a need at heavyweight last year for part of the season and could do so again in 2007-2008. But if he stays at 197, look for intense competition between these two talented veterans.

Lycoming struggled at 285 pounds last year, so Coach Crebs recruited Michael Gesford and Alex Bause to elevate the heavyweight competition. Gesford placed sixth at the PIAA’s as a senior at Hershey Area High School, while Bause won 38 matches in his final season at Downingtown West High School. If Hansen doesn’t move up, these two upstarts will battle with senior George Rupp and sophomore Justin Price for the heavyweight starting position.

Coach Crebs looks to take a solid team into the upcoming season. “I feel with the incoming freshmen and our returning wrestlers we will be more balanced from 125 lbs to 285 lbs,” says Crebs. “We had some holes to fill with the graduation of All-American Sean Cullen at 133 lbs, Kyle Hopkins at 141 lbs, and Eric Miller at 165 lbs. I know this group is ready to step in and continue the long tradition of Lycoming wrestling.”