1/12/08

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.—Lycoming College’s 14th annual Budd Whitehill National Wrestling Duals crowned a champion on Saturday at Lamade Gymnasium. Cortland State defeated the University of Wisconsin Whitewater 27-9 in the championship match, while Loras College (Iowa) topped Lycoming 21-18 in the third-place contest. The 20-team tournament included 10 of the country’s top-30 teams and 24 nationally-ranked wrestlers, who traveled to the College from as far as Iowa and Wisconsin.

Lycoming went 2-0 on the tournament’s first day, but lost its opening semifinal match 24-12 to a talented UW-Whitewater squad on Saturday. The Warriors enjoyed a quick start when Noel Faison pinned his man in the 125-pound bout. But Lycoming didn’t score again until sophomore Chris Dahlheimer  (Felton, Pa.) won a 7-6 decision at 165 pounds. Lycoming senior Matt Miller (Muncy, Pa.), who is ranked 8th in the country at 197 pounds, won a 3-1 decision to round out the Warriors’ scoring.

In the third-place match, the blue and gold faced Loras, whose only loss of the tournament came to eventual champion Cortland. Faison again opened the scoring, winning 6-3 a decision at 125. But, similarly, Lycoming went scoreless until Dahlheimer won by injury default at 165. Miller then scored a 5-0 decision at 197 and Troy Hansen (Westtown, N.Y.) won by forfeit at 285 pounds to conclude the 24-12 loss.

For the tournament, Miller, who is currently ranked eighth in the country in his weight class, went undefeated in four bouts, while Dahlheimer went 3-1.

Cortland dominated on day one of the Whitehills and then defeated Loras 33-9 in its first match on Saturday. In the championship Paul LeBlanc won by fall, while Dave Colagiovanni and Corey Barber won by major decision. Cortland only gave up 33 team points all weekend, while scoring 131.

For more information on every bout and match, please visit Whitehill Central at www.lycoming.edu/sports where all of the tournament’s details are at your fingertips.