2/23/08

ONEONTA, N.Y.—Ten Lycoming wrestlers traveled to Oneonta, N.Y. on Saturday to compete in the Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference championships. Individual champions and wild card at-large selections qualified for the NCAA Division III championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on March 7-8.

Warrior senior captain Matt Miller (Muncy, Pa.) and sophomore captain Chris Dahlheimer (Felton, Pa.) won the 197-pound and 165-pound individual championships, respectively, gaining automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament. Dahlheimer was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. Junior captain Bryan Kopesky (Phillipsburg, N.J.) and freshman Mike Maurer (Towanda, Pa.) took individual third places at 184 pounds and 149 pounds, respectively.

Miller pinned Messiah’s Dando Speers (2:20) in his first bout then won decisions over Ithaca’s Dave Sbriscia (4-2) and Cortland’s Brett Giehl (7-2) to take first place. Miller is currently ranked eighth in the country by Brute/Adidas and owns a 17-0 record for the season.

Dahlheimer decisioned Ithaca’s John Dale (6-0) and number-two seed Zach Bogardus (4-3) before winning an intense final match over number-one seed Shaheim Bradshaw of Brockport (1-0). Dahlheimer, who was a three-seed is ranked sixth in the country by Brute/Adidas and boasts a 15-1 record in 2008.

Kopesky drew a tough number-one seed, Treavor LeBlanc of Cortland. Kopesky lost to LeBlanc (4-1) but swept the consolation bracket for third place at 184. Kopesky decisioned Oswego’s Jared teal (4-1), pinned Oneonta’s Wala Canario (2:30), and then beat Messiah’s Matt McHugh (5-2) to win the consolations.

Maurer lost his first bout, but swept the consolation bracket by pinning Oswego’s Mike Howard (1:41) and Oneonta’s John Leech (3:33), and then decisioning number-two seed Craig Gin of Messiah (8-3) for third place at 133.

125-pound Walker Faison (Virginia Beach, Va.) won his first bout (12-5) before falling to eventual champion Mike McInally of R.I.T (14-2). In the consolation bracket, Faison was defeated by Brockport’s Shawn Hainey by technical fall in the first match.

133-pounder Andrew Lewis (Wyalusing, Pa.) lost his first bout (9-2) but beat Oswego’s Brandon Huckle (5-1) in his opening consolation bout. Lewis then fell to Josh Cragg of Messiah by major decision (18-4).

At 141 pounds, Tom Barger (Clearfield, Pa.) won his first match 10-5 over Oneonta’s Mike Gregg before bowing out to Cortland’s Joe Widrick in the consolations.

At 157, Zach Frederick (West Chester, Pa.) lost to number-one seed Mike Bressler of Messiah, and then fell to Ithaca’s John Paxos (6:11).

At 174, Troy Hayre (Falls Church, Va.) lost his first match to Ithaca’s David Priest (8-1), but pinned Cortland’s Wil Brodfuehrer (4:49) before bowing out of the consolations.

At 285, Warrior senior Troy Hansen (Westtown, N.Y.) was pinned by Oswego’s Jake Taylor (4:00) in the opening bout, but won by fall (forfeit) over Jabril Patterson of Brockport before losing to Ithaca’s Joseph Goetz (4-2).

Lycoming took fourth overall at the ECWC Championships. Ithaca and Cortland State were co-champions.

Click Here for final results