Giovinco, Mengerink Finish Second At Conference Tournament
3/5/2000 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Giovinco, Mengerink Finish Second At Conference Tournament
3/5/2000
Nick Mengerink fell to Edinboro's Josh Koscheck, 5-2, at 174 pounds in the EWL Tournament at Pittsburgh Sunday. |
PITTSBURGH - The 2000 Eastern Wrestling League Tournament was decided in the last match of the night as Edinboro claimed its third-straight league title tonight at Fitzgerald Field House.
The Fighting Scots' Josh Pearce faced Cleveland State's Russ Davie in the heavyweight bout with Edinboro trailing West Virginia by one half point. The score of the bout was 2-2 at the end of regulation and the first overtime period, but Pearce held Davie down in the 30 second ride-out for the individual championship and the team title.
Edinboro won with a total of 116.5 points with West Virginia in second with 113 points. The tournament, which was one of the most competitive in recent years, also featured host Pittsburgh which finished in fifth with (88.5) points behind third-place Virginia Tech (91) and fourth-place Bloomsburg (89). Lock Haven (79), Cleveland State (47) and Clarion (46) rounded out the tournament field.
In the first championship bout of the evening at 125 pounds, first-seeded Trap McCormack of Lock Haven won a close 9-8 decision over West Virginia's second-seeded Angelo Zegarelli. The 133-pound weight class went into overtime where West Virginia's Bob Patnesky scored a takedown to the get the 6-4 sudden victory over Chad Caros (Edinboro).
Defending champion and first-seeded Mark Angle of Clarion was forced to forfeit the 141-pound final bout due to medical reasons. He relinquished his crown to Virginia Tech's second-seeded Sean Gray. First-seeded George Carter of Bloomsburg dominated the 149-pound match, defeating Pittsburgh's second-seeded true freshman Justin Giovinco in a major decision (17-6).
The 157-pound bout saw West Virginia's Joe Carr upset first-seeded Ed Hockenberry of Bloomsburg, 9-7, for the championship. Virginia Tech's first-seeded Chris Martin defeated Bloomsburg's Hunter Guenot with a major decision (11-1) at 165-pounds, before Edinboro's first-seeded Josh Koscheck earned a 5-2 decision over second-seeded Nick Mengerink (Pittsburgh) at 174 pounds.
The next two matches produced repeat champions beginning with first-seeded Vertus Jones of West Virginia. Jones, the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler, became just the third wrestler in EWL history to win four individual championship titles when he claimed an exciting 6-4 overtime victory over Edinboro's Kevin Welsh. Next came second-seeded A.J. Johnson of Edinboro, last year's heavyweight champion, who won 197 pounds, 5-2, over first-seeded Todd Hockenbroch (Bloomsburg). Johnson set up the come-from-behind victory for the Fighting Scots heading into the final match.
The EWL Tournament is a national qualifying event that will send 39 wrestlers to the 2000 NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis, Missouri, March 16-18. The top three placewinners in each weight class earn an automatic bid to nationals while nine other wrestlers are voted on as wild card selections by the member coaches.
Finishing the tournament in third place were: Mike Akers (125-Virginia Tech); Rob Loper (133-Pittsburgh); Blaise Mucci (141-Pittsburgh); Billy Smith (149-West Virginia); Shaun Shapert (157-Edinboro); Yanni Diamond (165-Edinboro); Eric Hall (174-Virginia Tech); Dave Murray (184-Lock Haven); Dan Stine (197-Pittsburgh); and Ken Haines (HWT-Lock Haven).
The following wild card selections will also compete at the NCAA tournament: Scott Bair (133-Lock Haven); Cory Ace (141-Edinboro); Stan Spoor (149-Clarion); Mike Ziska (157-Pittsburgh); Carl Fronhofer (165- Pittsburgh); Cassidy Shults (174-Bloomsburg); Scott Justus (184-Virginia Tech); Sean Hage (HWT-West Virginia); and John Testa (HWT-Clarion).
Finals:
125 Trap McCormack (LH) dec. Angelo Zegarelli (WVU), 9-8
133 Bob Patnesky (WVU) dec. Chad Caros (EU), 6-4 OT
141 Sean Gray (VT) Won by Medical Forfeit over Mark Angle (CU)
149 Geroge Carter (BU) maj. dec. Justin Giovinco (Pitt), 17-6
157 Joe Carr (WVU) dec. Ed Hockenberry (BU), 9-7
165 Chris Martin (VT) maj. dec. Hunter Guenot (BU), 11-1
174 Josh Koscheck (EU) dec. Nick Mengerink (Pitt), 5-2
184 Vertus Jones (WVU) dec. Kevin Welsh (EU), 6-4 TB
197 A.J. Johnson (EU) dec. Todd Hockenbroch (BU), 5-2
HWT Josh Pearce (EU) dec. Russ Davie (CSU), 2-2 RO
Third-Place Finishers:
125 Mike Akers (Virginia Tech)
133 Rob Loper (Pittsburgh)
141 Blaise Mucci (Pittsburgh)
149 Billy Smith (West Virginia)
157 Shaun Shapert (Edinboro)
165 Yanni Diamond (Edinboro)
174 Eric Hall (Virginia Tech)
184 Dave Murray (Lock Haven)
197 Dan Stine (Pittsburgh)
HWT Ken Haines (Lock Haven)
NCAA Wild Card Selections:
Scott Bair, 133. . . . . . . . . . . . Lock Haven Cory Ace, 141. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Edinboro Stan Spoor, 149. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Clarion Mike Ziska, 157. . . . . . . . . . . . Pittsburgh Carl Fronhofer, 165. . . . . . . . . . Pittsburgh Cassidy Shults, 174. . . . . . . . . . Bloomsburg Scott Justus, 184. . . . . . . . . .Virginia Tech Sean Hage, HWT . . . . . . . . . . .West Virginia John Testa, HWT. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Clarion
*Top-three place-winners and nine wild card selections qualify for the 2000 NCAA Championships.
Special Honors:
Tournament Outstanding Wrestler
Vertus Jones, West Virginia
EWL Hall of Fame Inductees
Dr. Ken Cox, Lock Haven
J.J. Fasnacht, Pittsburgh
Kyle Nellis, Pittsburgh