Iorfido and Ecklof Place at Wilkes Open
12/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Iorfido and Ecklof Place at Wilkes Open
12/29/2004
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. -Three Pittsburgh wrestlers, including placewinners Francis Iorfido and Jeff Ecklof, competed unattached in the Wilkes Open on Tuesday, as the Panthers head into the bulk of their dual meet competition in the new year.
Iorfido (Johnsonburg, Pa./Johnsonburg) placed second at the 174-pound weight class with four wins and a loss to improve to 6-2 for the season, a redshirt year for the junior. He won his first four bouts, all by decision, by a combined total of 27-9 before falling to Pitt-Johnstown's Mark Glova by a score of 6-2 in the final.
Ecklof (Northampton, Pa./Northampton/Oklahoma) won his first two bouts competing at 157 pounds for the first time this season after winning two tournaments at 149 pounds. He defeated Jim Rosinski of Rutgers and Chris DeVillibiss of Oklahoma before bowing out of the tournament with a medical forfeit. Ecklof finished with a 2-0 mark and took sixth place, remaining unbeaten this season with a perfect 14-0 record.
Also competing for the Panthers was freshman Dave Thurston, who lost both of his bouts by fall at 184 pounds in his first tournament as a collegiate wrestler.
The No. 25 Panthers will host nationally ranked Lehigh in a dual meet on Saturday, January 8 at 2 p.m. in Fitzgerald Field House. For tickets, call (800) 643-PITT (7488) or visit the Panthers' official Web site at www.pittsburghpanthers.com