Pitt Wrestlers Compete At Mat Town Open
11/29/2009 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Nov. 29, 2009
PITTSBURGH - Four Pitt wrestlers traveled to the Mat Town Open Saturday, which was hosted by Lock Haven. The Panther performances were highlighted by a second place finish by junior Andy Vaughan.
Vaughan (Gibsonia, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic) needed just one victory at 174, an 8-1 decision over Manuel Schubert of Lehigh, to take second. In the finals, Vaughan fell 9-0 to Erick Decker of Old Dominion.
In the 125 weight class, sophomore Chris Kochinsky (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) wrestled to a fourth place finish. Kochinsky dropped his first match of the day, 9-5, to Rashiem Smith of Lock Haven before collecting three straight victories on his way to the consolation finals. Kochinsky earned a major decision, 15-0, over Eric Caschera of Penn State, recorded a fall (3:40) over Tyrus Nickoli over Lock Haven, and recorded a fall in just 0:33 over Alex Moritz of Rider. Kochinsky fell to George Ester of Lock Haven in a tough 5-4 decision in the consolation finals to take fourth.
Pitt's other two competitors in the open were Christian Fagan (North Easton, Mass./Oliver Ames), and Daniel Nickoli (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin),d who both fell in their two matches. Fagan had a fall (2:31) against Adam Fitterer over Virginia, and in the consolation bracket, Fagan fell 10-2 to Brad Marquart of Lock Haven. Nickoli dropped a 7-3 decision to Carl Buchholtz of Rutgers, and an 11-7 decision to Nate Gaffney.
The Panthers will next head to the Penn State Open on Dec. 6 in State College, Pa.