March 8, 2008
Contact: Gene Natale, Jr.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Cleveland State sits in seventh place overall following the completion of Session I of the Eastern Wrestling League Championships at Fitzgerald Fieldhouse at the University of Pittsburgh. Seven Vikings wrestlers remain alive in the consolation brackets, with Session II set to begin at 5:00 p.m. EST.
Edinboro leads all teams with 102 points, followed by West Virginia (84), host Pittsburgh (78) and Bloomsburg (69). Cleveland State sits in seventh overall with 34.5 points.
"I guess in a word, brutal," head coach Jack Effner said, "It was just a very difficult first couple rounds for us. We're still hangin in there, still fighting, still pushing to get some kids to the NCAA championship. We are still in the hunt with seven kids. We need to keep fighting - we're in the middle of a battle and we need to keep getting up and trying to get it done."
Three Vikings scored victories in their opening matchups, including Mike Hurley (141 pounds), Marcus Effner (165 pounds) and Rashard Goff (heavyweight). However, all three lost their subsequent bouts to fall out of contention for individual titles.
Mike Hurley, at 141 pounds, was the first Viking to score a victory on the day. He recorded his first pin of the season against Clarion's Sal Lascari (5:33), whom he had lost to earlier this season. Hurley drew Edinboro's Torsten Gillespie in the second round and was pinned in 5:17 to fall out of the championship bracket. Hurley was leading the match by two points, 4-2 going into the third period before Gillespie made a successful shot for Hurley's left leg to secure the takedown and pin. Hurley remains in contention for an NCAA qualifying berth in the consolation bracket.
After Ryan Hurley (149 pounds) and Robbie Michaels (157 pounds) each lost their opening bouts, Marcus Effner got the Vikings on the board again with a win at 165 over Lock Haven's Derek Caldwell. Effner used two takedowns in the first period to build a 4-2 advantage, and kept pressuring his opponent to secore a 15-5 major decision victory. He was given a rematch in his next bout with West Virginia's Donnie Jones.
Effner lost a close decision by one point (5-4) to Jones in the last meeting between the two wrestlers (Feb. 24), and Jones was able to get the better of Effner again, this time with a 7-4 decision. Like Mike Hurley, Effner's loss eliminates him from contention for the EWL title but leaves him with a chance to earn an NCAA qualifying berth in the consolation bracket.
After JT Miller (174 pounds), DJ Cummins (184 pounds) and Benny Balogh (197 pounds) lost their opening bouts, Rashard Goff scored an exiting though low-scoring 3-0 win at heavyweight over Edinboro's Joey Fendone. The win was Goff's third straight over the nationally ranked Edinboro wrestler, dating back to their matchup in the consolation round of the EWL tournament last season, which Goff won by a 3-2 decision.
Goff's next matchup of the day was with Pittsburgh's Zach Shaeffer, with Shaeffer securing a 5-1 victory to send Goff to the consolation bracket. Goff will contend for his third straight NCAA Championship berth in the consolation brackets of Session II.
Also scoring a Session I win was Ryan Hurley, who scored a 6-4 sudden victory win in his first consolation bout. With the win, Hurley remains in contention to secure his fourth consecutive NCAA Championship berth.
Also still in contention for NCAA qualifying berths are Josh Palivoda (133 pounds), Robbie Michaels (157 pounds), and JT Miller (174 pounds). Each of the three lost his first bout of the day but received byes for the second bout of Session I.
Ryan Riggs (125 pounds) was the first Viking eliminated from the championship with a 10-1 major decision loss to Clarion's Jay Ivanco. Riggs had been sent to the consolation bracket earlier in the day following a loss by fall to the defending EWL champion at 125, Mike Sees of Bloomsburg. DJ Cummins (184 pounds) and Benny Balogh (197 pounds) also each lost their first two bouts to be eliminated from the tournament.
"EWLs is always a difficult time of the year because it's a season-ending tourney for these guys, and the last time they wrestle for some of them," Coach Effner said, "It's a very stressful and intense time for them because they've worked so hard all year. We're gonna be pushing for a happy ending - it's not over yet."
Those Vikings who are remain alive in the championship are resting and preparing for Session II of the EWL Championship, which is set to begin at 5:00 p.m. EST at Fitzgerald Fieldhouse at the University of Pittsburgh.
Team Results through Session I
1. Edinboro 102.00
2.
3.
4. Bloomsburg 69.00
5. Lock Haven 53.00
6. Clarion 38.50
7.
125
Mike Sees (BU) F Ryan Riggs, 2:45
Jay Ivanco (C) MD Ryan Riggs, 10-1
Ryan Riggs -
133
Jimmy Conroy (Pitt) MD Josh Palivoda, 17-4
141
Mike Hurley F Sal Lascari (C), 5:33
Torsten Gillespie (E) F Mike Hurley, 5:17
149
Matt Fittery (LH) MD Ryan Hurley, 18-8
Ryan Hurley dec. Joe Ciampoli (Pitt), 6-4 SV
157
Zac Fryling (WVU) F Robbie Michaels, 2:20
165
Marcus Effner MD Derek Caldwell (LH), 15-5
Donnie Jones (WVU) dec. Marcus Effner, 7-4
174
Tom Kocher (LH) MD JT Miller, 10-1
184
Kurt Brenner (WVU) MD DJ Cummins, 20-7
Dave Sullivan (Pitt) dec. DJ Cummins, 8-4
DJ Cummins - EWL 7th Place
197
Ben Hepburn (LH) dec. Benny Balogh, 6-0
Dave Crowell (Pitt) dec. Benny Balogh, 12-9
Benny Balogh -
285
Rashard Goff dec. Joey Fendone (E), 3-0
Zach Shaeffer (Pitt) dec. Rashard Goff, 5-1
