Lock Haven had 5 champs and claimed the PSAC titleEDINBORO, Pa. -- The nationally-ranked Lock Haven University wrestling team crowned five individual champions and rolled to the 2017 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships. The title marked Lock Haven's 20th PSAC title, the most of any conference school and it was the Bald Eagles first in 17 seasons.
Ronnie Perry (Christiana, Pa./Solanco), Chance Marsteller (New Park, Pa./Kennard-Dale (Oklahoma State), Jared Siegrist (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central), Corey Hazel (Spring Mills, Pa./Penns Valley) and Thomas Haines (Quarryville, Pa./Solanco (Ohio State) all won individual titles.
Marsteller was named the tournament's most outstanding wrestler after going 4-0 with three pins and tech fall at 165 pounds.
Perry won at 149 to become a two-time PSAC champion and Haines defended his PSAC title at 285. Both Siegrist (174) and Hazel (184) claimed their first PSAC titles after Lock Haven flexed its muscles at 165, 174 and 184 with three straight individual crowns.
For Lock Haven, the five individual champions marked the most for the Bald Eagles since 2002 when they had five.
It's been 17 seasons since the Bald Eagles last won a PSAC crown with last title coming during the 2000-01 season. Both LHU and Edinboro entered the weekend with 19 PSAC championships to their name and now Lock Haven stands alone with 20.
Lock Haven's win snapped host-Edinboro's championship win streak as well, as the Fighting Scots entered with six straight titles.
The No. 24 Bald Eagles racked up 156 total points. Clarion finished second with 122 points and No. 23 Edinboro placed third (120.5 pts.). Pitt-Johnstown, ranked No. 5 in Division II, took fourth and Mercyhurst, ranked No. 13 in DII, rounded out the top-five teams in the standings.
Lock Haven went 5-1 in the finals as Kyle Shoop (Boiling Springs, Pa./Boiling Springs) placed second at 141.
In all, nine Bald Eagle wrestlers placed today. DJ Fehlman (Warren, Pa./Warren) finished third at 133, Josiah Kline (Tucson, Ariz./Ironwood Ridge) was fourth at 125 and Tristan Sponseller (East Berlin, Pa./Bermudian Springs) took fifth at 197.
Lock Haven got off to a fast start and absolutely dominated the day, going a combined 32-7 overall. Bonus points certainly helped carry LHU to the championship as 26 of Lock Haven's 32 wins came by way of bonus points. Overall, the Bald Eagles recorded 11 major decisions, 10 tech falls and five pins.
The Bald Eagles set the tone early, going 7-1 in eight First Round bouts. Five of those seven wins came by way of major decision and Lock Haven also got a tech fall and quick pin from Marsteller. The momentum was carried into the quarterfinals as the nine Bald Eagles, went 8-1 overall with four tech falls, three pins and a major. In the semifinals, Lock Haven went 6-2 with three majors and two tech falls.
Perry dominated the field on the way to the 149-pound title. He recorded three majors and a tech fall. In the finals, Perry was too much for Edinboro's Peter Pappas and dominated the freshman 10-0.
Marsteller, the tournament's most outstanding wrestler, certainly earned the honor after putting on a clinic at 165. He went 4-0 and remained undefeated on the season at 16-0. Marsteller's first two bouts of the day lasted a combined 1:52 as he recorded back-to-back falls. In the semifinals he won by tech fall, 16-1and he pinned East Stroudsburg's Michael Raccioppi, ranked No. 9 in DII, in the finals in the first period (1:46).
Lock Haven won three straight titles, dominating at 165, 174 and 184.
At 174, Siegrist went 4-0 with a pin and major. He won by injury default in the finals, downing Tyler Reinhard (Pitt-Johsntown), ranked No. 2 in Divison II.
Hazel was 4-0 at 184. He used three straight major decisions to earn a spot in the finals where he grinded out a thrilling 4-3 win over Clarion's Greg Bulsak.
Haines claimed his second straight 285-pound PSAC title after going 3-0. He used a tech fall and major to earn a spot in the finals where he dominated Kuztown's Ryan's Appleby, 15-1 for his second major of the tournament.
Shoop finished second at 141 after falling to No. 9 Brock Zacherl (Clarion) in the finals, 8-4. Shoop used three straight tech falls to earn a spot in the finals and outscored his opponents 48-0 in his first three bouts of the day.
Fehlman was third at 133 after going 4-1 on the day. He downed Gannon's Austin Hertel 11-4 for third.
Kline was 2-2 at 125 and finished fourth and Sponseller was fifth after going 4-2 at 197.
Alex Klucker (Summerdale, Pa./East Pennsboro), the Bald Eagles 157-pounder fell in his opening bout to Mercyhurst's Owen Watkins, 19-10. That ended up being Klucker's only bout of the tournament as an injury forced him to medical forfeit out of the championships.
The PSAC title follows up Lock Haven's big dual win over Rutger's last Friday (Dec. 1) and for the first time in 15 years, the Bald Eagles found themselves back in the national rankings. This week, LHU was ranked No. 24 in the USA Today/NWCA Coaches' poll and The Haven was tabbed No. 18 in InterMat's dual rankings. Perry, Marsteller and Haines were all ranked individually this week by InterMat: Perry (No. 13, 149), Marsteller (No. 8, 165) and Haines (No. 13, 285).
Next Saturday (Dec. 16), LHU will host the Bald Eagle Duals at the Liberty Arena in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Lock Haven will take on Wheeling Jesuit (2 p.m.) and Messiah (3:30 p.m.) before opening Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) action vs. rival Bloomsburg at 5:30 p.m. Messiah, ranked No. 6 in NCAA Division III, and Wheeling Jesuit will also meet at 5:30 p.m. to round out the inaugural Bald Eagle Duals.
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