Clarion's NCAA Division I Wrestling team is ready for its "second season" as the Golden Eagles prepare to compete in the 27^th annual EWL (Eastern Wrestling League) Championships, which also serves as the NCAA Division I Qualifying Tournament for league members.

The 2002 EWL's will be hosted by Lock Haven March 9-10 at Thomas Field House. Session 1 is set for 11am Saturday March 9 and will feature quarterfinal action. Session 2 starts at 6pm and features semifinal matches and round 1 of consolations. Session 3 starts Sunday at 10am and will have the consolation semi's. Session 4 will have the consolations finals starting at Noon, while Session 5 will feature the championship final matches starting at 2pm. A total of 39 wrestlers will qualify for the NCAA Tournament from the EWL's including the top three finishers at each weight class and nine wild card selections.

Tickets will be available at the door. All-Session passes will be $30 for adults and $20 for students. Individual session tickets can also be purchased at varying prices per session.

"We’re really looking forward to the challenges the EWL tournament brings," said Clarion fifth year head coach Ken Nellis. "I believe we’re ready mentally and physically to have a quality tournament. The competition will be very strong, but if we wrestle to our capabilities, we can send a large contingent to nationals, and that’s our goal entering the tournament.

Clarion enters the EWL’s with a 6-11 dual meet record and a 3-4 slate in the Eastern Wrestling League in 2002. The Golden Eagles defeated Cleveland State (19-15), Virginia Tech (32-14) and Bloomsburg (28-13),, while posting league losses to WVU (23-12), Lock Haven (25-13), Edinboro (23-15) and Pitt (22-13). Clarion had the toughest schedule in the league with 8 of its 11 losses coming to top 25 ranked teams. Fifth year head coach Ken Nellis has a career dual record of 31-43-2.

The 2001 EWL tournament was won by Edinboro with 123.5 points, with Lock Haven finishing second at 95, Pitt third with 94.5 and Clarion fourth with 87 points. Rounding out the eight team field were fifth place Virginia Tech at 85, Bloomsburg sixth with 78, Cleveland State seventh with 41.5 and West Virginia eighth scoring 37.5 points.

The 2000 EWL tournament wasn't decided until the last match was wrestled. Edinboro heavyweight Josh Pearce won an overtime/rideout decision in the championship finals and the Fighting Scots edged West Virginia 116.5 - 113. Virginia Tech finished third with 91 points, Bloomsburg was fourth with 89, Pitt fifth with 88.5, Lock Haven sixth at 79, Cleveland State seventh with 47 and Clarion eighth with 46.

Edinboro has won four straight EWL team titles entering the 2002 tournament having copped titles in 1998, 99, 2000 and 2001. Lock Haven won the team title in 1997, West Virginia in 1996 and Clarion won back-to-back titles in 1994 and 95.

This year’s favorite to win the team title? The team title could well be up for grabs between West Virginia, Lock Haven, Edinboro, and Pitt. One thing is certain. The team that gets hot and produces quality overall depth scoring has the best chance to win the team battle. West Virginia is currently ranked 10^th, while Lock Haven is 14^th, Edinboro 15^th and Pittsburgh 24^th (Highest ranking between the AWN & Intermat Polls).

West Virginia, who won the regular season title with a 7-0 league record and a 12-2 mark overall, will start the tourney as the pre-meet favorite. The Mountaineers under coach Craig Turnbull finished with the year with a strong 31-3 dual meet win over Edinboro and left little doubt they deserved the regular season title.

Lock Haven and coach Carl Poff notched a 17-4 overall record and a 6-1 mark in the EWL. The Bald Eagles only loss came in a 19-12 loss to the Mountaineers.

Edinboro and coach Tim Flynn have also had a quality year with a 10-4 dual meet record and a 5-2 league mark. The Scots lost 31-3 to WVU and 22-18 to Edinboro.

Pitt and coach Rande Stottlemyer were 12-6 overall and 4-3 in the EWL.

The Golden Eagles feature three ranked wrestlers in #8 Rad Martinez (Jr. West Jordan, Utah) at 133, #8 ranked John Testa (Jr. Newark, De.) at heavyweight and #14 rated Eric Mausser (Jr. Sharon) at 197. All three are looking for return trips to the NCAA Tournament.

Martinez, a junior 133-pounder, enters the EWL’s with a record of 26-4. Last year he placed 4^th at EWL’s and was a wild card selection to nationals finishing with a 29-10 overall record. This season he also placed second at the PSAC tournament at 133.

Testa, a junior, has a record of 29-5 and is looking for his second straight EWL individual heavyweight title. He already has a PSAC title under his belt in 2002. Testa was 29-6 last year and 1-2 at nationals, while as a freshman Testa posted a 28-11 slate and a 3-2 NCAA record. John has a career record of 86-22.

Mausser, a junior 197-pounder, enters the EWL’s with a 28-7 record this season and a PSAC individual title. Mausser was 29-11 overall last year, 3^rd at EWL’s and 2-2 at the NCAA tourney. In 1999 Eric was 2^nd at EWL’s, 0-2 at NCAA’s and has a season record of 25-16. Eric enters the EWL’s with a career record of 82-34.

Also ready to try and place high at EWL’s and qualify for the NCAA’s will be 125-pounder Peter Derstine (So. Coral Springs, Fla.), 141-pounder Starlin Jimenez (So. Brentwood, N.Y.), 149-pounder Dominic Surra (Sr. Kersey - St. Marys), 157-pounder Jeremy Reitz (So. Brookville), 165-pounder Jim Perry (Jr. Reynoldsville - DuBois), 174 pounder Todd Schuchert (Fr. N. Huntingdon – Norwin) and Marcus Surin (Fr. Spring Valley, N.Y.) at 184.

Two veterans return with experience to EWL’s including Derstine and Surra. Derstine enters EWL’s with a 17-11 overall record and a third placed finish at PSAC’s. He was 15-15 last year.

Surra has posted a tough 15-13 overall record and also was third at PSAC’s this year. Last season Dom was 21-15 overall, placed 4^th at EWL’s and earned a wild card to the NCAA’s. He was 5^th at EWL’s in 1998 at 126-pounds.

Jimenez, in his first season wrestling at Clarion, has moved up from 125 to 141 due to injuries. He is 7-10 overall. Reitz, from nearby Brookville, Pa. and a transfer from Penn State, has a solid 16-10 overall record this season. He was third at PSAC’s this season. Perry, meanwhile, has a record of 5-16 in moving at least one weight class to 165. This will be his first visit to the EWL tournament.

Schuchert, a red-shirt freshman, has a solid 13-5 record this season and is looking to make his mark at 174. He placed third at PSAC’s earlier this year. Surin, also a red-shirt freshman, is 2-24 overall.

WEIGHT CLASS PREVIEW: Ranking in parenthesis is the highest rating by either Amateur Wrestling News or by Intermat.

125: Lock Haven’s Trap McCormack (#18), Edinboro’s Shawn Bunch (#19) and Cleveland State’s Rocco Mansueto expect to battle for first. McCormack and Bunch met in the finals of the PSAC tourney with McCormack winning 10-7. McCormack won the title in 2000 and placed 4^th last year. Mansueto was 4^th in 2000. Bloomsburg’s Brock Hite was fifth in 2000 and 6th last year. Clarion’s Peter Derstine could make things interesting. He was 2-3 in EWL matches this year. Geoff Head of Virginia Tech, Jim Thornton of Pitt and Nathan Kendjorsky of WVU all want to get to nationals.

133: Clarion’s Rad Martinez (#8) could get the #1 seed, but this weight class is loaded with talent. Martinez has a 1-1 record this season with Edinboro’s Cory Ace (#16). Phil Mansueto (#12) of Cleveland State lost 3-3 rideout to Martinez, and defeated Ace 4-4 rideout early in the season. Martinez and Mansueto were 6-1 in the league this season. Martinez was fourth here last year. WVU’s Brandon Lauer (#15) also could challenge here, as could Pitt’s Shawn Amistade (#20). Amistade won the 125 pound title last year and was 2^nd at EWL’s at 133 in 1999. LH’s Chris Spealler and Virginia Tech’s Dave Hoffman could place high. This is a certain wild card weight class and probably two.

141: Virginia Tech's Sean Gray (#2) is a two-time defending EWL champion and two-time NCAA All-American at 141. His top challenges will come from WVU’s Shane Cunanan (#9), LH’s Mike Maney (#10), Pitt’s Blaise Mucci (#15) and Edinboro’s Chad Caros (#16). Gray defeated Cunanan 3-2 in their dual meeting, while also topping LH’s Maney 7-3. Gray defeated Maney 6-3 in the EWL finals last year. Caros was second at 133 in 2000, while Mucci was third at 141 also in 2000. CSU’s Nick Boucher is also talented and could place high here. Clarion will enter Starlin Jimenez at 141.

149: The pre-tourney favorite will be Lock Haven's Jamarr Billman (#2), who is 7-0 in the EWL this season and the defending EWL champion. Trying to challenge Billman for the top spot will be WVU’s Billy Smith (#19), Clarion’s Dom Surra and Pitt’s Justin Giovinco. Surra defeated Smith 6-5 in the dual meeting, while Giovinco topped Surra 9-0 and Smith defeated Giovinco 4-2. Surra was 4^th last year, Giovinco 2^nd in 2000, Smith third in 2000. Also challenging here will be Anthony Coleman of CSU and Reed Carpenter of VT.

157: West Virginia's Joe Carr (#7) is the pre-tourney favorite. He was second last year and won the title in 2000. Pitt’s Zach Doll was third here last year, while Edinboro’s Ryan Yates and Clarion’s Jeremy Reitz figure to place high. Reitz notched a 4-2 EWL record, losing to Yates and Doll, but defeating LH’s Jason Gilligan and VT’s Mike Cox. Carr defeated Yates 7-3 in their dual match. Gilligan and Cox also hope to place high. Gilligan was fifth last year.

165: WVU’s Tom McMath (#5) and Edinboro’s Matt King (#12) expect to lead the field, while Pitt’s Carl Fronhofer (#14) is expected to stake his claim as the returning champion. McMath defeated King 3-2 in the dual matchup, while McMath also decisioned Fronhofer 3-1. King also topped Fronhofer 6-1 in their dual meeting. LH will put up either Charlie Brennaman or Chris Haines, while Bloomsburg’s Duane Bastress, Clarion’s Jim Perry and CSU’s Jason Effner all hope to place.

174: Edinboro’s Josh Koscheck is the defending NCAA and EWL champion here and ranked #2 in the nation. He also won EWL's in 2000. Newcomer Greg Jones of West Virginia is very talented and ranked #3 in the nation and could challenge. The two did not meet in the dual meet. Also hoping to challenge is Cleveland State’s Gerald Harris (#17). Clarion’s Todd Schuchert was 2-3 in the EWL this season and could place high, along with LH’s Ed Pawlak, Pitt’s Matt Catullo and Josh Hewes of Bloomsburg. Pawlak was fourth last year at 174, while Harris was fifth in 2000.

184: Virginia Tech’s Scott Justus (#2) and Lock Haven’s Josh Millard (#13) expect to battle for the title. Justus defeated Millard in the dual 6-5. Millard is the defending champion having defeated Justus in the finals last year 13-6. West Virginia’s Ryan Wilman (#19), Bloomsburg’s Justin Johnson, CSU’s Joe Phillips, Edinboro’s Matt Camino and Clarion’s Marcus Surin hope to

197: This weight class is up in the air with quality talent ready to battle for first. Clarion’s Eric Mausser (#14) and Edinboro’s David Shunamon (#9) could meet in the finals. Mausser defeated Shunamon in the PSAC finals 4-3, while Shunamon won in the dual 3-1. Both bouts were decided in the final seconds. LH’s Avery Zerkle (#16) could make the finals, along with Pitt’s David Sandberg (#17) and WVU’s Brent Miller. Miller owns a 9-6 win over Shunamon, while Sandberg lost an overtime decision to Shunamon. Zerkle defeated Shunamon 3-2 in the EWL finals last year, while Mausser decisioned Sandberg 7-2 for third. Mausser also has a second place finish here in 1999. The margin for error in this weight class is razor thin. CSU’s Stipe Miocic and VT’s Canaan Prater are also competitive at this weight class. Two wild cards could be selected from this weight class.

HWT: Clarion’s John Testa is the defending champion and top seed with a 7-0 dual meet record in the league. Testa defeated WVU’s Ryan Kehler 7-4in the finals last year and the two could meet there again. Testa is ranked 8^th and Kehler 14^th. Cleveland State’s Russ Davie (#19) placed second at EWL’s in 2000 and Edinboro's Josh Pearce won the title in 2000, placing four very strong heavyweights in the field. Testa defeated both Kehler and Davie by 5-3 margins this season. Pitt’s Jacob Lininger and Bloom’s Tony Millone also hope to challenge. Pearce was third last year and Lininger fourth.

CLARION NOTES: Clarion has crowned 45 EWL champions since the league started in 1976... The Golden Eagles have crowned at least one individual champion in every year except 1983, 1989 and 2000 ... Clarion has three team titles including 1980, 94 and 95 ... The NCAA's are in Albany, New York March 21-23.