Nine PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) teams and 90 athletes will travel to Kutztown this weekend searching for PSAC "Gold" at the 59^th Annual Wrestling Championships.

Action gets underway at 6pm Friday, January 25^th at Kutztown’s University’s Keystone Arena. Session two featuring the semifinals and two rounds of consolations are set for Saturday at 11am, with the championship finals and place matches slated for 6pm Saturday night.

All session tickets are $18 for adults and $5 for students. Individual Session tickets are $7 for adults and $2 for students, except the finals where adult tickets will cost $8. Tickets will be available at the door.

A championship steeped in great tradition, the 59^th PSAC Championship will feature the return of 6 individual champions, 10 championship finalists, 36 former PSAC Placewinners and 12 ranked NCAA Division I wrestlers and one ranked D-II grappler.

Edinboro, who won three straight PSAC team titles including 1998, 1999 and 2000, along with last year’s champion Lock Haven, figure to be the pre-tournament favorites to battle for the team title. Clarion hopes to battle with the two favorites.

In the 2001 PSAC’s hosted at Clarion’s Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium, Lock Haven took the team title scoring 153.5 points, Edinboro was second with 126m, Bloomsburg third at 119 and Clarion fourth with 100.5 points. Rounding out the PSAC’s were fifth place East Stroudsburg at 57 points, Slippery Rock sixth with 52.5, Kutztown seventh with 34, Millersville eighth at 32.5 and Shippensburg ninth with 23 points. Last year’s "OW" was Edinboro’s Josh Koscheck.

Lock Haven hosted the 2000 PSAC’s and Edinboro won the team title scoring 165.5 points with Bloomsburg second at 131.5, Lock Haven third with 125 and Clarion fourth with 103.5. East Stroudsburg posted a fifth place finish with 60 points, Slippery Rock sixth with 53.5, Millersville seventh with 45.5, Shippensburg eighth at 30 and Kutztown ninth with 28 points.

In the 1990's Clarion, Edinboro and Lock Haven won three PSAC titles each, with Bloomsburg getting one. In the history of the PSAC’s Lock Haven leads with 19 team titles, Clarion and Bloomsburg have 13 each, Edinboro 5, East Stroudsburg and Millersville 2 each and Slippery Rock one. West Chester won 3 team crowns but no longer has wrestling.

Defending champion Lock Haven, under 12^th year head coach Carl Poff, is ranked as high as 10^th nationally. The Bald Eagles are 11-3 in dual meet competition this season, although coming off an 0-2 record at the National Dual Meet Championships last weekend. LH lost to Ohio State (37-3) and Michigan State (25-10). Key wins this year have come against Virginia Tech (23-18 ) Virginia (29-12 ), Clarion (25-13 ) and Ohio U. (28-9).

Edinboro, meanwhile, is currently ranked 13^th under fifth year head coach Tim Flynn. The Fighting Scots are 7-2 overall and also lost two matches at the National Duals last Saturday to Michigan (30-6) and Central Michigan (17-16). Key wins this season include victories over Penn State (20-16), Cleveland State (18-15), Virginia Tech (22-15) and Bloomsburg (41-6).

Clarion, under fifth year head coach Ken Nellis, leads the Golden Eagles into the PSAC’s with a 4-9 dual meet record. Clarion has a 4-3 dual record in their last 7 matches including wins over Bloomsburg (28-13), Buffalo (26-15), Findlay (25-15) and Citadel (32-8). Losses against ranked teams this season have come against #2 Ohio State (45-0), #9 West Virginia (23-12), #23 Penn State (26-9), #13 Michigan State (34-7), #16 Central Michigan (34-9) and #10 Lock Haven (25-13).

Also looking to have quality PSAC Tournaments will be Bloomsburg, East Stroudsburg, Kutztown, Millersville, Shippensburg and Slippery Rock.

"Lock Haven and Edinboro will be favored to battle for the title," said Clarion head coach Ken Nellis. "Both have solid 10-weight lineups with individuals favored to win at certain weight classes. The team title is likely to come down to the wrestle backs and the team that performs best in that area will likely capture the team crown."

"As far as Clarion, I think we’re ready to have a good PSAC Tournament," he continued. We’re just going to give it everything we have and see what happens."

Leading the way for the Golden Eagles will be three ranked wrestlers including 7^th rated Rad Martinez (Jr. West Jordan, Utah) at 133, 9^th rated John Testa (Jr. Newark, De.) at heavyweight, 19^th rated Eric Mausser (Jr. Sharon, Pa.) at 197. Martinez enters the PSAC’s with a 21-2 overall record and placed 2^nd here a year ago. Testa, who has a 22-5 overall record this season, is looking for his third straight PSAC title. Mausser, who is sporting a record of 22-6 this season, was a PSAC runner-up in 1999 and placed 4^th at 197 a year ago.

Clarion’s PSAC lineup will have Peter Derstine (12-8, So. Coral Springs, Fla.) at 125, Martinez at 133, Stephen Stremple (4-7; Fr. Pgh- Plum) at 141, Dom Surra (9-11, Sr. Kersey, Pa.) at 149, Jeremy Reitz (11-7; So. Brookville) at 157, Jim Perry (4-11; Jr. Reynoldsville) or Jamie Durkin (2-12; Fr. Lawarence, Mass.) at 165, Todd Schuchert (9-2; Fr. N. Huntingdon) at 174, Marcus Surin (1-17; Fr. Spring Valley, N.Y.) at 184, Eric Mausser at 197 and John Testa at heavyweight.

CLARION NOTES: Clarion won 3 PSAC titles in the 1990's (1991, 92 & 94), placed 2^nd three times (1990, 95, 96), finished third three times (1997, 98, 99) and fourth in 1993, 2000 and 2001... Clarion posted 31 individual champions in the 1990's, more than any other PSAC team... Of Clarion’s 13 team titles the first came in 1965 under coach Frank Lignelli, then 11 under coach Bob Bubb in 1972, 73, 74, 76, 77, 78, 81, 83, 86, 91 &92, and one under Jack Davis (1994)... 4-time PSAC champions in Bill Simpson, Wade Schalles, Don Rohn and Jim Beichner... 3-time champions include Chuck Coryea, Randy Miller, Ken Nellis, Mike Cole, Kurt Angle, Dan Payne, Sheldon Thomas and Mark Angle... Mark won his third in 2000 and was the PSAC’s "OW" at the 2000 tournament... Clarion wrestlers have won 99 individual PSAC crowns... The next winner will put Clarion at the magic 100 winner spot.

Here’s a weight by weight look at the PSAC’s (Ranked wrestlers with highest ranking according to either AWN or Intermat - records in parenthesis):

125: Lock Haven’s #19th rated Trap McCormack (12-3) is the defending champion and pre-tourney favorite. He also placed 4^th in 2000 and 3^rd in 1999. Kutztown’s Brian Burzynski (4-0) was third last year and 5^th in 2000 and 1999, while Bloomsburg’s Brock Hite (10-4) was 4^th last year and 6^th in 2000 and Clarion’s Peter Derstine was 5^th last year. Also talented and expected to challenge for the title is Edinboro’s Shawn Bunch (11-3). SR’s Adam Renner (14-9) was 6^th last year and is looking to place.

133: Clarion’s Rad Martinez (21-2) is ranked #7 and will be the #1 seed. Rad finished second last year. Edinboro’s #15 Cory Ace (10-6), Millersville’s Jason Gabrielson, Kutztown’s #5 ranked (D-II) Kohlby O’Donnell (18-1), SR’s Chris Matarrese (19-6) and Lock Haven’s Chris Spealler (10-4) all expect to challenge in a very talented weight class. Ace was second at 141 the last two years, while O’Donnell was 5^th last year. Gabrielson, who wrestled for three years at Edinboro, was a PSAC champ at 125 in 1999, was 3^rd in 2000 and 5^th at 118 in 1998. Spealler finished fourth at 141 last year.

141: Lock Haven’s #7 ranked Mike Maney (14-2) is the defending champion here. Edinboro’s Chad Caros (16-5) won the PSAC title at 133 in 2000 and hopes to challenge along with East Stroudsburg’s Brad Kleckner (8-3) who was 5^th last year and 3^rd in 2000. Millersville’s Derek Sola (8-2), Shipp’s Jason Zinn (18-8), Bloomsburg’s Adam Castner, SR’s Eric Eyth and Clarion’s Stephen Stremple (4-7) all hope to place.

149: Lock Haven’s Jamarr Billman (19-1) is ranked 2nd in the country and is the defending champion. Clarion’s Dom Surra (9-11) was 4^th last year and 6^th at 126 in 1998 is the only other returning placewinner.

Kutztown’s Craig Kunsman (14-4), Slippery Rock’s Brad Cieleski (21-7), Shipp’s Jared Rosenfeld (7-4) and Millersville’s Shawn Blanchard (9-7) all hope to place.

157: A wide open weight class this weekend. LH’s Jason Gilligan (7-9) placed third here last year, while Millersville’s Jesse Reed (9-4) was 4^th at 149 in 2000. East Stroudsburg’s Matt Dudeck (9-5) was 4^th here last year accounting for the returning placewinners. Also expected to battle for the gold medal are Clarion’s Jeremy Reitz (11-7), Kutztown’s Chris Jacobs (18-3), Ryan Yates (8-4) of Edinboro and Bloom’s B.J. Mikeska.

165: Edinboro’s #13 ranked Matt King (12-4) will be the heavy favorite here. East Stroudsburg’s Brandon Mihalko (13-3), Bloomsburg’s Duane Bastress (10-7), Shipp’s Luke Cummings (12-12), Lock Haven’s Charlie Brenneman (8-9), Millersville’s Craig Pequignot (5^th at 174 in 2000), and Clarion’s Jim Perry or Jamie Durkin will hope to place.

174: The clear favorite to win his fourth title is Edinboro’s #1 rated Josh Koscheck (4-1) who is the returning NCAA Champion at 174 and a national runner-up in 2000. Looking to get into the finals with Koscheck will be Lock Haven’s Ed Pawlak (6-8), Clarion’s Todd Schuchert (9-2), Millersville’s Curtis Yeager (8-3), ESU’s Dan Roy (12-5), Bloom’s Josh Hewes (7-5) and Kutztown’s Nick Brumbaugh (13-7). Pawlak was 3^rd last year and Roy 5^th.

184: Another wide open weight class has LH’s #19 ranked Josh Millard (9-5) as the pre-tourney favorite. Slippery Rock’s John Opfar (6^th at 174 in 2000) and Millersville’s Adam Schaaf (6^th at 184 in 2000) are the only returning placewinners. Also hoping to battle are Bloom’s Justin Johnson (6-2), ESU’s Shawn Smith (11-10), Edinboro’s Matt Camino and Clarion’s Marcus Surin.

197: Returning champion Avery Zerkle (5-4) of Lock Haven and returning runner-up David Shunamon (18-4) return here. Zerkle defeated Shunamon 5-4 in the finals last year. Shunamon is rated #6 this year. Clarion’s Eric Mausser (22-6), whowas 4^th last year and 2^nd in 1999 hopes to also reach the finals. Millersville’s Greg Eynon (15-7) was 6^th here last year and 4^th in 1999. Kutztown’s CC Ezell (13-5) also hopes to place high.

HWT: Clarion heavyweight John Testa (22-5) is looking for his third PSAC title and is only a junior. Testa is ranked 9^th in the nation, but will be challenged by Edinboro’s Josh Pearce (11-5) and Bloomsburg’s Tony Milone (3-5). Testa defeated Pearce in the finals last year 3-1 and in 2000 by a 5-1 score. Pearce defeated Testa 4-1 earlier this year at Las Vegas. Milone defeated Pearce in a dual meet this year. Millersville’s Tyler Woolever, Shipp’s Kyle Whittaker (11-6), ESU’s Marc Bauknecht (11-7) and SR’s Bob McKillop (16-11) could all place. Bauknecht was 4^th last year and Woolever 5^th in 2000.