Clarion’s NCAA Division I Wrestling team participated in the 61^st Annual PSAC Wrestling Championships over the weekend at Edinboro and came back with one champion, three runners-up and one third place finisher.

Host Edinboro won the team title with 140.5 points, Lock Haven was second with 118, Bloomsburg third with 91, East Stroudsburg fourth with 77.5, Clarion and Millersville tied for fifth with 72 points, Shippensburg was seventh with 44.5, Slippery Rock eighth at 44 and Kutztown ninth with 30.

Clarion 141-pounder Frank Edgar (Jr. Toms River, N.J.), won his weight class to give the Golden Eagles at least one champion in each of the last 16 years (1988.). In fact, since 1965, Clarion has had at least one PSAC champion in 39 of those 40 years. The only year Clarion did not have a champ was in 1988.

Also posting strong second place finishes for the Golden Eagles were Chris Horning (So. Syracuse, N.Y.) at 157, Jeremy Reitz (Sr. Brookville) at 165 and Aaron Wright (Sr. Coudersport) at 174. Placing third was Peter Derstine (Sr. Coral Springs, Fla.).

Participating but not scoring for the Eagles were T.J. McCance (Fr. Butler) at 149, Kyle Cathcart (Fr. Clarion) at 184 and Charlie Cilinski (So. Gainesville, Va.) at 197.

Edgar’s title run at 141 started with a bye in the quarterfinals, then a tough 4-1 win over Ron Doppelheuer of Edinboro, and a 2-0 win against #1 seed Derek Sola (Millersville) in the finals. Edgar’s win over Doppelheuer featured riding hin out the entire second period, then an escape and takedown in the third to post his 4-1 win. In the finals Edgar again earned a riding time point by riding Sola the entire second period, then escaped immediately to start the third with both wrestlers finishing the match on their feet. The win by Edgar avenged a 9-6 defeat against Sola at PSAC’s a year ago. Edgar, now ranked #20 in the country at 141, raised his season record to 31-4 and his career mark to 75-41. He placed 5^th at PSAC’s last year and fourth in 2001.

Chris Horning posted a 2-1 record over the weekend to finish second. A #3 seed, Horning defeated Andy Martin (Ship) by tech. fall 21-6 @ 6:08, then won an exciting 5-2 decision over LH’s Charlie Brenneman in overtime, tie breaker with a four-point reversal. In the finals against SR’s Brad Cieleski he lost a 4-2 decision. Horning raised his season record to 18-7 and his career record at Clarion to 34-26. Horning was third at PSAC’s a year ago.

Reitz also posted a 2-1 record in finishing second at 165. Jeremy opened the quarterfinals with a 10-1 major decision over Mark Murphy (Ship), then won a close 3-2 decision over Jason Gilligan (LH). Both wrestlers were former teammates at nearby Brookville High. Reitz used a third period escape to break a 2-2 tie and get to the finals. In the finals Reitz lost a 4-1 decision to Edinboro’s Matt King (#3 ranked in the nation). Reitz now has a 19-12 season record and a career mark of 65-42. Jeremy was second at 157 last year and third in 2002.

Wright was 2-1 in placing second at 174 pounds, raising his season record to 14-11. Aaron opened the quarterfinals with a 9-7 win over Bloom’s Jim Bertulis. In the semi’s Wright pinned East Stroudsburg’s John Carr at 5:54, then losyt to Edinboro’s #7 ranked Nate Yetzer 4-3 in the hotly contested finals. Wright used a first period takedown to take a 2-0 lead. Yetzer escaped to end the first, but Wright’s second period escape gave him a 3-1 lead. The duo exchanged near takedowns the remainder of the second and early in the third after Yetzer escaped, but Yetzer got a tkedown with 40-seconds left and rode Wright out to win 4-3. This was Wright’s first apperance at PSAC’s.

Derstine meanwhile was 3-1 at 125 in placing third. The top seed, Derstine pinned SR’s Ben Watson at 4:16 in the quarterfinals, but lost an 8-6 decision to Millersville’s Adam Bunting in the semi’s. Derstine came back with a 6-4 win over Shipp’s Jamie Thomas and a strong 13-2 major decision win over ESU’s Mark Koszyk to place third at 125. Derstine has a season record of 25-9 and a career record at Clarion of 80-48. He has also placed 3^rd at PSAC’s in 2002 and fifth in 2001.

T.J. McCance was 0-2 and 149, Kyle Cathcart was 0-2 at 184 and Charlie Cilinski was 0-2 at 197, while the Eagles did not have wrestlers in the lineup at 133 and heavyweight.

McCance lost his opening round match to #1 seed Mike Maney (LH) by an 8-1 score, then lost a 6-5 decision to SR’s Ben Young. He has a season record of 9-12.

Cathcart lost his opening bout by a 6-2 score to LH’s Mike Greenberg, then lost in overtime Mark Knock (Millersville) 6-4. In the 6-4 loss Cathcart battled back from a 4-1 first period deficit to tie with a two-point nearf fall in the second and a third period escape at the buzzer. In the overtime Kyle appeared to have the winning takedown locked up, but a counter from Knock produced his own takedown and a 6-4 overtime win. Cathcart is now 8-12 this season.

Cilinski was 0-2 at 197 giving him a season record of 2-14. He lost 12-2 to Edinboro’s Mike LaBella and in the wrestle backs to Aaron Smith of Millersvlle 6-2.

CLARION NOTES: Edgar’s championship win gives Clarion 104 PSAC Champions in its history ... LH’s Mike Maney won his 4^th individual title and became the 13^th wrestler to win four crowns... Clarion’s John Testa accomplished that a year ago... Clarion’s four-time champions include Wade Schalles, Bill Simpson, Don Rohn, Jim Beichner and Testa... Edinboro won its third straight team title, giving the Scots 8 in their history... Lock Haven leads with 19, Clarion and Bloomsburg have won 13 each... The Eagles last team title was in 1994... Clarion’s 5^th place finish was its lowest since placing sixth in 1962... Clarion will be on the road Feb. 10^th at Pitt, then return home to close out the season with three home duals against Virginia Tech (Feb. 14^th), Cleveland State (Feb. 15^th) and Lock Haven (Feb. 19th).