CLARION COMPETES IN 63RD PSAC WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
                                SLIPPERY ROCK WILL HOST ON SATURDAY JANUARY 28
        Nine PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) teams and 90 athletes will travel to Slippery Rock this weekend searching for PSAC “Gold” at the 63rd Annual Wrestling Championships.
        Action gets underway at 9am Saturday, January 28th at SRU’s Morrow Field House with two rounds of championship matches and a consolation round. Round two begins at Noon with semifinals, followed by two rounds of consolation bouts.      The championship finals, which will include matches for third and fifth place, will begin at 6pm.
        All Session passes for adults ($12) and students ($3), as well as individual session tickets for adults ($7) and students ($2) will be available at the door.
        A championship steeped in great tradition, the 63rd PSAC Championship will feature the return of 5 individual champions and seven runners-up from previous PSAC Championships.
        Edinboro, ranked #15 in the latest NWCA poll, is the pre-tournament favorite. The Fighting Scots have won five of the last seven PSAC team titles including 2004, 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 and 1998. Bloomsburg won the team title last year and Lock Haven won the team crown in 2001. 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, Bloomsburg has 14 team titles, Clarion 13, Edinboro 8, East Stroudsburg and Millersville 2 each and Slippery Rock one. West Chester won 3 team crowns but no longer has wrestling.
        Last year, at East Stroudsburg’s Koehler Field House, Bloomsburg won the team title with 149.5 points, Edinboro was second with 134.5, East Stroudsburg third with 104.5, Lock Haven fourth at 87 and Clarion fifth with 73.5 points. Rounding out the nine team field were sixth place Shippensburg with 52.5 points, Millersville seventh at 41.5, Kutztown eighth with 39 and Slippery Rock ninth at 35 points.
        The Fighting Scots hosted and won the 2004 title going away with 140.5 points with Lock Haven second at 118, Bloomsburg third with 91, East Stroudsburg fourth with 77.5 and Clarion and Millersville tied for fifth with 72 points.
        Edinboro also won the 2003 title (hosted by Millersville) with 134.5 points, edging Lock Haven who had 127.5. Bloomsburg finished third with 98.5 points and Clarion was fourth with 97.5, while Slippery Rock finished fifth with 83.5.
        Kutztown hosted the 2002 PSAC’s and Edinboro won the team title with 147 points, while LH was a close second with 141 and Clarion third at 101.5.
        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 126, Bloomsburg third at 119 and Clarion fourth with 100.5.
        The 2006 race appears to be Edinboro’s to lose. The Fighting Scots under ninth year head coach Tim Flynn enters the tournament with a 7-0 dual record including wins over Clarion (27-9), Buffalo (20-13) and Michigan State (17-16).
Defending champion Bloomsburg, under first year head coach John Stutzman, has a 7-7 dual meet record, while Lock Haven is 4-9 overall and East Stroudsburg 7-7. The team on the rise seems to be Slippery Rock, under second year coach Derek Delporto, who has the Rock entering PSAC’s with a 6-6 dual meet record. The Rockets have wins over Cleveland State (22-13) and Clarion (30-12).
        Clarion, under ninth year head coach Ken Nellis, leads the Eagles into the PSAC’s with an 0-11 dual meet record. The underlying factor with the Golden Eagles this year have been injuries to its veteran wrestlers and mostly a freshmen in the lineup. Out for the PSAC’s are co-captains T.J. McCance (149, Jr. Butler) and Charlie Cilinski (184, Sr., Gainesville, Va.), along with Matt Wilcox (197, So., Guys Mills) and Toby Seger (125, So., Pgh-Shaler), all veteran wrestlers with injuries.
Clarion’s PSAC lineup will likely be Rob LaBrake (Fr. 8-10; N. Bennington, Vt.) at 133, Greg Lewis (Fr. 8-5; New Providence) at 141; Derrick Smith (Fr. 2-5; Mexico, N.y.) At 149; Lucas Christopher (Fr. 5-9; McMurray) at 157; Logan Downes (Fr. 4-14; New Kensington) at 165; Dave Gardner (Jr. 11-8; North Huntingdon) at 174; Dominic Ross (Fr. 1-12; Sharon) at 184 and A.J. Brooks (Fr. 6-12; Lewes, De.) At heavyweight.
        CLARION NOTES: Clarion won 3 PSAC titles in the 1990's (1991, 92 & 94), placed 2nd 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)... Clarion heavyweight John Testa was voted the "Outstanding Wrestler" of the 2003 PSAC Championship - Testa defeated Lock Haven's Steve Itterly 8-4 in the finals to win his fourth PSAC title... He was only the 12th wrestler in PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) history to win four individual titles and the first to win four titles at heavyweight... Clarion’s other 4-time PSAC Champions were Wade Schalles (1971-74), Bill Simpson (1971-74), Don Rohn (1973-76) and Jim Beichner (1983-86) ... Clarion’s 3-time PSAC 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 106 individual PSAC crowns... The 13 wrestlers to win PSAC titles in order of their accomplishment is: LH’s Steve DeAugustino (1947-50), LH Ralph Clark (1957-60), LH Gray Simons (1959-62), LH Fred Powell (1961-64), LH Bill Blacksmith (1963-66), Clarion Wade Schalles
(1971-74), Clarion Bill Simpson (1971-74), Clarion Don Rohn (1973-76), Clarion Jim Beichner (1983-86), LH Mike Rogers (1994-97), ED Josh Koscheck (1999-2002), Clarion John Testa (2000-2003), LH Mike Maney (2001-2004)
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: This weight class will come down to #13 Obenson Blanc (15-6) of Lock Haven and #8 Mike Sees (16-3) of Bloomsburg. Blanc is the defending champ and defeated Sees 8-7 in the finals last year. Edinboro’s Ricky Deubel (17-7) is ranked 19th and could make a play for the finals. Other challengers include Shipp’s Jamie Thomas (18-8) who was third here a year ago and fifth in 2004.
133: Edinboro’s defending champion Shawn Bunch (24-1) is ranked #1 in the nation at this weight class and is the prohibitive favorite. Bunch was also runner-up at 125 in 2002. Looking to get to the finals will be
Kutztown’s Brandon Clemmer (14-7), East Stroudsburg’s Nate Nauroth (16-8), Slippery Rock’s Sal Lascari (15-15) and Clarion’s Rob LaBrake (8-10). Nauroth was fifth last year.
141: Defending Champion Frank Edgar of Clarion is gone. Bloomsburg’s Brad Forbes (14-5), who lost 6-1 to Edgar in the finals, should be the top seed. Forbes was also second at 149 in 2003. Millersville’s Cody Becker (16-7), who was 5th last year, returns. Edinboro’s Rick McLaughlin (14-9) and Slippery Rock’s David Pienaar (15-8) will try to get to the finals. Clarion will have Greg Lewis (11-8) looking to place.
149: This weight class will likely come down to a showdown between defending champion Josh Medina (15-5) of Lock Haven and Edinboro’s freshman sensation Gregor Gillespie (26-2). Medina is ranked 17th and Gillespie 8th. Bloomsburg’s George Hickman (12-10) was fourth here a year ago, while Millersville Jarrett Hostetter (15-7), Slippery Rock’s Shawn Baglio (10-8) and Clarion’s Derrick Smith (2-5) look to place.
157: Defending champion Chris Horning of Clarion is taking the season off. The second and third place finishers from last year, Matt Hill (16-5) of Edinboro and #14 Seth Martin (24-8) of Lock Haven are back to battle for the top spot. Bloomsburg’s Aric Fuhrman (13-7), Kutztown’s Kevin Kalbach (12-4), and SR’s Gerald Christian (6-11) are hoping to place high. Clarion will have Lucas Christopher (5-9) wrestling here.
165: When its all said and done, the likely finalists here could be Bloomsburg’s Jim Bertulis (7-2) and Edinboro’s Deonte Penn (18-9). Bertulis was second last year and 5th at 174 in 2004. Penn was second at 149 in 2004. East Stroudsburg’s Keith Smith (15-7) was fourth here a year ago, while SR’s Jason Cardillo (24-8) and Kutztown’s John Shaffer (11-8) could all place. Cardillo was third at 165 in 2004. LH’s Rory McCoy is 1-6 this season but placed 5th last year at 165. Clarion freshman Logan Downes will look to score for the Eagles.
174: Edinboro’s Eric Ring (21-9), who was third here last year, will be the pre-tourney favorite. Kutztown’s Ryan Wasser (18-7) finished 5th here last year and 6th at 165 in 2002. Carlos Ponce (12-9) of Lock Haven was 5th at 197 in 2004, while Clarion’s Dave Gardner (11-8) was fifth here in 2003. SR’s Jerimiah Frederick (21-11) and Millersville’s Mark Knock (12-8) make this a very balanced field. Knock was 6th at 184 in 2004.
184: Two-time PSAC champion Alex Clemsen (22-6) of Edinboro (2003, 2004) and defending champ Charlie Pienaar (14-8) of Slippery Rock hope to get to the finals. Clemsen is ranked 17th. The field has quality depth with East Stroudsburg’s Sean McCRacken (3rd last year), Bloom’s Nate Shirk (10-5) and LH’s Derrick Morgan (15-8). Clarion will have Dominic Ross (1-12) wrestling here.
197: A battle seems to be shaping up between Shippensburg’s Corey Jacoby (18-4), Edinboro’s Joe Fendone (18-7) and Bloomsburg’s Jesse Hasseman (9-11). Jacoby was second at 197 in 2005 and second at 184 in 2004. SR’s Andrew Joseph (12-10) and LH’s Tom Kocher (12-12) hope to place high.
HWT: Heavyweight could be wide open this season. Bloomsburg’s Mike Spaid (12-9) was second last year and could be the top seed. Shipp’s Jake Lininger (24-2) hopes to get to the finals, as does Kutztown’s Andy Freas (8-5), Millersville’s Mike Davidowich (8-12) and Clarion’s A.J. Brooks (6-12). Freas was 4th in 2004 and 5th last year, while Davidowich was 6th in 2005 and 5th in 2004.