LOCK HAVEN, PA – The Lock Haven University wrestling team placed nine wrestlers today at the Second Annual Brute Invitational at Thomas Fieldhouse, securing LHU a third place finish.
Leading the way for LHU was the trio of Bobby Rehm (Lancaster, Pa./Penn Manor), Dan Neff (Quarryville, Pa./Solanco) and Mac Maldarelli (Merrick, N.Y./Nassau C.C.), who all took home second place in their respective weight class.
Rehm (125) won his first three bouts of the day in convincing fashion. The sophomore standout defeated Steven Winfield (Drexel) 17-1 (5:36), Elliot Zackoski (Bloomsburg) 16-1 (3:18) and Max Soria (Buffalo) 16-3 to reach the 125 championship.
Rehm faced off against top-seeded Steve Mitcheff (Kent State) in the finals and battled tough. Rehm escaped a few tough moves by Mitcheff and held a 1-0 late into the bout before falling 2-1.
Neff started the day out with a 7-3 win over Ryan Goodsell (VMI) and kept his momentum going by downing Jake Keller (Pittsburgh) 13-6 and Kyle Bauer (Kent State) 14-3 to reach the finals.
Neff fell to Franklin and Marshall’s Riachard Durso in the 141 championship bout (F 3:44). Durso was named the tournament’s most outstanding wrestler.
Maldarelli went 3-1 on the day, including a 7-5 win over the tournament’s top-seed, Nicholas Carr (Kent State). He pinned Colton Perry (Binghamton) (F 1:53) in his opening match of the day. Maldarelli followed that up with a 6-2 win over Simon Kitzis (Bloomsburg) and then beat Carr to reach the 149 finals where he dropped a tough 4-1 decision to Alex Richardson (Old Dominion).
Fred Garcia (Donora, Pa./Ringgold) (184) and Matt Bryer (Conchranton, Pa./Cochranton) (133) placed third and fourth, respectively.
Harry Turner (Howell, N.J./Howell) finished fifth in the 285 division for the Bald Eagles, while Jake Kemerer (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) (157), Aaron McKinney (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny) (165) and Phil Sprenkle (Seven Valleys, Pa./Dallastown) (197) all took sixth place.
Lock Haven finished third overall in the team standings with 136.0 points.
Bloomsburg came in first with a team score of 198.5 and Kent State finished second with 154.5 points.
The Bald Eagles return to action on Sunday, January 6, when they host West Virginia University at Thomas Fieldhouse at 2 p.m.
Full Brute Invitational Results:
http://openliveresults.escapesports.com/2012_Brute_Invitational.html#
Tournament Notes:
– This marks the second annual Brute Invitational. Last year, it was held under the name, Mat Town Invitational.
– Michigan won last year’s tournament with Pitt and Kent State rounding out the top-3 teams from a year ago. Pitt and Kent State are both in the field of 13 this year.
– A pair of individual champs returned as well, including Frank Hickman (157, Bloomsburg) and Casey Newburg (Kent State, 184).
– The Bald Eagles finished seventh overall last year.
– Bobby Rehm led the way a year ago with a second-place finish at 125. Harry Turner was fourth at 285 and 2012 NCAA National Qualifier, Owen Wilkinson was third at 149 for LHU.
– Both Dan Neff (141, #24) and Jake Kemerer (157, #20) are ranked this week in the Gregg Henry’s/WrestlingReport Division I rankings. It is the second straight week those two held the same spot.
– Lock Haven is coming off a, 42-3 loss to No. 1 Penn State on Saturday, December 15.
– Lock Haven finished 4th at the 2012 PSAC Championships. All 10 Bald Eagles placed and LHU crowned a pair of individual champs.
– This marks the fifth tournament of the year for the Bald Eagles, who have done well in that setting. Leading the way is Jake Kemerer who was second at the PSAC Championships and third at the Nittany Lion Open.
– Lock Haven had nine-place winners at the Mat Town Open including Cody Wheeler (133) & Harry Turner (285), who were second overall in the talented early-season field.
– The second-place finish at Mat Town marked the second time this season Harry Turner took second at a tournament. Turner, a redshirt-senior was also second at the Binghamton Open.
– Lock Haven is 1-2 in dual action this year. The Bald Eagles are ranked 49th Takedown Wrestling Media Dual Impact Index.
