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1999-2000 Press Release Index
EDINBORO, PA -- The Edinboro University wrestling team held its annual Awards Banquet this past Saturday, recognizing the accomplishments of the team and of noted individuals throughout the year.
The Edinboro coaching staff chooses members of the squad worthy of individual accolades for their performances this season. The team honors its members for the following awards: Most Improved, 4-D Award (Dedication, Determination, Drive, and Desire), Outstanding Freshman, Outstanding Wrestler, Most Valuable Wrestler, Senior Athletic Award, and Big Wins.
Josh Koscheck (Waynesburg, PA/Waynesburg) earned Outstanding and Most Valuable Wrestler honors for his performance this season. The team MVP of the 1998-99 campaign as well, Koscheck finished as the runner-up at the NCAA Division I National Championships, earning All-American honors for the second straight season. He captured the Eastern Wrestling League and PSAC title at 174 pounds, helping the Fighting Scots to their third-straight team title at each event. He finished the season with a 38-4 record, and improved his career mark to an impressive 81-18.
Junior Yanni Diamond (Wellesley, MA/Wellesley) was named Most Improved Wrestler after stepping into the starting lineup and compiling a 28-16 record at 165 pounds. Diamond was also presented with the 4-D Award, sharing the honor with sophomore Josh Pearce (Greenville, PA/Commodore Perry). Diamond was the runner-up at the PSAC Championships and finished in third place at the EWL Tournament to earn his first-ever bid to Nationals. Diamond went 2-2 at the NCAA Championships, including a 5-2 victory over 12th-ranked Peter Rogers of Ohio State.
Pearce finished his first year in the Boro starting lineup with a 30-10 record at heavyweight. He also received two Big Win Awards for his heroic performances at the EWL Championships and against Pittsburgh. Pearce collected his first EWL title with a 2-2 double-overtime rideout victory over Cleveland State's Russ Davie in the final match of the tournament. The win secured the team title for the Scots by a narrow 116.5-113 point finish over second-place West Virginia. In Edinboro's dual meet against Pittsburgh, with Edinboro losing 15-13, Pearce trailed Matt Mueller by a 3-2 count with only 12 seconds to go in the final match. Pearce scored a takedown and nearly pinned Mueller with only seconds remaining to rally a victory for himself and his team. The victory helped the Scots continue undefeated in EWL dual meets and eventually clinch the dual meet title with a win over West Virginia.
Cory Ace (Franklin, PA/Franklin) was named the Outstanding Freshman after posting a 28-17 record in his inaugural campaign. The redshirt freshman was the runner-up at the PSAC Tournament and finished in fourth place at the EWL Championships. He received a wild-card bid to make his first trip to Nationals, but came away winless, including a 12-6 loss to second-seeded Michael Lightner of Oklahoma in the first round.
Senior Kevin Welsh (Solon, OH/Solon) collected a Big Win Award for his 3-1 overtime upset of then-undefeated Vertus Jones of West Virginia in a dual match at McComb Fieldhouse. He took the eventual NCAA runner-up to the mat with 48 seconds remaining in the extra session.
Welsh also received the Senior Athletic Award, recognizing his outstanding career as a Fighting Scot. He finished his Edinboro career in fifth place on the all-time wins list with an 123-54 career record. Welsh garnered All-American honors in his final season, finishing in sixth place at 184 pounds at Nationals. He was the PSAC Champion and the runner-up at the EWL Tournament this season. The award also recognizes academic accomplishments.
Senior A.J. Johnson (Fort Myers, FL/Fort Myers) and junior Shaun Shapert (Glenshaw, PA/ Shaler) also received Big Win Awards for their performances during the season. Johnson won a narrow 9-8 victory against 10th-ranked Ross Thatcher of Penn State to seal Edinboro's first-ever win against Penn State, 19-14. Shapert pulled off the upset of the first day of the NCAA Tournament, sending third-seeded Bryan Snyder of Nebraska to the wrestlebacks with a 5-4 victory.
~ Fighting Scots ~
Created on ... April 10, 2000