![[tribullet.gif]](../tribullet.gif)
1999-2000 Press Release Index
Pittsburgh, PA - In what will go down as one of the most unforgettable and exciting Eastern Wrestling League tournaments of all time, the overall team title would be decided in the last second of the final match of the night.
Heavyweight Josh Pearce (Greenville, PA/Commodore Perry) should have had an "S" painted on his singlet, since he played the role of Superman for the Edinboro wrestling team.
With only a half-point separating first-place West Virginia (113) and second-place Edinboro (112.5) in the overall team standings, a win by Pearce over Cleveland State's Russ Davie would clinch the title for the Boro for the third straight season.
After a scoreless first period, Pearce chose down and scored the escape in 12 seconds. He carried a 1- 0 lead to the third where Davie chose neutral to start the period. With just 0:22 remaining, Davie used his size advantage to push Pearce backwards and knocked the Edinboro sophomore to his back to earn the takedown.
Now trailing 2-1, Pearce did not panic, and scored the escape with only eight seconds left in the bout. The overtime session went scoreless, and Davie won the toss for the tie-breaking period, and chose the down position. Pearce rode Davie for the entire 30-second period to capture his first EWL championship and secure the win for his teammates.
Head coach Tim Flynn was proud of his young heavyweight. "Pearce was taken down by Davie and did not lose his cool. He stuck with it and won the match," said Flynn. "He really stepped up and pulled it out for us."
Edinboro finished with 116.5 team points, defeating second-place West Virginia 113. Edinboro and West Virginia have finished 1-2 in each of the past three seasons. Virginia Tech had a strong showing to secure third with 91 points, with Bloomsburg (89) and Pittsburgh (88.5) rounding out the top five. Lock Haven (79), Cleveland State (47), and Clarion (46) finished sixth-eighth respectively.
"It doesn't get much more exciting than this," said the Boro coach. "Every match today was great and very close and could have gone either way. I'm really happy with the effort these guys gave and how we finished."
Edinboro led West Virginia 104.5-101 entering the finals, with five grapplers competing for individual titles. Three Scots came away victorious in their final matches and qualified eight wrestlers for the NCAA Tournament in St. Louis. All-American Josh Koscheck (Waynesburg, PA/Waynesburg) at 174 pounds, returning EWL champion A.J. Johnson (Fort Myers, FL/Fort Myers) at 197 lbs., and Edinboro tournament hero Pearce led the Scots to victory.
Koscheck saw a familiar face in the championship match, Pittsburgh's Nick Mengerink. The 12th-ranked Panther handed Koscheck one his three losses this season, by a 3-2 score in Edinboro's dual win over Pitt. Koscheck avenged that loss by scoring two takedowns and accumulating over three minutes of riding time for a 5-2 decision in front of Mengerink's home crowd and his first EWL title.
Two old-friends squared off at 197 pounds also, as Johnson met Bloomsburg's 18th-ranked Todd Hockenbroch in the finals. Hockenbroch owns a 4-2 decision over Johnson in the finals of the PSAC Tournament, stopping Johnson's bid for a second-straight tournament title. Johnson would not be denied at the EWL Tournament though, notching two takedowns and an escape to upset the Huskie by a 5-2 score, and upping his record to 28-7. Johnson became one of only four Edinboro wrestlers to win two EWL Tournament titles, joining All-Americans Tony Robie ('94,'95,'97), Jason Robison ('95,'97,'98), and Mark Samples ('98,'99).
Senior Kevin Welsh (Solon, OH/Solon) had his bid for a first EWL title spoiled by All-American Vertus Jones of West Virginia. In another stellar match between the two, Jones shot in and scored a takedown with 1:27 remaining in overtime for the 6-4 win. The Moutaineer got his revenge for his only loss of the season, a 3-1 overtime loss to Welsh in their dual match.
Jones, the second ranked wrestler in the nation, became one of only three four-time EWL champions. Joined by Olympian Kurt Angle of Clarion, and Bloomsburg's Don Reese, Jones earned Outstanding Wrestler honors for his achievement. Jones improved to 26-1, while Welsh dropped to 34-6. He could get another shot at Jones at the National Tournament in two weeks.
In his first EWL Tournament, sophomore Chad Caros (Franklinville, NY/Suffern) had a fabulous run to the finals, upsetting top-seed Rob Loper of Pittsburgh. Caros, ranked 20th, battled back from a 5-1 deficit in the second period, to take a 6-5 lead with 49 seconds remaining in the third. Eighth-ranked Loper escaped with 0:21 left to force overtime.
Caros, and Loper traded near-takedowns in overtime before heading to the sudden death rideout. Caros won the toss and chose down and, unlike Davie, was able to escape with only 0:08 remaining on the clock.
The big victory over Loper earned Caros a return bout with West Virginia's Bob Patnesky, who beat Caros 6-2 in their dual match. Caros took a 4-3 with eight seconds left in the third period, but Patnesky escaped before the buzzer to force overtime. In overtime, Caros had a controversial takedown not called and while driving Patnesky to earn the points, Patnesky caught Caros leaning and reversed him for a takedown of his own with 1:23 remaining. Caros, who earned a trip to Nationals as a freshman at the University at Buffalo, will make his first trip as a Fighting Scot with his second-place EWL finish at 23-10 overall record.
Additionally, three other Fighting Scots were placewinners in their first trips to the EWL Championships, helping Edinboro to the team title.
Yanni Diamond (Wellesley, MA/Wellesley) found that the third time continues to be the charm, beating Richard Taylor of West Virginia for the third time this season, for the third-place trophy. After winning narrow 3-1 and 5-3 decisions, Diamond caught Taylor in a bad position and slammed him, earning the fall at 5:25. In was Diamond's first fall of the season, and it could not have come at a better time, widening the gap between the Boro and second-place West Virginia to merely 3.5 points entering the finals. Diamond improved his record to 26-14.
After a third-place finish at 157 pounds, Edinboro's Shaun Shapert (Glenshaw, PA/Shaler) will make his first trip to Nationals. The junior defeated Lock Haven's Brian Olenek 10-3 in the finals after beating Mike Ziska of Pitt 3-2 in the consolation semifinals. It was Shapert's first victory over Ziska, who defeated him once last season and twice in high school. Shapert is 19-7 and 5-1 since entering the starting lineup against West Virginia.
Freshman Cory Ace (Franklin, PA/Franklin) did not fare as well as his teammates in his third-place matching, falling to Pitt's Blaise Mucci at 4:58. Ace had beaten Mucci 9-4 in Edinboro's dual win over Pitt. Although not finishing in the top-three places, Ace received the wild-card bid from the coaches and will get the chance to compete at the NCAA Championships. Ace has a 28-15 record.
Flynn will take his eight qualifiers to St. Louis on March 16-18 looking to improve on last season's 18th- place finish. "We are wrestling very hard right now," says Flynn about his team. "We are still hungry and still driving and I think we'll do well at Nationals."
Here's a weight-by-weight breakdown of the EWL Tournament:
125 Pounds - Casey Brewster (Nashville, TN/Overton) was unsuccessful in his first EWL Tournament, losing his only two bouts of the event. In the opening round, Brewster lost a 6-1 decision to Cleveland State's Rocco Mansueto, the fourth-place finisher. In his first-round consolation match, Brewster faced Mike Snyder of Clarion and was pinned in 1:11. Brewster finished his inaugural season at the Boro with a 2-14 record.
133 Pounds - Chad Caros (Franklinville, NY/Suffern) made the most of his first EWL Tournament, winning two matches before dropping the championship match, 6-4 in overtime, to 12th-ranked Bob Patnesky of West Virginia. Caros upset the top seed, eight-ranked Rob Loper of Pitt, in what was considered the most exciting match of the first day. With a near fall at the buzzer, which was out-of-bounds, and a couple near takedowns in overtime, Caros escaped with only eight seconds remaining in sudden death to capture the 7-6 tie-breaker. Loper had handed Caros a 6-4 loss in their dual meeting earlier in the season. Caros opened the tournament with a 6-0 decision over Phil Mansueto of Cleveland State. Caros makes his second trip to Nationals with a 23-10 record.
141 Pounds - In the third-place match, Cory Ace (Franklin, PA/Franklin) faced Pitt's Blaise Mucci in a rematch of a 9-4 Ace win at the Boro/Pitt dual meet. With the score tied a 2-2 and both wrestlers jockeying for position, Mucci gained the upper hand and pinned Ace at 4:58. Ace received a wild-card nomination from the EWL coaches and will make his first trip to Nationals. Aced started the tournament with a 7-6 win over Chris Spealler of Lock Haven, but dropped his second-round match to sixth-ranked Sean Gray of Virginia Tech. The top seed upended Ace in a 12-3 major decision. He rebounded by beating Bloomsburg's Brett Tullo, 6-5, before finishing in fourth place. Ace is 28-15 following tournament action. Virginia Tech's sixth-ranked Chris Martin was scheduled to meet third-ranked Mark Angle of Clarion in the finals, but Angle took a medical forfeit to rest his injured knee and didn't compete.
149 Pounds - Kevin Maier (Reading, PA/Reading) faced top-seeded and ninth-ranked George Carter of Bloomsburg in the opening round, falling in 10-2 major decision. Lock Haven's Robbie Weikel got the best of Maier in their first round consolation match, scoring an 8-0 major decision. Maier finishes the season at 8-19. Carter outscored Pitt's Justin Giovinco, 17-6, in the championship bout.
157 Pounds - Making the most of his return to the lineup,Shaun Shapert (Glenshaw, PA/Shaler), earned his first trip to Nationals with a third-place finish at the EWL's. With a late furry, including a takedown and three backpoints, Shapert downed Lock Haven's Brian Olenek in the final consolation match. He won a narrow 3-2 decision over the defending champion and fifth-place finisher Mike Ziska of Pitt. Ziska had gotten the better of Shapert in three previous bouts, including two in high school, but Shapert picked up the win in the most crucial of the matches. After defeating Cleveland State's Brandon Gibbs for the second-consecutive match, this time by an 11-3 major decision, Shapert faced 17th-ranked Joe Carr of WVU in a rematch of a 10-0 major decision victory by Shapert in the West Virginia dual. Carr won revenge in this matchup, advancing to and eventually winning the finals, with an 8-1 decision. Shapert continues to Nationals at 19-7. Carr upset the EWL's top regular season point-winner and fifth-ranked Ed Hockenberry of Bloomsburg, 9-7, in the finals.
165 Pounds - Yanni Diamond (Wellesley, MA/Wellesley) picked the perfect time to register his first fall of the season, pinning WVU's Richard Taylor at 5:25 to capture third place at his first conference championships. Diamond and Taylor met in the first round, a 5-3 decision for Diamond. He faced top-seeded Chris Martin of Virginia Tech, ranked 12th, in the second round and lost by a 9-1 score. Diamond will head to his first NCAA Tournament with a 26-12 record. Martin was the eventual champion, notching an 11-1 major decision over Bloomsburg's Hunter Guenot in the final match.
174 Pounds - Josh Koscheck's (Waynesburg, PA/Waynesburg) season continued its pattern as he faced Pitt's Nick Mengerink in the championship match. Mengerink handed Koscheck one of his three losses this season, a 3-2 decision in Edinboro's dual victory over the Panthers. After each of Koscheck's two previous losses this season, he returned the favor to his opponent in the rematch each time. He was beaten at the Midlands Invitational by Penn's second-ranked Rick Springman, 1-0, and fourth-ranked Ed Mosely of Harvard, 1-1 tiebreaker. Eventually meeting again, Koscheck downed Mosely 4-0 at the Virginia Duals, then upset Springman 3-1 in overtime at the NWCA All-Star Classic. Koscheck followed suit, beating up Mengerink in a hard-fought 5-2 decision. Koscheck breezed through the first two rounds, past WVU's Erik Warg (9-0) and Bloomsburg's Cassidy Shults (4-2). He'll carry a 34-3 record to St. Louis, looking to improve on last season's fourth-place finish.
184 Pounds - In one of the most anticipated rematches of the tournament, Boro senior Kevin Welsh (Solon, OH/Solon) tried to accomplish a feat only done one other time this season, beat WVU's Vertus Jones. It just so happens that the only wrestler this season to offer Jones a taste of defeat was Welsh, a 3-1 overtime victory in their dual meeting. The match lived up to expectations, as Welsh scored an escape with 35 seconds remaining to tie the score at 4-4 and force overtime. The two traded takedown attempts before Jones sealed the bout by flooring Welsh with 1:27 remaining for the 6-4 decision. Jones became a four-time EWL champion, a remarkable accomplishment that has only been achieved by two other grapplers in the history of the EWL, Olympic gold-medalist Kurt Angle of Clarion and Don Reese of Bloomsburg. Welsh earned the chance to face Jones by advancing past Fabian Sciullo of Pitt in the opening round, 13-4, and past Dave Murray of Lock Haven, 9-3. Welsh upped his record to 34-6 at the tournament, and improved his career record to 119-51.
197 Pounds - In a rematch of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference finals, A.J. Johnson (Fort Myers, FL/Fort Myers) faced Bloomburg's Todd Hockenbroch in the championship match. Johnson, last season's champion at heavyweight, picked up his second EWL title by overpowering the top-seed, 5-2. Johnson, ranked 20th, recorded victories over Jesse Shirey of Clarion, 9-6, in the opening round, and Lock Haven's Avery Zerkle, 13-6, in the semis. Johnson owns a 28-7 ledger following the championships.
Heavyweight - With the hopes and cheers of the entire Edinboro fan contingent filling Fitzgerald Field House and falling squarely on his shoulders, sophomore Josh Pearce (Greenville, PA/Commodore Perry) responded like a true superhero against Cleveland State's Russ Davie. Never showing any signs of pressure, Pearce battled back from 2-1 deficit to score an escape and knot the score at 2-2 with just eight seconds on the clock at the end of regulation. After Pearce and Davie dance around through a scoreless overtime, the match came down to the 30-second sudden death rideout period. Davie won the coin toss and chose down, playing right into Pearce's specialty, his ability to ride opponents. Barely holding on through one escape attempt, Pearce got Davie flat on his stomach and held him down for the individual championship and team victory. Pearce advanced to the finals by avenging two previous defeats this season against Clarion's John Testa. Test kept Pearce from earning his first PSAC title, but couldn't stop Pearce this time, losing 4-0. Pearce dominated the match, riding Testa for the entire second period, accumulation nearly four minutes of riding time. He defeated Lock Haven's Ken Haines in the first round, 3-0. Pearce, 28-8, is riding a seven-match win streak in the National Tournament.
~ Fighting Scots ~
Created on ... March 6, 2000