THE RUNDOWN
- Event: 2016 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships (Lock Haven, Pa.)
- Competing Teams: NCAA Division I Programs: Bloomsburg, Clarion, Edinboro and Lock Haven. NCAA Division II Programs: East Stroudsburg, Gannon, Kutztown, Mercyhurst, Millersville, Pitt-Johnstown, Seton Hill and Shippensburg.
- Result: Gannon finished eighth out of 12 teams overall and fourth out of eight NCAA Division II programs.
- The Short Story: Freshman Carmine Ciotti (Erie, Pa./McDowell)'s runner-up finish at 133 pounds highlighted a group of five Golden Knights who placed Saturday afternoon at the 2016 PSAC Wrestling Championships hosted by Lock Haven University. The Golden Knights finished eighth out of 12 teams overall and fourth out of eight NCAA Division II programs.
GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER
GANNON'S TOP WRESTLERS
- 133 - Ciotti finished runner-up with a 3-1 record ... advanced to the finals with three convincing victories ... opened the day with a 19-1 technical fall of Mercyhurst's Gage Nicolella, before posting a 12-2 major decision against the region's eighth-ranked wrestler in Kutztown's Lucas Miller ... pinned Shippensburg's Cole Rush during the semifinals with 16 seconds remaining ... fell to Korbin Myers of NCAA Division I Edinboro 12-4 during the championship bout.
- Heavyweight - Redshirt junior Nick Budd (Port Allegany, Pa./Port Allegany) placed fourth with a 2-2 record ... after an opening bye, Budd earned a 3-1 sudden victory against Evan Daley of NCAA Division I Clarion ... fell into the wrestlebacks after an 8-4 setback against William Miller of NCAA Division I Edinboro ... rebounded with a 6-1 decision against the region's seventh-ranked wrestler in Millersville's David Wuestner ... defeated Wuestner for the second time during the last week ... dropped a 2-0 decision during the fourth-place bout.
- 149 - Sophomore Giovanni Ciotti (Erie, Pa./General McLane) finished sixth with a 3-3 record ... kicked off the day with a 4-3 decision against Millersville's David Charles, before falling 8-6 to the region's fifth-ranked wrestler Ty Lydic of Seton Hill during the quarterfinals ... bounced back with consecutive wins in the wrestlebacks against East Stroudsburg's Blake Cohen (F, 2:08) and Shippensburg's Cody Blankenship (2-0) ... fell in sudden death during the consolation semifinals, before suffering another two-point loss to Lydic during the fifth-place match.
- 165 - Redshirt senior Garret Smith (Erie, Pa./Seneca) placed sixth with a 1-3 record ... after an opening bye, Smith dropped into the wrestlebacks with a setback against Evan Delong of NCAA Division I Clarion ... after another bye, Smith shut out Seton Hill's Tanner Druck 5-0 ... finished sixth after back-to-back setbacks against NCAA Division I wrestlers Fritz Hoehn of Edinboro and Jared Siegrist of Lock Haven.
- 174 - Junior Jake Stratton (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Bradley) finished sixth with a 2-3 record ... immediately dropped into the wrestlebacks with a 13-9 setback against Trevor Allard of NCAA Division I Bloomsburg ... rattled off back-to-back victories after an opening bye in the wrestlebacks against Kutztown's Joseph Balboni (F, 4:13) and Mercyhurst's Kevin Holman (16-8) ... Balboni is ranked fifth in the region while Holman is tabbed eighth ... fell 11-7 in the consolation semifinals to Tyler Wood of NCAA Division I Lock Haven, before dropping the fifth-place match to the region's fourth-ranked wrestler in John Blankenship of Pitt-Johnstown.
REMAINING GANNON RESULTS
EVENT NOTES
- Gannon entered wrestlers in nine of the 10 weight classes.
- No Golden Knights competed at 184.
- Ciotti improved to 15-2 through his first three events as a Golden Knight. He has accounted for the 15 victories with nine pins, two technical falls, two major decisions and only two regular decisions.
- Three of Gannon's regionally-ranked wrestlers didn't compete in redshirt junior Eric Lewandowski (Depew, N.Y./Lancaster Central) (5th, 157), redshirt junior Christopher Matthews (Kennerdell, Pa./Franklin) (2nd, 174) and redshirt sophomore Nicholas Costa (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial) (6th, 184).
- Ciotti's runner-up finish is Gannon's best since Ethan Swope placed second in the 149-pound division at the 2010 PSAC Championships.
UP NEXT
- Gannon will take the upcoming Finals Week off before returning to action Saturday, December 17 and Sunday, December 18 at the Midwest Classic in Indianapolis, Indiana.
- The Golden Knights didn't compete at last year's event.
- Gannon finished 20th during its last appearance in 2014.
- Four Golden Knights posted records of .500 or better during their 2014 showing.
PSAC Tournament Results for Gannon
PSAC Championship 125 -
Abraham Guarriello (Erie, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf)'s place is unknown and has scored 2.50 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Guarriello (Gannon) won by tech fall over David Reagan (Shippensburg) (TF 16-0)
Quarterfinal - Sean Russell (Edinboro) won by major decision over Guarriello (Gannon) (Maj 27-15)
Cons. Round 2 - Guarriello (Gannon) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 - Jake Gromacki (Clarion) won by tech fall over Guarriello (Gannon) (TF 17-2)
PSAC Championship 133 -
Carmine Ciotti (Erie, Pa./McDowell)'s place is 2nd and has scored 17.50 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Ciotti (Gannon) won by tech fall over Gage Nicolella (Mercyhurst) (TF 19-1)
Quarterfinal - Ciotti (Gannon) won by major decision over Lucas Miller (Kutztown) (Maj 12-2)
Semifinal - Ciotti (Gannon) won by fall over Cole Rush (Shippensburg) (Fall 6:44)
1st Place Match - Korbin Myers (Edinboro) won by major decision over Ciotti (Gannon) (Maj 12-4)
PSAC Championship 141 -
John Marotto (Verona, Pa./Plum)'s place is unknown and has scored 3.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Ozzy Lugo (Edinboro) won by fall over Marotto (Gannon) (Fall 2:18)
Cons. Round 1 - Marotto (Gannon) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Marotto (Gannon) won by medical forfeit over Karl Lightner (Shippensburg) (MFF)
Cons. Round 3 - Chris Eddins (Pitt-Johnstown) won by decision over Marotto (Gannon) (Dec 3-1)
PSAC Championship 149 -
Giovanni Ciotti (Erie, Pa./General McLane)'s place is 6th and has scored 8.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Ciotti (Gannon) won by decision over David Charles (Millersville) (Dec 4-3)
Quarterfinal - Ty Lydic (Seton Hill) won by decision over Ciotti (Gannon) (Dec 8-6)
Cons. Round 2 - Ciotti (Gannon) won by fall over Blake Cohen (E. Stroudsburg) (Fall 2:08)
Cons. Round 3 - Ciotti (Gannon) won by decision over Cody Blankenship (Shippensburg) (Dec 2-0)
Cons. Semi - Chad Haegele (Kutztown) won in sudden victory - 1 over Ciotti (Gannon) (SV-1 3-1)
5th Place Match - Ty Lydic (Seton Hill) won by decision over Ciotti (Gannon) (Dec 5-3)
PSAC Championship 157 -
Jared Sample (Grove City, Pa./Grove City)'s place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Joseph Kratochvil (E. Stroudsburg) won by decision over Sample (Gannon) (Dec 9-7)
Cons. Round 1 - Sample (Gannon) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Adam Martz (Shippensburg) won by decision over Sample (Gannon) (Dec 8-1)
PSAC Championship 165 -
Garret Smith (Erie, Pa./Seneca)'s place is 6th and has scored 5.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Smith (Gannon) received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - Evan Delong (Clarion) won by decision over Smith (Gannon) (Dec 8-3)
Cons. Round 2 - Smith (Gannon) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 - Smith (Gannon) won by decision over Tanner Druck (Seton Hill) (Dec 5-0)
Cons. Semi - Fritz Hoehn (Edinboro) won by decision over Smith (Gannon) (Dec 8-7)
5th Place Match - Jared Siegrist (Lock Haven) won by major decision over Smith (Gannon) (Maj 15-2)
PSAC Championship 174 -
Jake Stratton (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Bradley)'s place is 6th and has scored 8.50 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Tevor Allard (Bloomsburg) won by decision over Stratton (Gannon) (Dec 13-9)
Cons. Round 1 - Stratton (Gannon) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Stratton (Gannon) won by fall over Joseph Balboni (Kutztown) (Fall 4:13)
Cons. Round 3 - Stratton (Gannon) won by major decision over Kevin Holman (Mercyhurst) (Maj 16-8)
Cons. Semi - Tyler Wood (Lock Haven) won by decision over Stratton (Gannon) (Dec 11-7)
5th Place Match - John Blankenship (Pitt-Johnstown) won by decision over Stratton (Gannon) (Dec 9-4)
PSAC Championship 197 -
Ethan Budd (Port Allegany, Pa./Port Allegany)'s place is unknown and has scored 3.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Budd (Gannon) won by fall over Christian Jenco (Kutztown) (Fall 4:18)
Quarterfinal - Tristan Sponseller (Lock Haven) won by major decision over Budd (Gannon) (Maj 14-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Budd (Gannon) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 - Dylan Reynolds (Edinboro) won by major decision over Budd (Gannon) (Maj 9-0)
PSAC Championship 285 -
Nick Budd (Port Allegany, Pa./Port Allegany)'s place is 4th and has scored 9.50 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Budd (Gannon) received a bye () (Bye)
Quarterfinal - Budd (Gannon) won in sudden victory - 1 over Evan Daley (Clarion) (SV-1 3-1)
Semifinal - William Miller (Edinboro) won by decision over Budd (Gannon) (Dec 8-4)
Cons. Semi - Budd (Gannon) won by decision over David Wuestner (Millersville) (Dec 6-1)
3rd Place Match - Andy Welton (Mercyhurst) won by decision over Budd (Gannon) (Dec 2-0)
