Eric Lewandowski
Matt Mead Photography LLC
Redshirt junior Eric Lewandowski's 5-2 victory over Joey Kratochvil in a battle of ranked wrestlers at 157 pounds ignited a Gannon run of five victories during the final six bouts.

Men's Wrestling Dan Teliski, Assistant Director of Athletics for Media Relations

Gannon Wrestling Team Rolls Past East Stroudsburg 31-13 In Front of Large Hall of Fame Weekend Crowd

THE RUNDOWN
  • Score: at Gannon 31, East Stroudsburg 13
  • Records: Gannon (4-2, 3-2 PSAC), East Stroudsburg (4-10, 1-2 PSAC)
  • Location: Erie, Pa. - Hammermill Center
  • The Short Story: Victories over regionally-ranked wrestlers by redshirt junior Eric Lewandowski (Depew, N.Y./Lancaster Central) (157) and redshirt sophomore Nicholas Costa (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial) (184) spurred the Gannon wrestling team to win five of the final six bouts as the Golden Knights posted a 31-13 win against East Stroudsburg Friday night before a large Gannon Athletics Hall of Fame Weekend crowd at the Hammermill Center.

MEDIA CENTER
BOUT-BY-BOUT RESULTS

125 Pounds
  • Result: John Pellegrino (ESU) def. Abraham Guarriello (Erie, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf) (GU) by major decision, 11-2
  • Wrestlers' Records: Pellegrino (8-1 Overall, 8-1 Dual) | Guarriello (9-12 Overall, 2-4 Dual)
  • Team Score: East Stroudsburg led 4-0
  • Notes: Dual meet started at 125 pounds ... Pellegrino is ranked No. 11 in NCAA Division II and No. 4 in NCAA Division II Super Region One ... Pellegrino led 6-2 after one period, recording three takedowns with only two being answered by Guarriello escapes ... Pellegrino produced the only points of the second period with a takedown, before riding Guarriello out the rest of the period ... Pellegrino added single points during the final two minutes for an escape, a Guarriello stall and riding time to account for the final 11-2 score.

133 Pounds
  • Result: Carmine Ciotti (Erie, Pa./McDowell) (GU) won by forfeit
  • Wrestlers' Records: Ciotti (18-2, 5-0)
  • Team Score: Gannon led 6-4
  • Notes: Ciotti is ranked No. 4 in NCAA Division II and No. 1 in NCAA Division II Super Region One ... Ciotti was credited with his team-high 18th victory ... Ciotti won his first match of the season that was decided by a forfeit.

141 Pounds
  • Result: Dylan Nace (ESU) def. John Marotto (Verona, Pa./Plum) (GU) by decision, 6-1
  • Wrestlers' Records: Nace (20-4, 12-2) | Marotto (8-9, 3-3)
  • Team Score: East Stroudsburg led 7-6
  • Notes: Nace is ranked No. 8 in NCAA Division II and No. 2 in NCAA Division II Super Region One ... Marotto is ranked No. 7 in NCAA Division II Super Region One ... Nace recorded the only points of the first period with a takedown, before riding Marotto out the rest of the period ... Nace started the middle stanza down and escaped for a 3-1 advantage heading into the final period ... Marotto opened the final two minutes with an escape, before Nace added another takedown and tacked on a riding-time point for a 6-1 victory.

149 Pounds
  • Result: Blake Cohen (ESU) def. Giovanni Ciotti (Erie, Pa./General McLane) (GU) by decision, 4-3
  • Wrestlers' Records: Cohen (7-12, 4-8) | Ciotti (9-11, 1-4)
  • Team Score: East Stroudsburg led 10-6
  • Notes: Ciotti is ranked No. 8 in NCAA Division II Super Region One ... Ciotti drew first blood with a takedown ... Cohen responded with an escape that cut the deficit in half after one period ... Ciotti started the middle period down and increased his lead to 3-1 with an escape ... Cohen followed with a takedown to tie the match at three and rode Ciotti out the rest of the period ... Cohen started the final period down and escaped for the decisive point during a 4-3 victory ... Cohen avenged an earlier loss to Ciotti at the PSAC Championships in a match that ended via a pin.

157 Pounds
  • Result: Eric Lewandowski (Depew, N.Y./Lancaster Central) (GU) def. Joey Kratochvil (ESU) by decision, 5-2
  • Wrestlers' Records: Lewandowski (8-3, 5-1) | Kratochvil (7-9, 5-5)
  • Team Score: East Stroudsburg led 10-9
  • Notes: Lewandowski is tabbed No. 12 in NCAA Division II and No. 3 in NCAA Division II Super Region One ... Kratochvil is ranked No. 5 in NCAA Division II Super Region One ... Lewandowski took the early lead with a takedown and rode Kratochvil out the remainder of the first period ... Kratochvil opened the middle stanza with a takedown to tie the bout, but Lewandowski countered with a reversal to assume a 4-2 lead after two periods ... neither wrestler was able to score during the final two minutes, before Lewandowski added a riding-time point for a 5-2 victory.

165 Pounds
  • Result: Garret Smith (Erie, Pa./Seneca) (GU) won by forfeit
  • Wrestlers' Records: Smith (15-9, 5-1)
  • Team Score: Gannon led 15-10
  • Notes: Smith is ranked No. 6 in NCAA Division II Super Region One ... Smith won his fourth consecutive match to record his 15th win of the season, tying for second-most among Golden Knights ... Smith won by forfeit for the first time this season ... Smith's forfeit victory gave Gannon a team lead that it would never relinquished.

174 Pounds
  • Result: Jake Stratton (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Bradley) (GU) def. Joe Welk (ESU) by injury default, 5:00
  • Wrestlers' Records: Stratton (15-10, 4-2) | Joe Welk (3-4, 2-3)
  • Team Score: Gannon led 21-10
  • Notes: Stratton is ranked No. 3 in NCAA Division II Super Region One ... Welk jumped in front with a takedown, but Stratton ended the first period with an escape followed by a takedown for a 3-2 lead ... Stratton poured it on during the second period with seven takedowns ... Welk managed four escapes and received a penalty point, before the match ended after two periods due to an injury default ... Stratton won by injury default for the first time this season ... Stratton picked up his 15th victory of the season, tying him for second among Golden Knights.

184 Pounds
  • Result: Nicholas Costa (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial) (GU) def. Tyler Richardson (ESU) by major decision, 15-7
  • Wrestlers' Records: Costa (5-1, 3-0) | Richardson (19-8, 12-2)
  • Team Score: Gannon led 25-10
  • Notes: Costa is ranked No. 4 in NCAA Division II Super Region One ... Richardson is ranked No. 6 in NCAA Division II Super Region One ... Costa coasted to an 8-4 lead after one period, recording four takedowns that were followed by escapes each time ... the pace slowed down during the middle period as Richardson started down and produced the only point with an escape ... Costa picked up the momentum again during the final two minutes with three more takedowns ... Richardson countered with escapes after only two of the takedowns, before Costa added a riding-time point for a 15-7 victory ... Costa is 3-0 since returning the mat after a two-month lay-off ... Costa's victory clinched Gannon's team win with two bouts remaining.

197 Pounds
  • Result: Brandon Steele (ESU) def. Ethan Budd (Port Allegany, Pa./Port Allegany) (GU) by decision, 11-6
  • Wrestlers' Record: Steele (5-10, 5-8) | Budd (4-10, 0-6)
  • Team Score: Gannon led 25-13
  • Notes: Steele raced out to a 9-2 lead after one period with two takedowns, a four-point nearfall and one escape ... Budd's only points during the opening frame came from a reversal ... Steele started the middle stanza down and escaped for the period's only point ... Budd surged at the beginning of the final period, opening with an escape and takedown to cut the deficit to 10-5 ... after a Steele escape, Budd was given a point due to stalling but it wasn't enough as Steele posted an 11-6 victory.

285 Pounds
  • Result: Nick Budd (Port Allegany, Pa./Port Allegany) (GU) pinned Daniel Makagon (ESU), 0:37
  • Wrestlers' Records: Budd (11-7, 4-2) | Makagon (2-17, 1-13)
  • Team Score: Gannon won 31-13
  • Notes: Budd is ranked No. 6 in NCAA Division II Super Region One ... Budd wasted little time ending the final bout, recording a takedown which turned into a pin 37 seconds after the opening bell ... Budd recorded his first pin of the season.

TEAM NOTES
  • Former Gannon wrestling standout Doug Joseph was honored during an intermission after the 157-pound match. The 2001 NCAA Division II 197-pound national champion will be inducted into Gannon's Athletic Hall of Fame Saturday night.
  • Gannon and East Stroudsburg were both listed among others receiving votes in the latest Wrestling Coaches Association (WCA) Top 25 Poll.
  • The NCAA Division II Super Region One rankings have Gannon listed fifth and East Stroudsburg eighth.
  • Every ranked wrestler competed during Friday's meet. Gannon featured eight ranked grapplers while East Stroudsburg had four.
  • Gannon improved to 7-0 all-time against East Stroudsburg.
  • The Golden Knights moved to 3-0 all-time against the Warriors at home, averaging 35 points with a 24.3 scoring margin during those three meets.
  • Gannon reached the 30-point plateau for the second time in six dual meets this season.

UP NEXT
  • Gannon returns to action Sunday, January 29 at the Jamestown Jayhawk Open.
  • No team scores will be kept in the open format.
  • Ten Golden Knights placed at the event in 2015 and 2016.
  • Nick Budd (Port Allegany, Pa./Port Allegany) (Hwt.), Stratton (174) and senior Alex Shaffer (Mercer, Pa./Mercer) (165) won individual titles at last year's Jamestown Jayhawk Open.
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Players Mentioned

Nick Budd

Nick Budd

Redshirt Junior
Hwt.
Nick Costa

Nick Costa

Redshirt Sophomore
184
Eric Lewandowski

Eric Lewandowski

Redshirt Junior
157
John Marotto

John Marotto

Redshirt Senior
141
Alex Shaffer

Alex Shaffer

Senior
157/165
Garret Smith

Garret Smith

Redshirt Senior
157/165
Jake Stratton

Jake Stratton

Junior
174
Ethan Budd

Ethan Budd

Freshman
197/Hwt.
Carmine Ciotti

Carmine Ciotti

Freshman
133
Giovanni Ciotti

Giovanni Ciotti

Sophomore
141

Players Mentioned

Nick Budd

Nick Budd

Redshirt Junior
Hwt.
Nick Costa

Nick Costa

Redshirt Sophomore
184
Eric Lewandowski

Eric Lewandowski

Redshirt Junior
157
John Marotto

John Marotto

Redshirt Senior
141
Alex Shaffer

Alex Shaffer

Senior
157/165
Garret Smith

Garret Smith

Redshirt Senior
157/165
Jake Stratton

Jake Stratton

Junior
174
Ethan Budd

Ethan Budd

Freshman
197/Hwt.
Carmine Ciotti

Carmine Ciotti

Freshman
133
Giovanni Ciotti

Giovanni Ciotti

Sophomore
141