Dom Means
Bryce Dolak

Men's Wrestling Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Gannon to Face Impressive Field at Midwest Classic

No. 9 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS at 43rd MIDWEST CLASSIC
DATE/TIME: Saturday, December 17 and Sunday, December 18, 2022 | All Day
ARENA/LOCATION: Nicoson Hall l Indianapolis, Ind.
LIVE VIDEO
LIVE STATS
 

LAST YEAR: Dec. 18-19, 2021 – 18th / 42 teams | RECAP
Gannon sent five wrestlers to the 2021 Midwest Classic, with three landing on the podium. That included Dom Means (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic), who won the 149-pound title in his first action of the 2021-2022 season. Junior Nick Young (Batavia, N.Y./Alexander) (sixth place at 157) and freshman Joey Petrella (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Bishop Hartley) (seventh at 174) were also placewinners. Gannon as a team finished 18th of 42 teams with 44.5 points. Central Oklahoma was the team champion with a total of 106.5 points.

ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon men's wrestling team will wrap up the 2022 portion of its schedule competing in the 42nd Midwest Classic on Saturday, December 17 and Sunday, December 18. The University of Indianapolis is hosting the two-day event at Nicoson Hall.

A total of 47 teams are expected to compete in the Midwest Classic. That includes 18 teams ranked in the latest NWCA Division II Top 25, led by third-ranked and 2021 champion Central Oklahoma and No. 4 Indianapolis. In fact, six of the top ten teams are in the field. Gannon is tied for ninth in the poll. As expected, the field will include many of the top individual wrestlers in Division II, including five of the top wrestlers at each of the ten individual weight classes. Six 2021 champions are expected to compete, including Gannon's Dom Means (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic).

A year ago Gannon finished 18th out of 42 teams in the Midwest Classic despite entering just five wrestlers. Three of those Golden Knights earned spots on the podium last year. Oddly enough, two of those grapplers have flip-flopped weights and a third is out with an injury and will not compete.

Means is a returning champion after winning last year's 149 lb. crown and came in fifth in 2019. The redshirt senior has moved up to 157 lbs. and is currently ranked fifth by the NWCA and sixth by The Open Mat. Means, a two-time national qualifier at 149 lbs., is 9-2 following an 6-4 win over previously undefeated Jack Haskin of Lake Erie, who was ranked 14th by The Open Mat. Means earned NWCA All-Americans honors in 2019-20.

Nick Young (Batavia, N.Y./Alexander) placed sixth at 157 lbs. last year. The graduate student has moved down to 149 lbs. and moved up to third at 149 lbs. according to the NWCA and fifth according to The Open Mat. Young has a 10-2 record with seven wins by bonus points. He earned All-American honors at 157 lbs. thanks to a sixth-place showing in 2020-21.

Gannon's third place-winner, Joey Petrella (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Bishop Hartley), also changed weights this year. The redshirt sophomore placed seventh at last year's Midwest Classic and went on to qualify for Nationals. He has a 4-0 record while wrestling at 184 lbs. this year and is ranked ninth by the NWCA but will not compete this weekend due to an injury.

Long-time head coach Don Henry still enters a strong lineup that will only get better in the future with the return of Alex Farenchak (Painesville, Ohio/Riverside) at 165 lbs. and Joel Leise (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds) at 197 lbs. Both are former All-Americans, with Farenchak the national runner-up at 165 lbs. in 2020 and Leise finishing seventh at 197 lbs. last year. Farenchak is still recovering from a season-ending injury last February while Leise has just one semester remaining and will wrestle second semester.

Over the last two weeks the Golden Knight lineup has added some exciting talent in a pair of transfers. Jose Diaz (Valparaiso, Ind./Wheeler) took over at 125 lbs. in the Buffalo dual and has run off two straight wins. The redshirt senior previously wrestled at Division I Franklin & Marshall.

Cole Hivnor (Painesville, Ohio/Lake Catholic) debuted last week against Lake Erie, claiming a 4-0 decision at 184 lbs. The transfer from Pittsburgh redshirted for the Panthers last year.

Sophomore Chase McLaughlin (Jamestown, Pa./Jamestown Area) made his first appearance in the national rankings this week following a 3-1 decision in sudden victory over Lake Erie's Ryan Wehner, who came in ranked 14th by The Open Mat. McLaughlin owns a 6-3 record and is now ranked 18th by The Open Mat.

Gannon Lineup
125 lbs.
-- Jose Diaz (Valparaiso, Ind./Wheeler) (R-Sr., 2-0)
133 lbs. – NR/No. 18 Chase McLaughlin (Jamestown, Pa./Jamestown Area) (So., 6-3)
141 lbs. -- Jimmy Ryan (Staten Island, N.Y./Monsignor Farrell) (R-So., 1-1)
149 lbs. – No. 3/No. 5 Nick Young (Batavia, N.Y./Alexander) (Gr., 10-2) 
157 lbs. – No. 5/No. 6 Dom Means (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) (R-Sr., 9-2) 
165 lbs. – Marques McClorin (Meadville, Pa./Cathedral Prep) (Jr., 1-1)        
174 lbs. -- Cole Casilio (Wilcox, Pa./Johnsonburg Area) (R-Fr., 3-1)   
184 lbs. -- Cole Hivnor (Painesville, Ohio/Lake Catholic) (Fr., 1-0)
197 lbs. -- Eddie Farrell (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) (Jr., 0-4)
Hwt. -- Eli Reese (Sarver, Pa./Knoch) (R-Fr., 4-3)
 
Rankings: NWCA/The Open Mat

 
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Players Mentioned

Cole Casilio

Cole Casilio

174
Redshirt Freshman
Alex Farenchak

Alex Farenchak

165
Graduate Student
165
Eddie Farrell

Eddie Farrell

197
Junior
285
Joel Leise

Joel Leise

197
Redshirt Senior
184/197
Marques McClorin

Marques McClorin

165
Junior
165
Chase McLaughlin

Chase McLaughlin

133
Sophomore
Dom Means

Dom Means

157
Redshirt Senior
149
Joey Petrella

Joey Petrella

174/184
Redshirt Sophomore
Eli  Reese

Eli Reese

Hwt.
Redshirt Freshman
Jimmy Ryan

Jimmy Ryan

141/149
Redshirt Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Cole Casilio

Cole Casilio

Redshirt Freshman
174
Alex Farenchak

Alex Farenchak

Graduate Student
165
165
Eddie Farrell

Eddie Farrell

Junior
285
197
Joel Leise

Joel Leise

Redshirt Senior
184/197
197
Marques McClorin

Marques McClorin

Junior
165
165
Chase McLaughlin

Chase McLaughlin

Sophomore
133
Dom Means

Dom Means

Redshirt Senior
149
157
Joey Petrella

Joey Petrella

Redshirt Sophomore
174/184
Eli  Reese

Eli Reese

Redshirt Freshman
Hwt.
Jimmy Ryan

Jimmy Ryan

Redshirt Sophomore
141/149