University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
at Washington & Jefferson Collegiate Open - 11/08/08
Shane Valko and Adam Whetstone Win Titles;
11 Wrestlers Place in Top-Four at W&J Open
11/08/08...All-American Shane Valko (133 lbs.) (Windber, Pa.), the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler, and Adam Whetstone (141 lbs.) (Claysburg, Pa.) each won championships, while a total of 11 Mountain Cat wrestlers opened the 2008-09 season by placing in the top-four at Saturday's Washington & Jefferson Collegiate Open.
Valko and Whetstone both dropped a weight class for the 2008-09 season, and it proved to be beneficial. Valko, an All-American at 141 lbs. a year ago and ranked #6 in the NCAA Division II preseason NWCA Coaches' Poll, defeated Lock Haven University's Nikkien Fauagleroy, 8-3, in the title bout at 133 lbs. Whetstone, who wrestled last season at 149 lbs., defeated Mason Stewart (Thiel College) to win the championship at 141 lbs.
Pitt-Johnstown also boasted three runner-ups. Red-shirt freshman and former PA State Champion Matt Moore (Blairsville, Pa.) had three falls entering the finals match, before suffering a loss on a defensive pin to place second at 165 lbs. In addition, newcomer Jimmy Airey (Point Pleasant, NJ) finished second at 125 lbs., and red-shirt freshman Jon Moore (Leechburg, Pa.) was the runner-up at 184 lbs.
Four other Mountain Cats placed third. Freshman Myers Miller (165 lbs.) (Bolivar, Pa.), Steve Makin (174 lbs.) (Portage, Pa.) and returning National Qualifiers Patrick Walsh (197 lbs.) (Lessport, Pa.) and Chris Dempsey (HWT.) all placed third.
Freshman Glenn Winslow (133 lbs.) (Patton, Pa.) and red-shirt freshman Damian Majocha (184 lbs.) (Upper Burrell, Pa.) rounded out the top-place winners for the Mountain Cats with four place finishes.
The Mountain Cats travel to the West Virginia University Open on Saturday, before opening the dual meet schedule at West Liberty State (WV) College on November 21. Pitt-Johnstown will make its 2008-09 home debut on Wednesday, December 3 when nationally-ranked University of Findlay (OH) visits the Sports Center at 7:00 p.m.