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2005 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals - Recap

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UPJ Wrestlers Place Sixth at
2005 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals
     01/22/05...Head Coach Pat Pecora and his Mountain Cat wrestling team placed sixth at this weekend's prestigious 2005 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Wrestling Duals at Cleveland State University. Pitt Johnstown, seeded seventh in a tournament that featured the top 16 teams in NCAA Division II, fell to #8-seed Minnesota State-Mankato in the Fifth Place match Saturday evening. Pitt Johnstown posted a 3-3 record at the tournament and is now 15-5 overall. Senior All-American Mark Glova (165 lbs.) (St. Benedict, Pa./Cambria Heights H.S.) led the Mountain Cats by recording a perfect 6-0 record at the tournament. Complete results from this year’s tournament can be found at www.csuvikings.com or intermatwrestle.com.
     The Mountain Cats opened the Duals on Friday with an impressive 31-10 win over Central Missouri State University, before suffering a 27-10 loss to #2-seed Augustana (SD) College in the quarterfinals. Pitt Johnstown, forced into the consolation bracket, then earned a spot in Saturday's action by handing East Region rival Shippensburg University a solid 21-10 loss.
     In Saturday's first match, Pitt Johnstown had to take on #3-seed Ashland (OH) University. Trailing 16-15 going into the heavyweight match, the Mountain Cats needed a win from Zach Majocha (Upper Burrell, Pa./Burrell H.S.) to upset Ashland and advance in the tournament. Majocha earned a 5-2 victory over Aldo Campea to lead Pitt Johnstown into the Consolation Semifinals. Ashland jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two matches, but junior All-American Thad Benton (141 lbs.) (Claysburg, Pa./Claysburg-Kimmel H.S.) pinned Tony Iovine at 3:51 to tie the score. Pitt Johnstown won the next three matches by decision to build a 15-6 advantage. However, Ashland scored a pair of decision victories and a major decision to take a 16-15 lead into the final match. Fortunately, Majocha picked-up a hard-fought win to help the Mountain Cats stay alive to wrestle the University of Nebraska-Kearney in the Consolation Semifinals.
     Once again, Coach Pecora's Mountain Cats needed a win by Majocha to advance. This time, Pitt Johnstown trailed 18-16 to #4-seed Nebraska-Kearney. Unfortunately, Majocha was unable to come up with the victory, as Tervel Dlagnev defeated him, 5-3, and the Mountain Cats fell 21-16. Nebraska-Kearney jumped out to a quick 12-0 lead with falls in the first two matches. Pitt Johnstown battled its way back to take the lead 16-15 when red-shirt freshman Mike Corcetti (Export, Pa./Kiski Area H.S.) earned a 16-3 major decision over Caleb Young at 184 lbs. Nebraska-Kearney regained the lead, 18-16, after Jeff Sylvester defeated Mountain Cat sophomore Mike Fowler (Carrolltown, Pa./Cambria Heights H.S.), 5-2, in the 197-lb. bout. Pitt Johnstown had one match to complete the comeback, but Tervel Dlagnev defeated Majocha to seal the victory for Nebraska-Kearney.
     The loss to Nebraska-Kearney put the Mountain Cats in the Fifth Place match against #8-seed Minnesota State-Mankato, which lost to Central Oklahoma University, 18-16, in the Consolations Senifinals. Benton cut an early Mankato lead to 6-3 with a 10-3 win over Brandon Girtz, before red-shirt freshman Eric Svec (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg-Salem H.S.) put the Mountain Cats in the lead with a fall over Charles Dawson at 149 lbs. Pitt Johnstown maintained a three-point lead through the 165-lb match, but Minnesota State-Mankato won the final four matches by decision to defeat the Mountain Cats, 21-12.
     Glova reached his 6-0 mark with a pair of major decisions and four decisions. Benton and All-American Ryan Ickes (141 lbs.) (Claysburg, Pa./Claysburg-Kimmel H.S.) both earned four victories in the tournament, while sophomore Eli Garshnick (174 lbs.) (Armagh, Pa./United H.S.) and Majocha each won three matches. Two-time National Qualifier Ryon Mazzocco (125 lbs.) (Cresson, Pa./Penn Cambria H.S.), National Qualifier Matt Roncolato (157 lbs.) (Allentown, Pa./Salisbury H.S.) and Corcetti (184 lbs.) (Export, Pa./Kiski Area H.S.) all finished with two wins.

Last Reviewed: January 22, 2005
Copyright © March 2004
The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown