The Knights also dropped a 23-13 decision to rival Mercyhurst University on the road Thursday to move their record to 7-3.

Despite the youth, coach Don Henry said the Knights have shown signs of progress throughout their season.

“We’ve been wrestling much better than what people expected us to do up to this point,” he said. “We’re a really young team, but improving with every match.”

Against Kutztown, each team wrapped up five victories, but Kutztown earned a bonus point in three matches compared with Gannon’s two to comprise the margin.

Junior 157-pounder Sean Floor briefly gave the Knights a 10-7 lead with his 4-1 win, before Kutztown took three in a row.

Floor said the Knights are improving but must take something from each match.

“I believe we are progressing, but that we should take these last couple losses and learn from our mistakes, because that’s all part of the maturing process,” Floor said.

Henry said the Knights were in good position to win Saturday, but weren’t able to get it done.

“We’ve wrestled some really good teams and beat some good teams,” Henry said. “We’ve also lost a couple matches we probably shouldn’t have, but at this point, most people probably expected us to have four or five wins.”

However, Gannon wasn’t without its highlights Saturday. Senior Ethan Swope, who is ranked fifth nationally, scored a 9-1 major decision in the 149-pound weight class. It was Swope’s second of the week, as he also recorded an 11-3 win against Mercyhurst.

Still, the Knights will have to put their faith in younger wrestlers, who, thus far, have impressed. Floor said the younger wrestlers are beginning to find their identity.

“They’re stepping up into their roles that they need to,” he said.

The Knights hope all pistons are firing by the time they enter the NCAA Division II Super Regional One tournament at the end of February.

For now however, the Knights say they are only worried about their next match at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Wednesday.

“Our team’s approach is to keep on grinding and win this next one for sure and come back and beat Ship at home,” redshirt freshman Scott Bulzan said.

The Knights will return home to face Shippensburg University 8 p.m. Friday.

JOE CUNEO

cuneo001@knights.gannon.edu

With their first duel meet of the season coming Wednesday against Penn State Du Bois in the Hammermill Center, the Knights are leaning on the first-year grapplers to fill the void left by the graduation of Gannon’s all-time wins leader, Zack McKendree, and two former all-Americans, Tony Petrella and A.J. Milanak.

But so far, the newly Knighted wrestlers have been up to the challenge. A mix of true and redshirt freshmen, the group has accounted for 28 of the team’s 45 wins and two of its top-5 finishes throughout the first three Open events of the season.

“We lost a lot of older guys,” said redshirt freshman Adam Weinell, who has already finished third and fourth in the 133-pound division this season. “We knew we had to step up and be a big part of the team.”

They just didn’t know how large of a role they’d play in helping the Knights keep pace with their average of nine victories a season over the past four years. Weinell, who leads the team in wins, boasts a 9-4 record through three opens while seven other freshmen have recorded multiple victories on the mat.

According to redshirt Scott Bulzan, the success has surprised everyone but themselves.

“I expected us to hold our own and come out, compete and do just as well as we did last year,” said Bulzan, who notched two victories in the Buffalo Open on Nov. 11.

Redshirt senior Jose Matos said that the positive impact the wrestlers had this year are a tribute to  effectiveness of coach Don Henry’s program, his ability to recruit hardworkers and the freshmen’s willingness to adapt to it.

“A lot are redshirt freshmen so they had the ability to learn from the older guys,” Matos said. “It shows that coach Henry is doing the right thing. They’re coming in here and beating guys they shouldn’t be beating.”

Despite the hot start, things haven’t been all forfeits and pins for Gannon as the group of freshman had to overcome the mental side of wrestling. Stepping onto the mat with an opponent who’s years older can leave a wrestler overmatched in experience and confidence.

“Oh yeah, wrestling with all those other guys that have been here and have all that experience is tough,” Bulzan said. “You have to be determined to go out there and beat those older guys. You can’t really think about it.”

Whatever practice may have done to tear anyone down, the preseason opens helped build everyone up. Now entering their first dual-meet of the year, the Knights are confident that they can compete with any team.

“We know we practice harder than anyone out there,” Weinell said.

“We know we’re a tougher team overall. Some of the younger guys realized they can compete and win.  The winning and losing has helped bring us together.”

The opens haven’t just prepared Gannon to enter the dual-meet season full steam ahead mentally, but also technically.

“You can see the little habits change that only other wrestlers can see,” said Matos of the team’s development through the season’s first month. “They got their lumps but they were bound to learn. They’re learning a lot faster than I did.”

It hasn’t been just the coaches and current wrestlers who have helped the freshmen develop – even though Weinell and Bulzan praised both groups – as former Knights have also played a role.

According to Bulzan, Milanak has been in and out of practice, showing the younger wrestlers the finer aspects of the sport.

“Those guys were NCAA qualifiers and were really good,” Bulzan said. “It helped just to see their work ethic and the way they worked out. I got to see the way champions practiced.”

It would be wise for the future of Gannon’s wrestling program to take notes from Milanak and others when they had the chance, because, when asked how important this group is the team’s success, Matos was hardpressed to find an answer.

“Man, I can’t even put that into words.”

ZACK McDERMOTT

mcdermot002@knights.gannon.edu

The team’s first tournament in Buffalo on Nov. 6, went well according to Coach Don Henry, though he said he was not pleased with the results of Sunday’s tournament.

“We had a good weekend in Buffalo,” he said. “The younger guys weren’t intimidated by the competition. This weekend was the complete opposite.”

Sophomore Keith Stoerr, who chalked up two wins in the 165-pound category, said he attributes the team’s rocky start to youth and inexperience.

“We have a young team this year and we’re going to some tougher tournaments and facing a lot of Division I competition,” he said.

Henry also said that youth was an issue, but emphasized that the multiple injuries the team has endured early in the season was a contributing factor to most of the wrestlers at the Open being either freshmen or redshirt freshmen.

“We only wrestled 11 guys this weekend compared to 17 in Buffalo,” he said. “And we were intimidated. This weekend we wrestled the schools, not the wrestlers.”

Besides Stoerr, four other Gannon wrestlers recorded wins at the Open. Redshirt freshman Adam Weinell went 2-2 in the 133-pound bracket, posting the best record for the Knights, with his final match ending in a narrow 7-4 loss.

Recording one win each were junior Sean Floor, redshirt freshman Zack Zelcs and true freshman Jesse Wolfe.

Floor said he thought the showing by the Knights was subpar.

“Guys didn’t perform that well,” he said. “I think they learned when they see a guy wearing a uniform of a DI school not to be intimidated and to just go out and wrestle.”

Henry said that he could have selected easier tournaments for the team to compete in, but wanted to see stiffer competition in this early point in the season.

“We’re going to see all those Division II teams all year and we don’t necessarily want to see them yet,” he said. “We want tougher matches first and then we’ll get into our niche as we get into the season.”

The Knights will be wrestling at the Mercyhurst Open on Saturday – a competition Henry said should not be intimidating after wrestling some of “the best guys in the country in any division” the past two weekends.

Stoerr said that despite the disappointing day on Sunday, the team has the potential to have a successful season.

“We have a strong core group of guys and once we get going we’re going to be a force to be reckoned with,” he said.

Henry was of the same mindset, saying that once the team begins to gel they will be in good shape.

“We have a bunch of no name champions,” he said. “No one knows how good we are – we don’t even know how good we are.”

CHRISTINE PEFFER

peffer002@knights.gannon.edu

The No. 15 Gannon University wrestling team showed off its tiger blood as it was able to finish third out of 13 teams in the NCAA Division II Super Regional One held at the Carneval Athletic Pavilion Feb. 25-26.

(Deadria Clarke) Junior wrestler Jose Matos tries to escape during a match at the NCAA Division II Super Regional One held at the Carneval Athletic Pavillion Feb. 25-26. The No. 4 nationally-ranked Matos finished third in the event.

It was the first time in program history that the Knights, who went 3-1-1 at home this season, hosted the event.

“Being at home made everything that much better,” said redshirt senior Zack McKendree who finished second in the 165-pound weight class. “You don’t have to travel and it puts all the cards in your hands.”

While McKendree approved of the home match, Henry had a different feeling about wrestling at the CAP.

“I’d say it was about 50/50,” Henry said. “It was nice to be comfortable in our gym, the setup was good and the tournament went well, but sometimes it’s nice to walk into a place, wrestle, and not worry about the extra stuff.”

McKendree, who broke into the national rankings after his regional performance, is one of four Gannon wrestlers who earned a trip to the NCAA Division II National Championships in Kearney, Neb. Friday and Saturday.

Junior Jose Matos, redshirt junior Ethan Swope and redshirt senior A.J. Milanak all finished in the top four of their respective weight classes. McKendree and Swope lost in the championship bouts as Milanak and Matos – who is ranked No. 4 in the nation at 125-pounds – earned third- place finishes.

“For me and A.J. this is it,” said McKendree as he and Milanak will end their Gannon wrestling careers in Nebraska. “We have to go out there and wrestle our perfect matches.”

While McKendree’s second- place finish was an achievement in itself, the Vandergrift, Pa., native etched his name in Gannon history as he finally reached the top of the Knights’ all-time wins list.

His 108th career victory came with a 4-3 victory over American International’s Ronald Tetreault in the semifinals. The win was made sweeter by the fact that it served as McKendree’s revenge over a wrestler who defeated him earlier in the season.

“It’s an awesome achievement,” he said. “It’s great to be among the great wrestlers in Gannon history.”

According to Henry, the record wasn’t broken by accident.

“It’s a tribute to how well he’s wrestled for us,” he said. “You don’t get to 100 victories without winning a bunch each year.”

McKendree, whose 32 wins ranks No. 9 on Gannon’s all-time single-season wins list, said that he’d swap it all in for victories in his last few matches of his career.

“You think about it a little bit,” he said. “It’s definitely a bonus to my time here at Gannon but I’d trade it to have a national championship.”

During his career, McKendree has gone 30-7 in dual meets while ranking among only seven other Knights in school history to earn an undefeated 10-win dual season record.

“I think I did pretty well,” said McKendree as he contemplated his time as a Knight. “I came in and hit it off pretty well my freshman and sophomore seasons.”

As McKendree will never forget his Super Regional performance, fellow redshirt senior Tony Petrella will be busy trying to forget his.

The formerly No. 2 nationally-ranked wrestler and tournament No. 1 seed mustered only a fifth-place finish. The 174-pound Petrella, who has been arguably Gannon’s best wrestler all season, will not be participating in the NCAA Championships.

Petrella rounded out his breakout season with a perfect dual meet record but found trouble navigating the field after losing East Stroudsburg’s Jeff Jacobs during the competition’s second day.

In addition to the national qualifiers and Petrella, the Knights had three more wrestlers who earned top-six finishes. Senior John Fleming placed sixth while redshirt sophomores Chris Boyd and Sam Brehm finished sixth and fifth, respectively.

Despite having eight wrestlers place in the top six of their weight classes, Gannon was unable to overcome to Newberry College and the University of Pitt-Johnstown – a team they defeated earlier in the season – for the top two spots.

The Knights were however able to best rival Mercyhurst College and Kutztown University as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference schools rounded out the top five.

Although the Knights weren’t able to walk away with a regional championship, Henry said he believes that winning the national championship in the four weight classes isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

“We want to go there and have four All-Americans,” he said. “If we wrestle well – with the way the brackets are set up – we can get to the finals. That’s what we’re there to do.”

ZACK MCDERMOTT

mcdermot002@gannon.edu

The Knights defended their home mat for the last time this season with a 28-12 victory over West Liberty State College Saturday after losing their previous contest in the ‘mill to Shippensburg University.

Gannon, which now boasts a 7-2-1 record, will hit the road Wednesday to battle Lake Erie College at 7 p.m.

In what served as a farewell for the seniors, John Fleming, Zack McKendree and Tony Petrella all earned victories in their final dual meet matches at the Hammermill.

McKendree grinded out his 103rd career win with a 6-5 decision West Liberty’s Jarrod Shaw. The redshirt senior is now fourth on Gannon’s all-time win list. McKendree, who is 27-8 this season with a 10-0 dual-meet record, is four wins shy of tying Todd Proper’s record of 107 wins.

McKendree was followed by Petrella, the nation’s No. 2 wrestler in the 174-pound weight class, who was able to earn a big win for the Knights as he defeated Matt Littleton with a 9-1 major decision.

Fleming rounded out the seniors’ succesful day by pinning his opponent Pete McAtee for the second time this season in the 133-pound match. Fleming now holds an 8-7 record.

McKendree, Petrella, Fleming and fellow redshirt senior A.J. Milanak have played pivotal roles for the Knights during their career. The quadruplets combined for more than 225 combined wins during their time at Gannon.

Although it was the seniors who sealed the deal for the Knights, it was the underclassmen who kept the team from a West Liberty takedown.

Redshirt junior Ethan Swope got Gannon off to a quick start with 5-2 decision in the 149-pound weight class. Swope is now 8-2 in dual meets this season after finishing .500 in dual meets last year.

Redshirt sophomore Chris Boyd was able to extend the Gannon advantage with a 9-4 victory. Boyd had three takedowns and near-fall points a piece.

Junior Jose Matos, who ranked No. 7 in the nation at 125 pounds, kept up his recent late-match heroics as he squeaked out a 6-4 victory with only seconds remaining in his 125-pound clash. In the Knights’ 27-7 win over Shippensburg on Feb. 5, Matos earned a takedown in the final 30 seconds to send the bout to a sudden victory overtime and he would later win the match by earning a takedown.

Matos is now 16-4 this season.

After an unsportsmanlike penalty from the West Liberty State coach and a forfeit at the 141-pound weight class, Gannon had secured its seventh win of the season and its third on the Hammermill mat.

The Knights won’t catch a break as they travel to Greensburg to take on Seton Hill University Friday before gearing up for the NCAA Division II East Regional at the Hammermill Center at the end of February.

ZACK MCDERMOTT

mcdermot002@gannon.edu

(Gannonsports.com) Gannon wrestler Zack McKendree. The senior is six victories away from setting the all-time wins record in Gannon program history.

After losing its first home match since the 2008-09 season, the Gannon University wrestling team bounced back, defeating Shippensburg University 27-7 on the road Saturday.

“We needed to make a point,” said coach Don Henry. “We had to show that the Kutztown match was a fluke. Shippensburg was a complete turnaround.”

The Knights (6-2-1) have won 11 of their 14 meetings in the Hammermill Center since the 2007-08 season. 

Despite falling two spots to No.16 in the national rankings, the Knights battled Shippensburg with one of their strongest efforts of the season.

Gannon went undefeated in the first eight bouts against the Red Raiders one week after winning only one of its first four matches against Kutztown.

“We are finally wrestling healthy and motivated,” Henry said. “We can finally see light at the end of the tunnel and are looking forward to the Regionals.”

Junior Jose Matos, the No. 7 wrestler in the NCAA Division II 125-pound weight class, got things started for the Knights with an 8-6 overtime victory.

Matos holds a 16-4 record while posting a 7-1 record in dual meets this season.  

Gannon’s newest member of the 100-win club, redshirt senior Zack McKendree, earned a 14-5 victory on the back of six takedowns.

The 165-pound McKendree is now 26-8 this season while recording an unblemished 9-0 mark in dual meets.

He has recorded at least 20 wins in four of his five seasons at Gannon.

At 102 career wins, the Vandegrift, Pa. native needs only six more wins to capture the all-time wins record in program history.

According to Henry, Matos and McKendree are examples of the improvements the team has made in recent weeks.

“Zack is on fire,” Henry said. “Matos is looking better – even though he gets a lot of wins, he’s started to win bigger. But everyone has been making improvements and taking steps to getting better.”

The other wrestlers made their improvements evident against Shippensburg as redshirt seniors A.J. Milanak and Tony Petrella, senior Scott Baron, redshirt junior Ethan Swope and redshirt sophomores Chris Boyd and Sam Brehm pushed the Knights’ win streak to eight bouts.

Milanak recorded five takedowns in the 141-pound weight class win while Petrella, who ranked second in the nation in the 174-pound class, recorded an 11-4 victory.

Petrella is now a perfect 8-0 in dual meets while Milanak boasts a 6-2 mark in dual meets.

Baron and Swope reigned supreme in their matches as they won by seven and eight points in the 133- and 149-pound weight classes, respectively.

Baron is 9-10 on the season while Swope, who is second on the team in victories, has already quadrupled his win total from last season by posting a 20-10 record.

Boyd and Brehm sealed the victory for Gannon with the two closest matches of the evening.

Boyd, who is second on the team in falls, won 6-3 as Brehm came out victorious in his 157-pound match to push his dual-meet record to an even 4-4.

After posting one of its biggest victories of the season against the Red Raiders, the Knights will now have three matches before hosting the NCAA Division II East Regional Finals in the Carneval Athletic Pavillion at the end of February.

It’ll be the first time that the Knights have hosted the event.

“We’re so used to traveling to the regionals that this will be different,” said Henry of the event. “Having the chance to sleep in your own bed and wrestle in your own gym means a lot. We’ll be sure to be ready.”

The Knights play host in their final dual match of the season as they welcome West Liberty State College to the Hammermill Center at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Gannon, which comes into the meet with a three-match win streak over the Hilltoppers, beat West Liberty 25-16 on Feb. 16, 2010. 

ZACK MCDERMOTT

mcdermot002@gannon.edu

(Zack McDermott) Senior wrestler John Fleming wrestles against the University of Pitt-Johnstown's Matthew Scherich in the Knights' 28-6 victory Jan. 13. Fleming is No. 5 in the 133-pound class in the latest regional ranking.

After going 1-0-1 against nationally ranked opponents and beating Mercyhurst College for the second year in a row on Thursday, the Knights were able to add another accomplishment to their already-successful 5-2-1 season. 

Redshirt senior Zack McKendree, ranked No. 3 in the region at 165 pounds, recorded his 100th victory in a 12-3 individual win over Mercyhurst wrestler Pat Leahy.

“It’s a pretty big deal,” said coach Don Henry. “He’s been consistently winning 15-20 matches a season for us and that’s hard to do at D-II.”

McKendree’s 101 victories have put him in rarified air as only five other Knights have ever crossed the century mark for wins.

The Vandergrift, Pa., native is one win shy of climbing to fourth on Gannon’s all-time list and only seven victories shy of breaking Todd Proper’s all-time mark of 107 wins.

McKendree is also ranked No. 8 in program history in pins with 28.  

As for the other Knights, their work has not gone unnoticed as the team is ranked No. 4 in the latest NCAA Division II East regional rankings with Gannon wrestlers occupying seven of the 10 weight classes.

Despite having a majority of starting wrestlers ranked, the Knights were unable to defeat instate rival Kutztown University as Gannon dropped a 22-12 decision at the Hammermill Center Saturday. 

“Up until Kutztown I’d say we were wrestling really well,” Henry said. “We’ll reevaluate, regroup and come back. I’d still say we’re wrestling well.”

Redshirt senior Tony Petrella keeps his top spot in the regional rankings in the 174-pound class. Petrella has reigned supreme in eight of his last nine matches and is an undefeated 6-0 in dual meets.

“Last year at Duquesne [University] he figured out a way to win,” Henry said. “He’s kept it up. It’s ugly but successful.”

Junior Jose Matos jumped to No. 2 in the region after serving as one of the Knights’ lone bright spots in the loss to Kutztown.  Matos, who is 15-4 in the 125-pound weight class, earned a takedown with seven seconds left in the second overtime period.

Redshirt senior A.J. Milanak, an Apollo, Pa., native, held his grip on the No. 2 regionally ranked position in the 141-pound class with an 8-5 record. Three of his losses came against Division I opponents.

Redshirt junior Ethan Swope was also able to hold onto a second place ranking.

Senior John Fleming and redshirt sophomore Sam Brehm were ranked fifth and sixth in their 133- and 157-pound divisions.

Gannon’s next hurdle to overcome will be Saturday when the Knights travel cross-state to face Shippensburg University at 7 p.m. The match will serve as a good bounce-back opportunity as the Red Raiders are 4-10-1 on the season.

“We need to win the first five out of seven matches,” Henry said. “If we can do that against anyone, we can win. In both of our losses this year we’ve lost at 141 and 149 pounds. I’m not taking away anything from A.J. [Milanak] and Ethan [Swope] – they’re two of our best wrestlers – but the team follows what they do.”

ZACK MCDERMOTT

mcdermot002@gannon.edu

The Michigan and Ohio State university football rivalry games aren’t even close in numbers.

Gannon University and Mercyhurst College basketball teams set the bar as the men’s and women’s squads will meet for the 135th combined time in program history when the Lakers travel downtown to the Hammermill Center on Wednesday to kick off rivalry week.. The women kick things off at 5:30 p.m. while the men take the stage at 7:30. 

On Thursday, one day after the basketball teams take the court, the Gannon University wrestling team will grapple with Mercyhurst at 7 p.m. as the Knights host its third home dual meet of the season.

The drama is heightened as the basketball teams look to establish position in a competitive Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference while the wrestling team aims to gain ground in the national rankings.

“It’s a huge game,” said men’s basketball coach John T. Reilly. “I try to downplay the Mercyhurst aspect but it’s important for us to get back into things in the PSAC and they’re one of the hottest teams in the league, right now.”

The 9-6 men’s basketball team, which sits in seventh place in the PSAC West, brings a two-game conference losing streak into the game and has been on the losing end in three of its past four games.

The Knights should find added energy against the 13-3 Lakers as Gannon has proven nearly unbeatable in the Hammermill Center with an 8-1 record and holds a 45-15 advantage over Mercyhurst. The Knights came out victorious in five of the past six matchups.

Despite dropping two straight games, Gannon enters the contest as key players are hitting midseason stride.

Freshman Stephen Battle earned his third straight PSAC West division freshman of the week award while redshirt freshman Kelvin Agee is coming off a 25-point effort against California (Pa.) University.

Junior guard Steve Piotrowicz has recorded at least one point and one rebound in 28 consecutive games dating back to last season.

Although the Knights have been keeping pace offensively with the Best in the West, according to Reilly it will be their play on the other end that decides the contest against Mercyhurst.

“We’re going to have to play very good defensively,” he said. “It’ll be hard since they have a lot of scorers. We’ll have to play really, really tough.”

The women’s basketball team is in a similar predicament as the 8-7 Knights find themselves on a two-game losing skid while dropping five of their last seven contests.

However, Gannon has history on its side as it has defeated Mercyhurst 13 times in a row and 23 of 26 times dating back to the 1997-98 season – the Knights won those games by an average of 17.5 points. 

Freshman Jennifer Papich brings a five game double-digit scoring streak into the game for Gannon, which dropped its first PSAC West home game since entering the conference in 2008.

The Gannon University wrestling squad is the only team entering its Mercyhurst matchup on a positive note. The 4-1-1 Knights are coming off a victory against No. 6 University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and a tie against No. 18 Ashland University. 

Even with all the hub-bub of a Gannon-Mercyhurst matchup, coach Don Henry said the Knights are approaching this match like any other.

 “We have to get to 21 points as soon as we can,” he said. “Getting to 21 is the key for us because then we can’t lose. We feel we can win the first seven weight classes.”

The Knights enter the match as the newly crowned No.14 team in the nation. It’s the team’s first appearance in the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association Top 20 all season.

Gannon is led by No. 2 nationally-ranked redshirt senior Tony Petrella. Petrella, who wrestles in the 174-pound weight class, brings a 9-1 record into the meet. Redshirt senior Zack McKendree will continue his march toward becoming the fifth Gannon wrestler to record 100 career wins. McKendree, a three-time NCAA Division II national qualifier, currently has 99 victories.

Despite being Gannon’s easiest competition in three matches, Henry said he recognizes that records go out the window when wrestling against the crosstown rival Lakers.

 “We see them a lot and know their wrestlers,” he said. “It’s always going to be a tough match. We want those bragging rights.”

ZACK MCDERMOTT

mcdermot002@gannon.edu

(Alex Bieler) Junior Jose Matos (red) upends University of Pitt-Johnstown's Dave Fogle in Thursday's meet at the Hammermill Center. The Knights went on to win 28-6 in their first home event of the season. Matos, who is ranked No. 3 regionally, now has a 13-4 record on the season.

Stan Lee may instead choose four wrestlers from the No. 3 regionally ranked Gannon University wrestling team as junior Jose Matos, redshirt senior Zack McKendree, redshirt senior Tony Petrella, and junior Chris Boyd have been enjoying some hard earned success lately.

Less than a week after the foursome contributed 3-0 marks to the third place Knights’ finish in the eight-team Midwest Classic hosted by Ashland College, the group finally led their troops into the Hammermill Center for the first home event of the season.

Gannon is 10-1 at home over the past four seasons.

The Knights certainly didn’t disappoint the home crowd as the team tallied an impressive 28-6 victory over No. 6 ranked University of Pitt-Johnstown. Gannon jumped three places in the regional rankings because of the victory.

The lost served as the Mountain Cats’ first of the season and gave the Gannon its first victory over the rival since the 2000-01 season. 

Pitt-Johnstown won last year’s meeting 27-6.

Matos, McKendree, and Petrella finished off their opponents Dave Fogle, Gary Lantz, and Steve Makin, respectively, early in the evening and took advantage of the opportunity to push the Knights to a 22-0 lead.

It wasn’t until the 184 pounder Boyd wrestled A.J. Brentzel in a six overtime thriller that the Knights surrendered a point.

By that time, for the opposition, it was too little too late.

Before redshirt junior Jimmy Martz ended the night on a successful note for Gannon by pinning Josh Kupra at the 3:23 mark, freshman Richie Russell wrestled a close match but was edged out by Pitt-Johnstown’s Petros Georgilas.

Russell said that having upperclassmen help the wrestlers from a mental and technical standpoint,

“We’re all either older or very young wrestlers so having guys like Tony and Zack, who have been to nationals and been All-Americans on the team helps,” he said. “They know what it takes to get there. They’re always willing to help out and show us new ways to succeed and get to nationals.”

He also spoke of the importance that Coach Don Henry places on conditioning which clearly showed in some of the matches as Gannon wrestlers were able to simply outlast their opponents and gain victories.

Despite their physical fitness, the Knights were unable to get past Ashland University as both school ended the meet with a 15-15 score. Senior John Flemming, redshirt senior A.J. Milanak, redshirt junior Ethan Swope along with McKendree and Petrella recorded victories for Gannon.

The individual victories against Pitt-Johnstown and Ashland not only helped the Knights coast to a victory, but also sparked the interest of those determining the NCAA Division II East regional individual rankings.

Petrella is ranked No.1 in the 174-pound weight class with a perfect 5-0 dual meet record.  It was Milanak who made the biggest jump as he went from being unranked to No. 2 in the 141-pound weight class.

Swope also holds a No.2 ranking – his coming in the 149-pound weight class. Matos and McKendree are ranked No.3 in the 125 and 165 pound weight classes, respectively.  Flemming is ranked No. 5 in the 133-pound class while redshirt sophomore Sam Brehm is No. 6 in the 157-pound class.

As the Fantastic Four pushes on, so do the rest of the Gannon Knight wrestlers as the Knights will next take their show on the road as they return to Ashland, Ohio for the Ashland Open Saturday.

The Gannon wrestling team started its season with individual matches at the Buffalo Open Sunday.

The Knights had three wrestlers place fourth in a tournament featuring more than 200 entrants from Division I, II and III schools, as freshman Adam Weinell, redshirt senior Zack McKendree and senior Chris Daniels all took top honors for Gannon.

Weinell won his opening round match but fell to eventual 125-pound division champion Taylor Golba of Buffalo.  After winning three straight matches, Weinell fell to Notre Dame College’s Brian Dean to take fourth place.

McKendree emerged from his first three matches victorious, but lost to Kevin Hardy of Notre Dame. 

The senior rebounded from the loss quickly, pinning Buffalo’s Pat Brady in 53 seconds to take fourth in the 165-pound division.

The 184-pound Daniels followed a similar path to Weinell, winning his opening round but falling in his second match. 

The senior rattled off three victories before losing to Ohio State University’s Pete Capone.

Coach Don Henry said he was pleased with his team’s performance in its first tournament of the season.

“Traditionally, we have one or two in the top four, so this was a good year,” Henry said. “We just want to keep on winning; to do as good or better than last year.”

 Apart from the three fourth-place finishers, Gannon had strong performances from redshirt senior Tony Petrella, redshirt junior Ethan Swope and redshirt sophomore Sam Brehm, all of whom wound up just short of placing in their first tournament of the season.

Henry said that the chance to finally compete was a relief to his team.

“They needed to wrestle someone else other than themselves,” Henry said. “Now they can use this as a measuring stick for the future.”

The next chance that the wrestlers see how they stack up to the competition will come when the Knights travel to New York to compete in a field of more than 300 entrants at the Binghamton Open Sunday.

ALEX BIELER

bieler001@gannon.edu