Eight wrestlers place at ECWC

Justin Ossont
Sports Editor

Only one week after a dismal performance at the Budd Whitehill National Duels Tournament the men’s wrestling team turned it around quickly.  Three placed in the top three in their respected weight classes at the Empire Colligiate Wrestling Conference Championships.  Five others, placed in the top six.  It is the most wrestlers to place since the 2010 sesaon.

Jonathan SecorSophomore Brian Watkins (157), juniors Greg Wetzel (165) and Johnthan Secor (174) all finished third in their weight classes. The Warriors finished 6th overall in the conference tournament.

Three other Warriors finished in the top five as well.  Sophomore Caleb Wiley (141), freshman Matt Neff (149) and senior Tyler Cunningham (183) each placed fourth in their weight classes.  Sophmore Cody Barbiche (125) and junior Zack Finn (133) finished sixth for the Warriors in their weight classes.

Greg WetzelNumber 15 in the nation, Messiah, pulled a massive upset over 11th ranked Ithaca.  Messiah finished with 133 points, while Ithaca finished with 130.5.  Brockport was third with 108.5 points, and Cortland, who is number 4 in the nation, finished fourth with 108.  Oneonta placed fifth with 106 points, Lycoming finished in 6th with 94 points and Oswego finished in 7th with 72 points, and RIT was last with only 32 points.

Watkins started his run with a pin over Oneonta’s Vincent Provenzano.  He added a 3-1 victory over Oswego’s Justin Patus and placed in the semifinals.  Derek Brenon from Ithaca took a major decision victory, 11-2 over Watkins, to move on to the finals.  In the consolation bracket, he pinned Oswego’s Maxwell Stratton and wrapped up his third place win with a close 6-5 victory over Cortland’s Chris Sarro.
Caleb WileyWetzel had a pin in his first round over Oneonta’s Donnie VanBuren. In the semifinals he lost a close match to Oswego’s Blake Fisher in a 3-1 final.  In the consolation semifinals Wetzel posted a shutout over Oswego’s Eric Anderson 5-0. Then to wrap up his tournament Wetzel won by major decision 12-1 over RIT’s Tyler Brooks-Lamber.

Secor, who went 0-3 a week ago in the Whitehill tournament, won in the opening round with a 9-0 major decision against RIT’s Collin Doane, but fell to nationally-ranked Jules Doliscar 7-0 in the semis.  After the loss Secor, bounced back with a run through the consolation braket with victories of 10-1 major decision, a pin and the third place victory of 8-0 major decision.

The Warriors finally made their home debut against King’s.  The score was not available at by press time.