Nov. 25, 2007
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - STATE COLLEGE, Pa.; November 25, 2007 - Penn State Nittany Lion wrestlers David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) and John Laboranti (Pittston, Pa.) claimed titles at the 2007 Mat-Town U.S.A. Open Saturday evening with three other Penn Staters (and Lion-to-be) placing as well. Erwin won the crown at 174 while Laboranti nabbed the heavyweight title.
Erwin went 4-0 at 174, winning the title bout over Nittany Lion teammate Mark Friend (Libertyville, Ill.) by a 9-8 score. Friend had opened up an early five-point lead in the first period before Erwin battled the entire way back. Friend earned runner-up status with a 3-1 showing. Erwin improved to 9-1 on the year while Friend improved to 4-1. Laboranti posted a 4-0 mark as well, beating Cornell's Maciej Jochem 5-3 (sv) in the finals to claim the title at HWT. He downed teammate Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) with a sudden victory decision in the semifinals. Wade, wrestling unattached, went 3-2 and took home fourth place. Laboranti improved to 9-0 with the win.
True freshman Micah Bollinger (Mifflinburg, Pa.), also wrestling unattached, took second at 165. He lost a 7-3 decision to Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) a high school senior who recently signed on to become a Nittany Lion next fall. Wright went a perfect 4-0 in the tournament to claim the title while Bollinger also posted a 4-0 mark (his loss to a non-collegiate wrestler does not count on his record).
Other Nittany Lions competing in the event were Desmond Moore (Easton, Pa.), 0-2 at 125; Eric Caschera (South Williamsport, Pa.), 0-2 at 125; Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.), 3-2 at 141; Mike Eagen (Wharton, N.J.), 1-2 at 141; Matt Dodds (Leola, Pa.), 1-2 at 165; and Brendan Herlihy (Fairfield, Conn.), 0-2 at HWT.
The Nittany Lions will return to action in two weeks when it takes part in the 2007 Nittany Lion Open in Rec Hall. Action for that event begins at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 2. The Nittany Lion Open is not part of Penn State's regular season ticket package. NLO tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for students, $2 as part of a group package and free to Nittany Lion Wrestling Club members, Penn State students with ID and season ticket holders. Penn State will return to action on Friday and Sunday, Dec. 7 and 9, when it visits Lehigh and No. 3 Oklahoma State, respectively. Penn State's next home dual will be on Jan. 4, when Cornell visits Rec Hall for a 7 p.m. dual.