Feb. 8, 2009
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Four young Nittany Lion wrestlers placed at the Edinboro Open yesterday as a contingent of 13 unattached Penn State grapplers travelled northwest for the annual open event.
Freshman Tyler Saltsman (Concord, N.H.) went 3-1 at 133, advancing to the finals before dropping a hard-fought 2-1 decision to Eastern Michigan's Andrew Novak. True freshman Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) posted a solid 4-2 mark at 165 to take fourth place. Sophomore Christian Harr (Hollidaysburg, Pa.) had a fine day at 149, going 5-2 with a technical fall and a pin to take fifth place. True freshman Jack Chidester (Conestoga, Pa.) placed fifth at 125 with an identical 5-2 mark, one major and one pin.
Nine other Penn Staters took part in the event: Eric Caschera (South Williamsport, Pa.) went 1-2 at 125; Mike Eagen (Wharton, N.J.) went 1-0 at 133; Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) went 2-1 with a pin at 141; Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.) went 0-2 at 141; Jarret Freeman (Maspeth, N.Y.) went 0-2 at 149; Nick Fischer (Unionville, Pa.) went 2-2 at 157; Shane Donnelly (East Smithfield, Pa.0 went 0-2 at 165); Micah Bollinger (Mifflinburg, Pa.) went 1-2 at 165; and heavyweight Brendan Herlihy (Fairfield Conn.) went 2-2 at heavyweight.