8/8/2019 Koscheck, Samples honored as All-Americans

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oschecBy Christopher TraySPORTS EDITOR

The Edinboro men'swrestling team capped anoutstanding season last Saturdaynight, by finishing l8th at rheNCAA Division I nationalchampionships held at PennState University.The team accumulated 27.5points, with the majority of thescoring coming on the shouldersof two Boro grapplers.In NCAA Division Iwrestling, the top eight placewinners in each weightclassification are hailed as All-Americans.Josh Koscheck's fourth-placefinish at 174 and MrrrkSamples' seventh-place finish at165, afforded the Scots its twoAll-Americans.Ben Boozer wrestledvaliantly at 157, but missed theopportunity of becoming theScots' third All-American of thechampionships. by losing amatch just prior to the medalround.Here is a look at how each ofEdinboro's eight grapplers faredat last weekend's nationaltournament:At 125, the Scots JasonGabrielson came up empty atthe championships.

In the first round, Gabrielsonwas decked by no. 9 seeded PatCassidy of Indiana in only 2:43.Unfortunately for forGabrielson, things did not getany better in the wrestlebacks.Steve Doerrer of Illinoisdecisioned Gabrielson 9-3 in thefirst round of the consys, thusending his run at a proverbialtop eight finish. Thesophomore finished the season^t 16-7Justin Wilcox took to themats for the Scots at 133.Wilcox, a surprise champion atthe EWL tournament. too.

fbund the going tough atnationals.Wilcox drew no. 8 seededBobby Hanson of UT-Chattanooga in the first round.Proving why he was the no. 8ranked wrestler in the countrv.Hanson decisioned Wilcox 8-5.In the first round of thewrestlebacks, Wilcox showedsigns of life, defeating NorthCarolina's Brad Byers by a 7-2decision.Wilcox's potential run at thirdplace was short-lived, however.With a close 7-5 loss to DaneValdez of Oklahoma in thesecond round of theconsolations, the true freshmanconcluded his season at 20-l-5.Rllirr'l Vrgn ttltrlt' ltis st't orrtltrip to the national tounlanlcnt,wrestling for the Scots in thel4l-pound weight class.Unfortunately, his second tripdiffered little from his first. Thefourth-year junior, who lost hisopening two matches at lastyear's national tournament,headed for the exits in much ofthe same manner this season.The two quick losses oustedhim from the tournarnent.Vega dropped a nail-biting 4-3 decision to no. 8 ranked Carl?eny of Illinois in the firstround of action. A familiaropponent - Scott Bair of LockHaven -- took Vega out of thetournament, following a 6-5decision in the first round of thewrestlebacks. Vega finished theseason at 14-13.At 149, Ryan Shapert madehis first trip to nationals aneventful one. Although thejunior did not take home All-American honors, he still pulledoff one of the better upsets inthe championships' openinground of action.Shapert, who entered thenatignal tournament unseeded,knocked out Jared Frayer ofC klahoma --

in the opening round by a 3-ldecision.Pennsylvania's Brent Matterthen took "matters" into his ownhands, knocking off Shapert inthe second round with a 4- Idecision.In the wrestlebacks, PennState's Biff Walizer used thehome-crowd at the BryceJordan Center to his advantage,knocking Shapert from thetournament on the strength of an8-3 decision.PSAC champion Shapertconcluded his junior season at26-8.Ben Boozer at 157 providedthe State College crowd withone of the more impressive andfurthermore, unlikely, Edinbororuns in the tournament.

place honors at the EWLtournament on Mar. 5-6, Boozerhad not wrestled competitivelyfor the Scots since Jan. 9.The junior from Cochrantonmade his presence known early,decisioning no. l2 seeded KevinStanley of Indiana I l-6 in theopening round.Attempting to upset hissecond consecutive seededopponent of the day, Boozer fellshort, dropping a 4-2 overtimedecision to no. 5 seeded BryanSnyder of Oklahoma in thesecond round. Snyder wouldeventually finish the day infourth place.In the second round of thewrestlebacks, Boozer defeatedNathan Vasquez of Cal-Bakersfield by decision at 9-2.Corv Wallman of Wisconsin

- the same grappler who upsetthird seeded Larry Quisel ofBoise State in the openinground - was Boozer's nextvictirn, losing by rideout at 8-7.Quisel, who wqs predicted bymany insiders to win thenational championship, wouldfinish the competition as one ofthe best stories of the weekend -- posting three falls (most by e,wrestler in the tournament) andeight straight victories in thewrestlebacks, on his way to athird place finish.Boozer, though, could notcome close to duplicating thefeat of Quisel, losing in the fifthround of the wrestlebacks toLehigh's Chris Ayers bydecision at 5-1. Ayers, whocontinued on nase 2l

NCAA PhotoYOUTHFUL EXUBERANCE - ln his first trip to nationals, Josh Koscheck (right) picked upAll-America honors with his fourth place finish. The PSAC champion concldded ilie seasonat 30-9.

8/8/2019 Koscheck, Samples honored as All-Americans

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Spctator . March 26, 1 999 . page 21

KOSChgCk . ., continued from page 24eventually went on to placesixth, avenged last season'sopening round loss to'Boozer inthe national tournament byposting the commanding victoryin the wrestleback quarterfinals.Boozer, who will return forhis senior season, finished up atl 8-8.At 165, Mark Samplesconcluded his Boro career witha seventh place finish. Samples,who entered the tournanlentriding a l9-match winningstreak, strode to thequarterfinals with relative ease.Posting wins over MattMapes of Duke (13-5 majordecision) and Jim Harshaw olVirginia (7-5 decision) in theopening rounds, Samples wouldthen punch his ticket into thequarterfinals.Don Pritzlaff -- the no. 3 seedfrom Wisconsin -- rolled overSamples in the quarters, on thestrength of a 5-0 decision.Samples rebounded from thequarterfinals loss with an 8-4decision over Illinois: BillTnrman in the fourth round ofthe consolations.Joey Killar of Harvard, theno. 7 seed, then dumpedSamples in the consolationquarterfinals by a6-4 decision.Hoping to salvage at least atop seven finish, SamPlesdefeated Harshaw for theqccond rime of the iorrrnnment -

- pinning the'Cavalier grapplerin l:43.Samples concluded hisstoried Edinboro career with atotal of 99 victories - goodenough for tenth all-time inschool annals. For the 1998-99season, Samples finished up at30-4.Josh Koscheck concluded hisstrong freshman campaign, witha fourth-place finish ^t 174.Koscheck got things startcd inlhe opening r