JANUARY 25, 2010

KING'S GRAPPLERS HOPE TO CONTINUE SECOND SEMESTER MAGIC WHEN MONARCHS HOST 21ST RANKED LYCOMING TUESDAY NIGHT

WILKES-BARRE — The King's College wrestling team will put its six-match winning streak on the line when the Monarchs face long-time rival Lycoming College Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in Scandlon Gymnasium.

King's will utilize the new Live Scorebook feature provided by the NWCA

Click here for the Live Scorebook link.

King's enters the matchup with a 12-8 dual meet record and is riding a six-match winning streak.  The Warriors, meanwhile are ranked 21st nationally in Division III and enter the contest with an 11-5 mark.  The teams met on January 16 at the Bud Whitehill Division III Duals with King's posting a 23-14 upset.

The Monarchs have been on a roll following a difficult first semester in which the team posted a 2-7 mark. Since the start of the new year, the Monarchs have gone 10-1 with its lone defeat coming at the hands of 15th ranked Cortland State.  

King's hot streak as come as a surprise to many, especially with the loss of star grappler Mike Reilly, a two-time defending Metropolitan Conference champion who was 13-0 at 184-pounds and ranked fifth nationally in Division III. Reilly was lost for the remainder of the season after suffering a fractured ankle and torn ligaments in early December.

Part of the Monarchs success has come from seniors Tony Miele and Frankie Davis who have both dropped one weight class in December. Miele had wrestled at 141 for his entire King's career before dropping to 133 this semester.  Since the drop in weight, Miele has won 10-of-11 matches, going from 0-8  to 10-9.

Davis had been at 149 during his King's career but dropped to 141 in December.  He was 5-5 at 149 but has has gone 7-4 since moving to 141 and stands at 12-9 on the year.

The Monarchs have also received quality wrestling from senior Taylor Green who owns a fine 17-4 record at 157-pounds.  Since dropping a 3-0 verdict to seventh-ranked Dan DiColo of The College of New Jersey, Green has gone 12-0, including a 6-2 victory over second-ranked Luke Miller of Ohio Northern. Senior heavyweight Chris Rash has also been steady in posting a 12-5 mark and has won seven straight matches, including six in a row after having his appendix removed over the semester break.

Three freshmen have made significant contributions for the Monarchs. At 174, David Foley has posted a 12-8 mark while Brendan Dwyer has gone 13-6 at 197-pounds and has won eight straight bouts. At 184, Frank Marinucci has performed admirably after moving up from 174 to replace Reilly at 184.  He has gone 6-5 at 184 and stands at 11-9 on the year.

Lycoming will be led by Chris Dahlheimer at 165-pounds. The Warrior senior is 18-1 on the year and ranked fifth in his weight class. Junior Isaiah Britton is 17-1 at 149.  Junior Troy Hayre stands at 16-4 at 184 while sophomore Russel Korbul is 13-7 at 197