JANUARY 20, 2018

KING'S WRESTLERS FINISH 5TH AT 2018 MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Final Brackets   l   Final Team Scoring

WILKES-BARRE — Messiah College crowned five individuals to win its third straight Middle Atlantic Conference Wrestling Tournament Saturday at Scabdlon Gymnasium on the campus of King's College.

Messiah posted 152.5 team points, followed dy Delaware Valley (130.0), Wilkes (121.5), Lycoming (114.5) and host King's (45.0).

Messiah's first winner was Steve Maloney who posted a 5-3 decision over Josh Evans of Wilkes at 149. In the 165-pound class, Jeff Hojnacki of Lycoming was a 6-2 winner over Ashton Gyenizs of Wilkes. The Falcons crowned their third champion at 174 when Ben Swarr claimed his third MAC title with a 11-0 major decision over Brandon Conrad of Lycoming. Swarr was a 2016 NCAA Division III national champion and placed second at nationals a year ago.

At 184, Victor DeFrance of Messiah pinned King's Nick Price in 2:13 to give the Falcons its fourth winner. Price was a surprise finalist as he entered the tournament with a 0-1 record on the year by won two matches to reach the final. Messiah's final winner came at 197-pounds when Kyler Koser defended his title with an 18-0 technical fall over Brody Keefe of Lycoming. Koser was a seventh place finisher in the 2017 NCAA Division III national tournament.

Messiah also had one runner-up as Kevin Edwards fell in the 157-pound final when he was pinned by defending champion Hadyn Swartwood of Lycoming. Lycoming's other champion came at 285-pounds when Garrett Wesneski posted a 7-0 decision over Mark Isaac of Delaware Valley.

For Delaware Valley, Kordell Rush was a winner at 125-pounds, posting a 13-1 major decision over Wilkes' Kyle Trout. Also for Delaware Valley, Tim Ambacher captured the 141-pound title with a 3-2 decision over defending champion Matt Grossman of Wilkes in a rematch of the 2016 MAC title match won by Grossman.

Wilkes Jim Demarsico captured the 133-pound class with a 4-3 decision over Brenden Velez of Delaware Valley.

Aside from Price's second-place finish, King's had two wrestlers capture third-place. Freshman Jake Taylor earned the bronze medal with a 7-3 decision over Andres Aguilar of Lycoming while heavyweight Ralph Bernardo er=aned a 4-2 decision over Jared Schell of Messiah.


2018 MAC Championship Finals
125 – Kordell Rush (DV) major dec. Kyle Trout (Wi), 13-1
133 – Jake Demarsico (Wi) dec. Brenden Velez, 4-3
141 – Tom Ambacher (DV) dec. Matt Grossman (Wi), 3-2
149 – Stephen Maloney (Me) dec. Josh Evans (Wi), 5-3
157 – Hadyn Swartwood (Ly) pinned Kevin Edwards (Me), 2:24
165 – Jeff Hojnacki (Me) dec. Ashton Gyenizs (Wi), 6-2
174 – Ben Swarr (Me) major dec. Brandon Conrad (Ly), 11-0
184 – Victor DeFrance (Me) pinned Nick Price (Ki), 2:13
197 – Kyle Koser (Me) tech fall Brody Keefe (Ly), 18-0
285 – Garrett Wesneski (Ly) dec. Marc Isaac (DV), 7-0