Lock Haven wins Mid-American Championships

March 4-5 • Athens, Ohio

From Lock Haven:

ATHENS, Ohio – Behind two individual championships and a pair of runner-up efforts, the Lock Haven University men’s wrestling team hoisted the program’s first Mid-American Conference (MAC) Team Championship with 123.5 team points.

Members of the Lock Haven wrestling team celebrated winning the school’s first-ever Mid-American Conference Championship. (Lock Haven photo)

Tabbed in the preseason to finish 11^th out of the 13 teams, the Bald Eagles silenced the doubters on the way to a dominant team title win with 15.5 points to the nearest competition.

Anthony Noto (Lima, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima (NC State)) and Ben Barton (Louisville, Ky./Trinity (Campbell)) took home individual championships, while the Bald Eagles added three additional automatic qualifiers to their roster that will advance to the NCAA Championships in two weeks.

Shortly after he took over the program, head men’s wrestling coach Scott Moore used the term “The Rise” to describe his plans for the Bald Eagles program. The Bald Eagles wrote another chapter in that story by going from worst to first in the MAC and becoming the first new team champion in the MAC in over twenty years.

In winning the team title, Lock Haven became the first team to win a MAC wrestling title outside of Missouri or Central Michigan since Ohio won the title back in 2001. The Bald Eagles also picked up individual championships at 125 and 157 pounds en route to the program’s second conference championship in four years.

Final Team Standings

Championship Bout

125 – Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) dec. Joey Fischer (Clarion), 3-1 sv

Noto scored winning takedown 10 seconds into overtime

133 – Richie Koehler (Rider) dec. Derek Spann (Buffalo), 4-1

141 –Quinn Kinner (Rider) dec. Josh Mason (Bloomsburg), 4-1

Kinner clinched title on a reversal with 32 seconds left

Mason pinned Central Michigan’s Dresden Simon 6:30 in quarters

149 – Kody Kamara (Kent State) pinned Marcus Robinson (Cleveland State), 4:02.

157 – Ben Barton (Lock Haven) dec. Johnny Lovett (Central Michigan), 2-1

Barton scored points on second period stalling and escape in third

165 – Izzak Olejnik (Northern Illinois) dec.  Ashton Eyler (Lock Haven), 7-5 sv

After Eyler overcame a 5-2 deficit after two periods and an escape and takedown in the third, Olejnik scored takedown 34 seconds into sudden victory

174 – Mason Kauffman (Northern Illinois) dec. Sal Perrine (Ohio), 7-5

Kaufman scored a takedown in each period, the third coming 1:07 left in the match

184 – Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois) dec.  Colin McCracken (Kent State), 8-0

Wilson scored a takedown in each period

197 – Ben Smith (Cleveland State) pinned Will Feldkamp (Clarion), 2:07

Smith was leading 6-2 when he scored the fall.

Hwt – Matt Stencel (Central Michigan) dec. Isaac Reid (Lock Haven), 4-2

Stencel scored first-period takedown and had riding time advantage

PRE-MAC NOTES

2021 NCAA Qualifiers/Champs/AAs: 41/0/6

2021 Team Standings: 1. Missouri – 188.5; 2. Central Michigan – 129; 3. Rider – 120.5; 4. Northern Illinois – 90; 5. Edinboro – 80; 6. Cleveland State – 68; 7. Clarion – 57.5; 8. Kent State – 54; 9. Buffalo – 44; 10. SIU-Edwardsville – 43.5; 11. George Mason – 35; 12. Ohio – 34; 13. Bloomsburg – 28.5; 14. Lock Haven – 15.

2021 Individual Champs/Runner-ups: 125 – Drew Hildebrandt (CMU)/Noah Surtin (Mo.); 133 – Matt Schmitt (Mo.)/Richie Koehler (Rider); 141 – Dresden Simon (CMU)/McKenzie Bell (Rider); 149 – Brock Mauller (Mo.)/Marcus Robinson (Cleveland St.); 157 – Jesse Dellavecchia (Rider)/Jarrett Jacques (Mo.); 165 – Keegan O’Toole (Mo.)/Izzak Olejnik (No. Ill.); 174 – Andrew McNally (KSU)/Peyton Mocco (Mo.); 184 – Brit Wilson (No. Ill.)/Jeremiah Kent (Mo.); 197 – Rocky Elam (Mo.)/Ben Smith (Cleveland St.); Hwt – Matt Stencel (CMU)/Ethan Laird (Rider).

All-Time Team Championships (Started in 1952) – School-No. (Last): Central Michigan – 16 (2012); Ohio – 15 (2001); Kent State – 10 (1990); Missouri – 9 (2021, rejoined Big 12 in 2022); Miami (Ohio) – 8 (1992, dropped program in 1999); Toledo – 7 (1983, dropped program in 1994); Bowling Green – 3 (1966, dropped program in 1982); Northern Illinois – 1 (1985); Eastern Michigan – 1 (1996, dropped program in 2018)

2022 Top Storylines:

• With Missouri rejoining the Big 12, Central Michigan appears ready to retake the position it held before the Tigers’ arrival in 2013, the Chippewas had won 11 straight MAC team titles. CMU coach Tom Borrelli, who with Oklahoma State coach John Smith have the most experience (31 years) among current head coaches, features at least two stand-outs in returning MAC champs Dresden Simon (141) and Matt Stencel (Hwt).

• Northern Illinois also features a pair of All-American contenders in MAC champ Brit Wilson (184) and runner-up Izzak Olejnik (165). Both wrestlers compiled 19-4 records as of Feb. 9.