Gardner wins title, eight place for Lehigh at Clarion Knight Point Open

Complete Brackets

CLARION, Pa. – Twenty members of the Lehigh wrestling team opened their 2013-14 campaigns Sunday at the Clarion Knight Point Open at the Clarion Rec Center. Eight Mountain Hawks earned placed in the top four in their respective weight classes, led by sophomore Laike Gardner, who won the 141 pound title. Two others, freshman Mitch Minotti and sophomore Max Wessell reached the finals before falling just short.

Gardner went 5-0 with three bonus wins, including an 18-2 technical fall over Ethan Raley of Indiana in the finals. To get to the finals, Gardner won a 3-0 decision over classmate Randy Cruz.

Minotti reached the finals at 149 with two decisions and two pins, including a third period pin of Ohio State's Ian Paddock in the semifinals. In the finals, Minotti ran into two-time All-American Hunter Stieber of Ohio State and fell by a 5-2 score.

Wessell won his first four bouts at 285 before coming up short against P.J. Tasser of Pittsburgh by a 3-1 score.

Sophomore John Bolich posted Lehigh's next-highest finish, coming in third at 197. Bolich won his first three bouts before dropping a 3-1 decision to Nick Heflin of Ohio State in the semifinals. He rallied to win his next two bouts, including a 12-0 major decision over Pittsburgh's Ryan Solomon in the third place match.

Four Mountain Hawk freshmen posted fourth place finishes at their respective weight classes: Artem Timchenko at 125, Brian Brill at 165, Elliot Riddick at 174 and Zach Diekel at 184.

Timchenko battled back from a second round loss to win four straight consolation bouts before forfeiting to Nick Roberts of Ohio State in the third place match. He finished 5-1 with two falls and a major decision.

Brill went 6-2 with both losses coming against Indiana's Ryan LeBlanc. Like Timchenko, Brill battled back from a second round loss to make it all the way back for third.

Riddick began his tournament with three straight wins before falling 8-3 in the semifinals to Joey Davis of Notre Dame College, one of the top wrestlers in Division II. Riddick won by major decision over Penn State's Andrew Church in the consolation semifinals but fell 3-1 to Mark Martin for third place as Martin avenged an earlier loss to Riddick.

Diekel bounced back from a second round loss to Pittsburgh's Max Thomusseit, winning five straight matches to reach the third place match. He opened the tournament with a 6-5 win over Lucas Sheridan of Indiana, but Sheridan rallied to win the rematch 6-1.

Senior Austin Meys made his return to competition after missing the last two seasons due to illness. Competing at 184, Meys pinned both of his opponents in a combined 6:10 before forfeiting out of the tournament.

Junior Nathaniel Brown also showed well at 184, winning his first three bouts. Brown led Thomusseit 2-1 early in their semifinal bout before Thomusseit came back to win 7-3. Brown forfeited to Diekel in the consolation semifinal.

Timchenko was one of four 125-pounders to compete Sunday. Freshman Darian Cruz won his first two bouts before forfeiting out, while freshman Dean Somers and sophomore Cody Kievman both won one match apiece.

Gardner fared the best out of the five Mountain Hawk entrants at 141. Randy Cruz could not bounce back from his semifinal loss to Gardner as he fell 6-5 to Nate Skonieczny in the consolation semifinals. Junior Jim Carucci and freshmen Will Switzer and Drew Longo all won at least two bouts on Sunday.

Complete Lehigh results are listed below.

The Mountain Hawks will open the dual meet season on Saturday November 9 when they host Bucknell at 7 p.m. inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Tickets can be purchased by calling 610-7LU-GAME or at LehighTickets.com.

125 – Artem Timchenko – 4th place
W Fall Jake Field (Lock Haven) 4:12
L dec. Jonathan Mele (Clarion) 9-2
W dec. Cody Kievman (Lehigh) 2-0
W Fall Sean Badua (Army Prep)* 2:13
W forfeit Darian Cruz (Lehigh)
W major dec. Dave Fogle (Pitt-Johnstown) 10-2
Medical Forfeit to Nick Roberts (Ohio St.)

125 – Darian Cruz
W dec. Josh Patrick (Rutgers) 6-1
W dec. Ronnie Perry (Lock Haven) 3-1
Medical Forfeit to Jarray Norris (Clarion)

125 – Dean Somers
W dec. Nathan Russo (Pitt-Johnstown) 2-1
L major dec. Ronnie Perry (Lock Haven) 12-2
L Fall Josh Patrick (Rutgers) 2:24

125 – Cody Kievman
L dec. Willie Bohince (Mercyhurst) 7-1
W dec. Alonzo Shepherd (Indiana) 7-6
L dec. Artem Timchenko (Lehigh) 2-0

141 – Randy Cruz
W dec. Tanner Cahill (Bloomsburg) 6-0
W Fall Simeon Everett (AIC) 5:57
W dec. Andrew Bannister (Notre Dame Coll.) 6-0
L dec. Laike Gardner (Lehigh) 3-0
L dec. Nate Skonieczny (Kent State) 6-5

141 – Laike Gardner – 1st place
W Fall Ben Rager (Pitt-Johnstown) 4:02
W tech. fall Garrett Hildebrand (PSU-DuBois) 16-0
W dec. Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) 5-4
W dec. Randy Cruz (Lehigh) 3-0
W tech. fall Ethan Raley (Indiana) 18-2

141 – Drew Longo
W major dec. Blake Riley-Hawkins (Ohio St.) 15-7
L dec. Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) 5-1
W dec. Adam Smith (Clarion) 11-10
L dec. Nate Skonieczny (Kent State) 3-1

141 – Jim Carucci
W dec. Luke Palmides (Pitt-Johnstown) 2-1
W dec. Michael Bonner (PSU-DuBois) 3-2
L dec. Tyson Dippery (Rutgers) 4-3
W dec. Jarrod Boone (Ohio St.) 6-3
W dec. Sean Heggs (Mercyhurst NE) 3-2
L dec. Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) 11-4

141 – Will Switzer
L dec. Shane Arechiga (Maryland) 9-6
W Fall JP Hayles (PSU-DuBois) 3:45
W dec. John Pezze (Clarion) 7-0
L dec. Sean Heggs (Mercyhurst NE) 6-4

149 – Mike Stepien
W major dec. Joe Randazzo (Indiana) 8-0
L Fall Hunter Stieber (Ohio State) 1:37
W major dec. CJ Rodriguez (FLWC)* 16-3
L dec. Robert Janis (Maryland) 5-0

149 – Mitch Minotti – 2nd place
W dec. RJ Brydon (Lock Haven) 11-7
W Fall Collin Harrell (Kent State) 1:50
W dec. Mike Racciato (Pittsburgh) 3-2
W Fall Ian Paddock (Ohio State) 6:32
L dec. Hunter Stieber (Ohio State) 5-2

157 – Billy Ramsey
L major dec. Alex Gordon (Ohio St.) 12-4
L major dec. Grant Blumenthal (Campbell) 17-6

165 – Will Sullivan
L dec. Gabriel French (Indiana) 3-2
L major dec. John Blankenship (Pitt-Johnstown) 10-2

165 – Brian Brill – 4th place
W major dec. Nick Milano (Clarion) 14-2
L dec. Ryan LeBlanc (Indiana) 11-4
W inj. default Cole Shirey (Mercyhurst NE)
W dec. Anthony Pafumi (Rutgers) 12-5
W dec. Steve Nelson (Clarion) 6-5
W dec. Troy Reaghard (Pitt) 14-8
W Forfeit Geno Morelli (Pitt)
L dec. Ryan LeBlanc (Indiana) 8-4

174 – Elliot Riddick – 4th place
W Fall Jake Koch (VMI) 3:24
W major dec. Travis Moyer (Lock Haven) 14-4
W dec. Mark Martin (Ohio St.) 4-3
L dec. Joey Davis (Notre Dame Coll.) 8-3
W major dec. Andrew Church (Penn State) 10-2
L dec. Mark Martin (Ohio St.) 3-1

184 – Zach Diekel – 4th place
W dec. Lucas Sheridan (Indiana) 6-5
L dec. Max Thomusseit (Pitt) 6-1
W Fall Charlie Keenan (Kent St.) 2:42
W dec. Danny Sutherland (Clarion) 5-2
W major dec. Joe Rimel (Lock Haven) 13-1
W dec. Alex Svetz (Mercyhurst NE) 12-5
W Forfeit Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh)
L dec. Lucas Sheridan (Indiana) 6-1

184 – Nathaniel Brown
W tech. fall Trevor White (Kent St.) 18-3, 6:22
W dec. Ville Heino (Campbell) 9-2
W tech. fall Travis McKillip (Pitt-Johnstown) 17-0
L dec. Max Thomusseit (Pitt) 7-3
Medical Forfeit to Zach Diekel (Lehigh)

184 – Austin Meys
W Fall – Jamar Henry (Mercyhurst NE) 2:35
W Fall – Adam Nickelson (Pitt-Johnstown) 3:35
Medical Forfeit to Tyler Dilbert (Clarion)

197 – John Bolich – 3rd place
W dec. Ryan Solomon (Pitt) 4-2
W dec. Zac Bennett (Pitt-Johnstown) 3-2
W Fall Brandon Contreras (Clarion) 0:26
L dec. Nick Heflin (Ohio St.) 3-1
W dec. Cole Baxter (Kent St.) 3-2
W major dec. Ryan Solomon (Pitt) 12-0

285 – Max Wessell – 2nd place
W tech. fall Damon Sims (Pitt-Johnstown) 18-1
W Fall Juan Adams (VMI) 3:31
W dec. Orlando Scales (Notre Dame Coll.) 4-3
W dec. Nick Tavanello (Ohio St.) 6-4
L dec. P.J. Tasser (Pitt) 3-1, s.v.

* - Indicates match against non-college opponent, does not count against season record

Lehigh University Athletics

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Gardner wins title, eight place for Lehigh at Clarion Knight Point Open

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