FAIRFAX, Va. – The Lock Haven men’s wrestling team captured the Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship tallying 112.5 points, edging out Central Michigan (110). The Bald Eagles crowned two individual champions and seven place winners.
“Going into the weekend, we had expectations and goals that we wanted to repeat as Mac champions,” Lock Haven Head Coach Scott Moore said. “We entered the tournament with eight seeded wrestlers. We knew we had a good opportunity to capture the title, but we had to wrestle our best. We just had to execute, and our guys showed up for the challenge and really showed what they’re made of.”
For the Bald Eagles, it was their second straight MAC championship. Since joining the MAC in 2019, they have won the championship twice.
“Last year was kind of a surprise,” Moore said. “We were certainly the underdogs and we were able to grind through it. We found ways to win close matches. And it was an exceptional performance by the team coming back this year.”
Anthony Noto got things going for Lock Haven with a championship victory at 125, for the second straight year. Noto started things off with a pin (2:03) against Cleveland State’s Ben Aranda. After two decision victories, Noto made his way to the finals against Jake Ferri of Kent State, winning by major decision (8-0). Noto is the first wrestler in Lock Haven history to be a two-time MAC champion. Noto will compete in the NCAA National Championship with a record of 29-2 on the year.
“He’s had a tremendous year,” Moore mentioned. “We expected him to be a leader and a guy that was going to set the tone for our lineup. He’s just a spark plug that we believe a lot in and someone that has led our program the last two years.”
Gable Strickland brought home another individual championship for The Haven in the 133-pound bracket. Strickland advanced his way to the semifinals after posting an 11-2 major decision victory over Southern Illinois’ Aaron Schulist. From there, Strickland won the championship with a 3-2 decision victory over Rider’s Richie Koehler, clinching his spot at the National Championships.
Ashton Eyler was the third Bald Eagle to reach the finals after a decision victory (10-6) in the semifinals over Marcus Robinson of Cleveland State. Eyler dropped his match in the finals against George Mason’s Peter Pappas. With a second-place finish, Eyler has qualified for the National Championships.
In the 174 bracket, Tyler Stoltzfus battled back to the third-place match after defeating Rider’s Michael Wilson by decision (9-4). Stoltzfus used another decision victory (4-2) over Ohio’s Sal Perrine. Stoltzfus is 32-12 on the season with 13 pins and will be making his NCAA debut.
Other place winners for Lock Haven include Avery Bassett, Colin Fegley, and Sean Logue, finishing third, fourth, and seventh place, respectively.
UP NEXT… Noto, Strickland, Eyler, and Stoltzfus have earned their spots in the NCAA Division I National Championships in Tulsa, OK. on March 16-18. Check out the Full NCAA Tournament Brackets.
(Photo/Lock Haven Wrestling Twitter)
