Dec. 6, 2009

• 2009 Nittany Lion Open Results

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- With the Navy wrestling program sending split squads to the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (14th / 42 teams) along with the Nittany Lion Open over the weekend, junior 184-pounder Matt DeMichiel (Whitesboro, N.Y.) was the lone Navy wrestler to place in the one-day open tournament held at Penn State Sunday afternoon. Though just one of the 20 wrestlers placed for the Midshipmen, three others - Allan Stein (Portland, Maine), Jared Anongas (Richmond, Va.) and Mike Billings (Waterford, Mich.) - were just one match away from the placewinners matches.

DeMichiel opened the tournament by blanking Bucknell's Kevin Foley in an 11-0 major decision. However, DeMichiel's time among the championship bracket was short-lived, as he narrowly lost his second-round bout to Virginia's Jon Fausey, 3-1.

The loss sent DeMichiel to the consolation bracket where he fought his way back into the competition. Coincidentally, his next match was against another Fausey, Shawn, the older brother of Jon Fausey, who wrestles for Drexel. DeMichiel successfully advanced, earning a 2-1 tie breaker win. A medical forfeit by Pittsburgh-Johnstown's Patrick Walsh set up a battle between DeMichiel and Bucknell's David Thompson. Twice in the Navy Classic a Navy wrestler defeated Thompson and for a third time, a Midshipman earned a win over the Bison wrestler. DeMichiel cruised to a 9-2 win over Thompson and continued his success with a 6-3 victory over Virginia's Michael Salopek. Penn State's Edward Ruth, however, would snap DeMichiel's streak, handing him a 6-4 loss and a sixth place finish.

Meanwhile, as previously mentioned, Stein, Anongas and Billings were all just a step away from reaching a spot in the placewinners brackets. Stein got off to a terrific start at 125 pounds, beating high Schooler Coltin Fought, 13-4, and Pitt's Anthony Zanetta. Despite a solid effort, Stein was sent to the consolation bracket when sixth-ranked Brad Pataky of Penn State earned a 4-0 win. Stein then lost a heartbreaker to Maryland's Pat Stritzki by a 4-3 count.

Anongas, meanwhile, took a 3-1 overtime decision to beat The Citadel's Jordan Dix in the pigtail round before succumbing to Garrett Morabito of Binghamton, 4-0. But like DeMichiel, Anongas took the wrestleback challenge seriously and battled his way through the bracket. The rookie earned a tech fall (15-0) over Jason Turpyn and then ousted UNC Greensboro's Alec Fraser, 9-0. Anongas continued to bully his way to victory by taking a 5-3 win over Maryland's Timothy Marcoux before West Virginia's Jonathan Pennesi tripped up Anongos, 5-4.

Billings couldn't have gotten off to worse start after finding himself on his back and getting pinned by Lehigh's Austin Meys in under two minutes. But the veteran wrestler used that experience to regroup and prepare for wrestlebacks. Michigan State's Bryant Craft forfeited his match in the consolation bracket as Billings moved on to take a 12-10 win over Lock Haven's Derek Caldwell. Billings went on to win another close match, posting an 8-4 sudden victory over the host's Justin Ortega. But Billings' hopes of placing were dashed when Pitts' Ethan Headlee handed him a 14-6 loss and eliminated him from the tournament.

Other Navy wrestlers competing at the Nittany Lion Open included Ben Levin (Reisterstown, Md.) at 133 pounds, Eric Filipowicz (Elkridge, Md.) and Dustin Haislip (Inwood, W.Va.) at 133 pounds, John Majka (Chicago, Ill.) at 149 pounds, Kyle O'Neill (Gaylord, Mich.) and Zach Basich (Wheeling, W.Va.) at 157 pounds, Jake Schalles (Orlando, Fla.), Mason Bailey (Fairmont, W.Va.), Mike Brant (Johnstown, Pa.) and Robby Neill (Brick, N.J.) at 165 pounds, Russ Kropp (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Greg Prioleau (Poway, Calif.) at 184 pounds, Ben Hatef (Bowie, Md.) and Nick Hylton (Lester, W.Va.) at 197 pounds and Mike Landis (Hershey, Pa.) and Joe Breaux (Bossier City, La.) at heavyweight.

The Mids will take the next two weeks to prepare for the Reno Tournament of Champions slated for Dec. 20.