ITHACA, N.Y. -- The third-ranked wrestling team opened its season by winning the 26th annual Ithaca Invitational Saturday and Sunday. A total of 12 Bombers placed in the tournament, including five champions. Ithaca's five winners matched the tournament record set in 1983 and 1984 by Ithaca and tied in 1995 by Springfield.
The 157-pound semifinals included three Ithaca wrestlers. Freshman Derek Brenon (Immaculate Heart Central/Watertown), the eighth seed, was a winner by medical forfeit over junior teammate Nick Sanko (Hamburg Area/Lenhartsville, Pa.). Brenon won twice Saturday, including a one-point win over the top seed, then posted a 16-9 win over the fourth seed in the semifinals. Sanko, seeded sixth, reached the final by recording three wins by decision. Second-seeded senior Willie Horwath (Liberty/Bethlehem, Pa.) won twice by decision and once by technical fall to reach the semifinals, then won the third/fourth-place bout 3-1. He's ranked fifth nationally.
Junior Jeremy Stierly (Owen J. Roberts/Pottstown), the fourth seed at 141 pounds, won the title with a 5-3 decision over the third seed. On Saturday he followed his technical fall win with a sudden death victory to reach Sunday's semifinals. Senior Justin Seifried (Mohawk Central/Herkimer), the number-two seed, placed third, winning his final match 7-3 after pinning two opponents and winning three decisions by a combined 9-5 (including a sudden-death win and a victory on tiebreaking criteria).
Seeded third at 125 pounds, senior Jon Gregory (Phillipsburg/Phillipsburg, N.J.), who's ranked fifth nationally, won by fall, decision and technical fall to reach the semifinal round. In Sunday's action, he knocked off the top two seeds to win the title.
Junior Blaine Woszczak (Wall/Manasquan, N.J.), lived up to his top seed at 149 pounds, winning four bouts to take home the championship. He pinned his first two opponents, recorded a 10-3 win in the quarterfinals and a 13-6 semifinal win, then won by major decision in the final, topping the nation's ninth-ranked wrestler. Woszczak is ranked second nationally.
Another top-seeded junior, David Priest# (Wyomissing/Douglassville, Pa.), won the title at 174 pounds. Saturday he pinned both his opponents and in Sunday's action he was a winner by major decision in the semifinals and a 6-0 shutout winner in the final. Priest is ranked sixth nationally.
Two Bombers placed second. At 133 pounds, top-seeded senior Chad Winowich (Abington Heights/Clarks Summit, Pa.) beat four opponents, including the nation's 10th-ranked wrestler, before losing 3-1 in the title bout. Second-seeded sophomore Seth Ecker (Pottstown/Pottstown, Pa.) pinned one opponent and beat another by technical fall to reach the semifinals. He finished fourth after dropping a one-point decision in the third/fourth-place match. Winowich is ranked third nationally and Ecker was last year's Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Ithaca Invitational after winning the 125-pound crown.
Sophomore heavyweight Matt Mahon (Brighton/Rochester), the number-two seed, won by fall and major decision to advance to Sunday's semifinal round. He pinned his semifinal opponent before losing 3-2 to the top seed (who's ranked 10th nationally).
At 197 pounds, unseeded sophomore Thomas Heckman (Cedar Cliff/Mechanicsburg, Pa.) beat the fourth seed 2-0 to reach the semfinals. He pinned his first opponent and recorded a win by decision in the second round. Heckman wrapped up the weekend with a fifth-place finish, winning 4-1 in his final match.
Ithaca travels to Wilkes-Barre, Pa., next Saturday to compete in Wilkes' John Reese Duals.
Saturday results