Complete Results
Budd Whitehill Headquarters
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. --- With 20 teams, eight of which were ranked in the top 30 in the nation, an injury-plagued Lycoming College wrestling team, currently ranked 21st, concluded the 2010 Budd Whitehill National Duals with an eighth place finish. Junior 149-pounder Isaiah Britton went 4-0 on the weekend, including 2-0 in the second day of action on Saturday, Jan. 16.
Lycoming opened the day with a win, taking down SUNY-Oswego, a team the Warriors beat last week 27-9. The second meeting was a closer test, with Lycoming earning a narrow 18-15 win.
Injuries forced several Warriors to step up to the varsity level in the lighter weights. After giving up decisions in the first three weight classes, Britton earned Lycoming’s first points of the day, scoring an 8-0 major decision over the Lakers Blake Fisher.
After a tough 8-3 loss at 157-pounds, the Warriors rattled off three-straight victories in the squad’s version of “Murderer’s Row.”
Chris Dahlheimer (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion) started the run at 165-pounds, earning a 7-1 decision, cutting the Oswego lead to 12-7. Kyle Crouthamel (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Freedom) tied the match after scoring a perfect 15-0 technical fall. A 7-3 decision from 184-pounder and a 7-0 victory from Russel Korbul (Asbury, N.J./North Hunterdon) at 197-pounds sealed the win for the Warriors.
For the second time over the weekend, after facing Wilkes University during Friday’s matches, Lycoming was forced to face a former Middle Atlantic Conference opponent in King’s College.
Again Lycoming gave up points in the first three bouts, including a major decision; the Warriors were forced to battle back from a 10-0 deficit. Britton started off the Lycoming scoring for a second straight match, cutting the Monarch advantage in half, picking up five team points with a 19-3 technical fall.
Replacing Dahlheimer at 165-pounds, freshman Jefferson Thomas (Curwensville, Pa./Curwensville Area) was sent into just his fifth match of the season, earning a solid 10-4 decision, pulling Lycoming closer, down just 14-8.
At 184-pounds, Hayre (Falls Church, Va./McLean) scored Lycoming’s final points of the tournament, earning a close 7-4 victory.
Despite being scheduled for the seventh-place match, the Warriors forfeited, allowing York College of Pennsylvania to wrestle its fourth, guaranteed match of the tournament, after the team the Spartans were supposed to face left the tournament. York took advantage of the extra match, defeating No. 29 Olivet College 22-21. The match came down to the heavyweight class.
Dahlheimer concluded the Duals with a 3-0 record, improving to 17-1 this season, while Britton is now 15-1 on the year.
At the conclusion of the event, No. 4-ranked Ithaca College was crowned as the champion after defeating No. 7 College of New Jersey 25-11, the Bombers’ closest match of the tournament. No. 15 SUNY-Cortland defeated No. 16 Wilkes University 24-12 for third place while King’s College finished as the fifth-place team, winning 20-19 over Ohio Northern.
The tournament featured 94 wins by fall, and 16 technical falls, displaying for of the finest wrestling in the nation.
Lycoming returns to the mat on Friday, Jan. 22 when it hosts Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference opponent Messiah College, another Budd Whitehill participant. The first weight class is set to wrestle at 7 p.m. in Lamade Gymnasium.
