ALL-AMERICANS: LHU’s Chance Marsteller 3rd, Kyle Shoop 7th

RecordStaffMarch 23, 2019Last Updated: March 23, 2019

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Chance Marsteller takes third. Record photo – Tom Elling

PITTSBURGH – Redshirt-senior Chance Marsteller (New Park, Pa./Kennard-Dale) finished third at 165 and redshirt-junior Kyle Shoop (Boiling Springs, Pa./Boiling Springs) placed seventh at the 2019 NCAA Division I Championships, as the All-American Bald Eagle duo put an exclamation point on a remarkable 2018-19 season.

With placement at the national tournament on the line, the Bald Eagle duo shined brightest in front of 18,436 wrestling-crazed fans at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. Marsteller rattled off two wins on his way to third and Shoop won his only bout at 141 as the two helped LHU go 3-0 in its final session at the 2019 NCAA Tournament.

Friday night, both Marsteller and Shoop locked up All-American status.

In doing so, Marsteller became a two-time All-American. He’s Lock Haven’s first two-time All-American since JaMarr Billman finished fifth in both 2001 and 2002. Shoop, a three-time NCAA qualifier, earned All-American honors for the first time in his career.

Kyle Shoop ends up seventh. Record photo – Tom Elling

Shoop and Marsteller’s All-American awards mark LHU’s 42nd and 43rd all-time All-Americans. It also marked the first time since 1996 and 1997 where the Bald Eagles crowned multiple All-Americans at back-to-back national tournaments. Last season (’18) in Cleveland, current volunteer assistant coach Ronnie Perry joined Marsteller as an All-American. Perry made a Cinderella run to the finals at 149 pounds last year.

Marsteller is LHU’s 10th two-time All-American. Last season, Marsteller finished fourth at 165.

Marsteller opened the day by avenging a loss from the regular season. In the consolation semifinals, he met up with No. 3 seed Josh Shields and came away with a hard-fought 4-3 victory. Marsteller scored a late takedown in the first and led 2-0 after one period. The score was 2-1 in favor of the Bald Eagles after two, but a quick reversal for Marsteller in the third – after starting down – pushed the lead to 4-2. He held on for the 4-3 win.

Back on January 25, in a dual with Arizona State, Shields edged out Marsteller 2-1 in a match that went the distance and more.
In the third-place bout, Marsteller met up with another familiar face. Wisconsin’s Evan Wick beat Marsteller Friday in the quarterfinals and this year’s No. 4 seed topped Marsteller last season in the third-place match at the 2018 NCAA Tournament.

Avenging losses was once again the name of the game for Marsteller. In the third-place bout, when it mattered the most, he got the upper hand on Wick. Marsteller used a first-period takedown and third-period reversal to edge Wick, 6-5.

As Marsteller’s hand was raised by the referee, the sold-out crowd rose to its feet in appreciation of Marsteller’s special two-year LHU wrestling career. In just two seasons, Marsteller went 28-3 this season after going 44-4. The 44 wins last season marked a single-season school record.

Shoop finished seventh overall, thanks to a dominating major decision, which capped his 2019 tournament run in thrilling fashion. Shoop went 4-2 at the NCAA tournament and closed the season with a 35-8 record.

The win from Shoop – the first of three for Lock Haven in Session 5 – electrified a huge and loud Lock Haven cheering section.
In the seven-place match, Shoop did what he does best and displayed why he is one of the premier wrestlers in the country from the top position. He majored Nebraska’s Chad Red, 11-3. Red, the No. 16 seed, was no match for Shoop’s tough-on-top mentality. Shoop scored two takedowns in the first and led 4-1 after one period. After Red chose down to the start the second, Shoop quickly tilted him to the tune of four near-fall points and an 8-1 lead after five minutes. In the third, Shoop chose top and went back to work, racking up a pair of stall-call points.

Today’s Session 5 closed the season for Lock Haven.

SHOOP & MARSTELLER’S MATCH-BY-MATCH:

141: No. 13 seed, R-Jr. Kyle Shoop 4-2 | 35-8
ALL-AMERICAN, SEVENTH

First Round vs. #20 Matt Findlay (Utah Valley) W, dec. 8-7

Second Round vs. #4 Josh Alber (Northern Iowa) W, major dec. 19-10

Quarterfinals vs. #5 Jaydin Eierman (Missouri) L, dec. 8-3

Round of 12 (consolation) vs. #15 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) W, dec. 14-10

Consolation Quarterfinals vs. #9 Dom Demas (Oklahoma) L, dec. 10-4
Seventh-place match vs. #16 Chad Red (Nebraska) W, major dec. 11-3

165: No. 5 seed, R-Sr. Chance Marsteller 6-1 | 28-3
ALL AMERICAN

First Round vs. #28 Carson Brolsma (Minnesota) W, major dec. 16-3

Second Round vs. #21 Te’shan Campbell (Ohio State) W, dec. 4-2

Quarterfinals vs. #4 Evan Wick (Wisconsin) L, pinned 1:25