Lock Haven men’s wrestling opens season with strong showing
PRINCETON, N.J. – The No. 23 Lock Haven men’s wrestling team opened the 2023-24 season Sunday at the Princeton Open and John Miller (Reading, Pa./Exeter) led the way with a second-place showing at 174 pounds.
Miller was one of eight total Lock Haven place-winners on the day.
Nationally-ranked – No. 20 – Gable Strickland (Benton, Pa./Benton) finished third at 133, and nationally-ranked – No. 29 – Isaac Reid (Saltsburg, Pa./Kiski) took fourth at 285.
Nationally-ranked No. 29 – Avery Bassett (Middleburg, Pa./Midd-West) and Eric Alderfer (Harleysville, Pa./Faith Christian Academy) finished fifth at 165 and 157, respectively.
Colin Fegley (Mahanoy, Pa./Mahanoy) added a sixth-place finish at 184 pounds.
Miller finished the day at 3-1 overall. He opened the day with a pair of hard-fought decisions before earning a dominant 10-1 major in the semifinals. In the 174-pound finals, Miller was edged out, 6-2, by Gunner Filipowicz (Army West Point)
Strickland was 3-1 overall with a major decision and a tech fall. He bounced back from a semifinal loss and downed Daniel Uhorchuck of Army, 8-4 for third place.
Reid finished the day at 2-2 overall. He opened the day with back-to-back major decisions before falling in the semifinals to No. 19 Nathan Taylor of Lehigh, 5-1.
Bassett went 5-1 with a tech fall at 165 and Alderfer was 5-1 at 157. Fegley finished the day at 2-2.
Competing unattached, 141-pounders Wyatt Henson (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg) and Ty Linsenbigler (Landisville, Pa./Hempfield) both placed. Henson, a transfer from Oklahoma and returning national qualifier, is nationally-ranked (No. 28) to start the season. Henson went 2-1 with a pin, and Linsenbigler was 2-1 with two majors.
The Bald Eagles will return to action on the Journeymen Wrangle Mania when they open dual action vs. nationally-ranked Arizona State and Army on Saturday, Nov. 11. Several members of the team will also compete Sunday, Nov. 12 in the Journeymen Collegiate Classic. The full Lock Haven men’s wrestling schedule is available at GoLHU.com.
