LHU Kicks Off Season at Clarion Open
LOCK HAVEN — The Lock Haven University wrestling team opens the 2015-16 season on Sunday, November 1 at the Clarion Open. Action on Sunday begins at 9 a.m.
LHU head coach Scott Moore, who is entering his third year is sending six wrestlers to Clarion to compete attached. Nine other Bald Eagles will compete unattached.
Sunday’s Lineup:
Jake Field, 125
Bobby Rehm, 133
Aaron McKinney, 157
Tristan Sponseller, 184
Phil Sprenkle, 197
Brad Emerick, 285
*attached student-athletes
*does not include those competing unattached
Moore & Fittery enter third year at helm:
LHU head coach Scott Moore enters his third year as the head coach of the Bald Eagles. In the previous two seasons, LHU has gone 10-22. Assistant coach Steve Fittery has been Moore’s right-hand man every step of the way and also enters his third season. The two have helped take LHU back to the top. Last year the duo led one student-athlete to All-American status, marking LHU’s first All-American since 2007.
All-American Dan Neff returns:
All-American Dan Neff, a redshirt-senior returns to the lead the way for the Bald Eagles this season. Last year, Neff was eighth at the 149 pound weight class at the NCAA Championships, marking Lock Haven’s first All-American since 2007. This year Neff moves back down to 141, where he competed during the 2013-14 and 2011-12 seasons. Last season, Neff was 25-15 at 149 and last year’s NCAA Tournament marked Neff’s third straight appearance at the championships.
Neff’s Preseason National Rankings, 141 pounds:
The Open Mat, No. 8
WrestlingReport, No. 9
Amateur Wrestling News, No. 10
FLOwrestling, No. 10
InterMat, No. 11
Starters returning:
LHU returns seven of its 10 regular dual-match starters from a year ago and that experience should bolster the lineup. Jake Field, Bobby Rehm, Dan Neff, Aaron McKinney, Tyler Wood, Phil Sprenkleand Brad Emerick were all starters last year. Cody Wheeler, a regular starter two seasons ago also returns to the lineup this season.
Add Sponseller to the mix:
Redshirt-freshman Tristan Sponseller joins the lineup this season at 184 pounds and looks solidify the spot left open in the lineup from the departure of three-time NCAA qualifier Fred Garcia. Sponseller went 26-13 last year while competing unattached. In Sponseller’s senior season at Bermudian Springs he went undefeated on the way to a PIAA State Championship. He was a state runner-up as a junior and a three-time PIAA Championship place-winner.
Aiming to hit the magic # of 100:
Last season, Fred Garcia became 16th member of LHU’s 100-win club. This year three Bald Eagles will look to crack the prestigious 100-win plateau. Neff enters the season with 83 career wins, Rehm has 80 and McKinney holds 71.
Weight-class changes coming:
Several Bald Eagles are set to make a weight-class move for the upcoming season, including Dan Neff, Bobby Rehm, Cody Wheeler and Aaron McKinney. Neff moves down to 141, Rehm down to 133, Wheeler up to 149 and McKinney down to 157 to strengthen The Haven lineup.
National-qualifiers last season:
Last season, LHU sent three to the NCAA Championships, including returners Dan Neff and Ronnie Perry. Perry is expected to the redshirt this season.
Breaking down the schedule:
- LHU kicks off dual action on Friday, November 13 at No. 1 Penn State.
- Penn State marks one of four Big Ten teams on the schedule for dual action.
- LHU opens its home slate on Saturday, November 21 vs. Purdue and Shippensburg.
- In all, LHU has eight home events.
- Lock Haven will host the 2016 Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) Championships on March 5.
A look at last year:
During the 2014-15 season LHU went 3-3 in EWL action (7-12 overall). The three conference wins mark Lock Haven’s most EWL wins since the Bald Eagles were 3-3 during the 2004-05 season. At the 2015 EWL Championships, Lock Haven finished third overall with 101.5 points, thanks to a strong all-around day that saw all 10 wrestlers place among the top-five and nine, who finished fourth or better. It marks the second straight season where LHU has finished third at the EWL Championships. In 2014, when the Bald Eagles took third, it marked their highest finish since 2007.
Up next:
LHU returns to action on Sunday, November 8 at the Jonathan Kaloust Bearcut Open, hosted by Binghamton University (9 a.m.).
