LHU Topples Michigan State 18-15
Seniors shine, McKinney hits 100 & Emerick seals LHU win
LOCK HAVEN – Aaron McKinney (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny) picked up his 100th career win to energize the home crowd early and Brad Emerick (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Coughlin) returned to the lineup with the match on the line, and sealed a historic victory for the Lock Haven University wrestling team as the Bald Eagles outlasted Michigan State, 18-15 in a Friday night thriller.
Prior to the match, LHU head coach Scott Moore and the Bald Eagles honored their seniors, who were competing in front of the home crowd for one final time. Those seniors took full advantage and shined brightest, leading the Bald Eagles (8-9) to the program’s first-ever win over Michigan State.
The win also marked LHU’s first win over a Big Ten opponent since Lock Haven beat Penn State in 2002. The Bald Eagles beat Rutgers back in 2007, but at the time, the Scarlet Knights were still a member of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA).
Lock Haven and Michigan State (1-13) each won five bouts on the night and McKinney was one of four Bald Eagle seniors to claim victory.
Aaron McKinney won his 100th career match tonight. With the win, McKinney hit 100 career wins, becoming the third Bald Eagle to do this season, joiningBobby Rehm (Lancaster, Pa./Penn Manor) and Dan Neff (Quarryville, Pa./Solanco).
McKinney is now the 19th member of Lock Haven’s 100-win club.
Joining Rehm (133), Neff (149), McKinney (157) and Emerick (285) in the winner’s circle was senior 197-pounder Phil Sprenkle(Seven Valleys, Pa./Dallastown).
LHU’s Jake Field (South Elgin, Ill./Marmion Academy) and Mitch Rogaliner got things started at 125 pounds, and Rogaliner’s 9-3 decision put the Spartans up 3-0.
Rehm, a senior ranked No. 33 nationally, quickly tied the match at 3-3 after he grinded out a hard-fought 8-7 win at 133.
No. 21 Javier Gasca picked up a 9-3 victory at 141 and Michigan State led 6-3, before Neff and McKinney rattled off two straight wins for the Bald Eagles.
Neff, a returning All-American, who is ranked No. 18, picked up valuable bonus points with a dominating 23-8 (6:04) tech fall. Neff, a senior, has now won 15 straight matches since returning to 149 pounds on December 17.
Neff’s tech fall gave LHU its first lead of the night at 8-6 and McKinney’s 100th win extended the LHU lead to 11-6.
Following McKinney’s win, Michigan State won three straight (165, 174 & 184) and the Spartans led 15-11 with two matches remaining.
Sprenkle thrilled the home crowd with a major decision at 197. His major tied the match at 15-15 heading into the final bout at 285.
Emerick, who hadn’t competed for LHU since December 29, came up huge and sealed the Bald Eagles historic win with a 3-0 decision over Dimitrius Renfroe.
Michigan State was coming off its only dual win of the season after beating Northwestern, 19-15 on January 31.
The Bald Eagles will close out the regular season next Thursday, February 18 with a 5:30 p.m. Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) dual at George Mason.
Lock Haven 18 – Michigan State 15
125: Mitch Rogaliner (MSU) dec. Jake Field (LHU) 9-3; MSU leads 3-0
133: #33 Bobby Rehm (LHU) dec. Garth Yender (MSU) 8-7; tied 3-3
141: #21 Javier Gasca (MSU) dec. Cody Wheeler (LHU) 9-3; MSU leads 6-3
149: #18 Dan Neff (LHU) tech fall Kaelan Richards (MSU) 23-8 (6:04); LHU leads 8-6
157: Aaron McKinney (LHU) dec. Mark Bozzo (MSU) 4-0; LHU leads 11-6
165: Dean Vettese (MSU) dec. Cody Cordes (LHU) 9-2; LHU leads 11-9
174: Travis Curley (MSU) dec. Tyler Wood (LHU) 4-0; MSU leads 12-11
184: Shwan Shadaia (MSU) dec. Tristan Sponseller (LHU) 8-2; MSU leads 15-11
197: Phil Sprenkle (LHU) major dec. Jacob Cooper (MSU) 11-0; tied 15-15
285: Brad Emerick (LHU) dec. Dimitrius Renfroe (MSU 3-0; LHU wins 18-15
*NCAA Coaches’ Panel Rankings (Feb. 11)
