LHU Claims One Champ, Four NCAA Qualifiers

DEKALB, Ill. – Jared Siegrist (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) turned in a historic performance and became the Lock Haven University wrestling team’s first ever individual Mid-American Conference (MAC) champion. He went 4-0 on the way to the 174-pound title and was one of seven Bald Eagle placewinners as LHU wrapped up the two-day MAC Tournament on Sunday.

Siegrist, a senior and four-year starter, was one of four LHU wrestlers who also qualified a spot for the NCAA Championships by way of their strong finishes at the two-day conference tournament. It marked Lock Haven’s debut at the MAC Championships.

Luke Werner (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) finished third at 125, and DJ Fehlman (Warren, Pa./Warren) and Kyle Shoop (Boiling Springs, Pa./Boiling Springs) both placed fifth at 133 and 141, respectively. By way of their finishes, the trio punched their ticket to the 2020 NCAA Division I Championships, to be held later this month. Saturday, Siegrist qualified for the NCAA Tournament by way of earning a spot in Sundays’s finals.

For Werner and Siegrist, it marks the first time in their careers where they’ve earned NCAA bids. Fehlman is now a three-time NCAA qualifier and Shoop will make his fourth trip to the Division I national tournament.

Brock Port (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte), Austin Bell (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) and Corey Hazel (Spring Mills, Pa./Penns Valley) rounded out Lock Haven’s 2020 MAC placewinners.

Hazel was sixth at 184, Bell placed seventh at 165 and Port finished eighth at 149.

Behind Siegrist’s title, and thanks to seven of 10 wrestlers placing, Lock Haven finished fifth of 15 in the team standings. Missouri racked up 142 points on the way to the Tigers eighth straight MAC title. Central Michigan was second (121 pts.), host Northern Illinois third (90.5 pts.) and Rider placed fourth with 84.5 points, just ahead of LHU (82 pts.).

This marked Lock Haven’s MAC Tournament debut, as this season marks the first for LHU in the MAC – as an affiliate member – for the sport of wrestling. Last spring, a historic expansion was announced, one that saw all the former Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) teams move over to the MAC. The addition of Lock Haven, along with the other six new affiliate members from the EWL increased MAC wrestling membership to 15 total members, making the MAC the second largest NCAA Division I Wrestling conference.

Siegrist punched his ticket to the 174-pound finals by way of a perfect 3-0 Day 1 run yesterday. By way of his spot in Sunday’s finals, Siegrist had already locked up a trip to the upcoming NCAA Championships. Competing as the No. 5 seed at 174, he opened the tournament with a pin, before two decisions. Siegrist grinded out a tight 3-2 win the quarterfinals and he took down Central Michigan’s’ Jake Lowell, 9-4, in the semifinals.

In the finial, Siegrist and No. 3 seed Andrew McNally of Kent State locked up in a thriller. In the end, Siegrist edged out McNally 10-9. The two were tied 3-3 after two and combined for 13 points in the third. Siegrist sealed the upset, made history and secured LHU’s first individual MAC title with a last-second reversal.

The 2020 NCAA Division I Championships are set for March 19-21 (Thurs. – Sat.) at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Following this weekend’s conference tournaments the NCAA will select 47 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 10. The 2020 NCAA Championship brackets and seeds will be announced on NCAA.com at 6 p.m. on March 11.

LOCK HAVEN’S MAC TOURNAMENT BOUT-BY-BOUT RESULTS
*Records = MAC Tournament / 2019-20 season record / career record

125: #12 Jr. Luke Werner (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) 5-1 / 31-5 / 87-29 (#2 seed)
First Round vs. Jonathan Tropea (Rider) – W, pin (4:27)
Quarterfinals vs. Logan Heil (Cleveland State) – L, pin (1:18)
Consolation Round 2 vs. Lucas Rodriguez (Edinboro) – W, major dec. 14-3
Consolation Quarterfinals vs. Christian Gannone (Bloomsburg) – W, tech fall 16-1 (2:07)
Consolation Semifinals vs. Cameron Valdiviez (Missouri) – W, pin 4:44
3rd – Place Match vs. Jonathan Tropea (Rider) – W, dec. 9-7
Third Place, NCAA Qualifier, 5-1

133: #27 R-Sr. DJ Fehlman (Warren, Pa./Warren) 3-2 / 25-9 / 113-44 (#4 seed)
First Round vs. Shannon Hanna (Old Dominion) – W, dec. 6-5 SV1
Quarterfinals vs. Josh Mason (Bloomsburg) – W, major dec. 11-3
Semifinals vs. Tim Rooney (Kent State) – L, dec. 4-2 SV2
Consolation Semifinals vs. Andrew Martin (Central Michigan) – L, dec. 5-0
5th – Place Match vs. Josh Mason (Bloomsburg) – W, dec. 9-8
5th Place, NCAA Qualifier, 3-2

141: #22 R-Sr. Kyle Shoop (Boiling Springs, Pa./Boiling Springs) 4-2 / 22-7 / 130-46 (#4 seed)
First Rounds vs. Cory Simpson (Kent State) – W, dec. 10-4
Quarterfinals vs. Grant Leeth (Missouri) – L, dec. 4-2
Consolation Round 2 vs. Shakur Laney (Ohio) – W, major dec. 14-2
Consolation Quarterfinals vs. Marcus Robinson (Buffalo) – W, major dec. 15-6
Consolation Semifinals vs. Sa’Derian Perry (Old Dominion) – L, major dec. 10-2
5th – Place Match vs. Alex Madrigal (George Mason) – W, dec. 7-0
5th Place, NCAA Qualifier, 4-2

149: R-So. Brock Port (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte) 1-3 / 12-15 / 32-30 (unseeded)
First Round vs. Kenan Carter (Old Dominion) – L, dec. 6-2
BYE – Consolation Round 1
Consolation Round 2 vs. Corbyn Munson (Central Michigan ) – W, dec. 6-4 SV1
Consolation Quarterfinals vs. Alex Hagan (Ohio) – L, pin (2:20)
7th – Place Match vs. McCoy Kent (Northern Illinois) – L, major dec. 11-2
8th Place, 1-3

157: #30 R-Sr. Alex Klucker (Summerdale, Pa./East Pennsboro) 1-2 / 15-10 / 67-42 (#7 seed)
First Round vs. Nico O’Dor (Cleveland State) – W, dec. 4-2 SV
Quarterfinals vs. Zac Carson (Ohio) – L, major dec. 13-3
Consolation Round 2 vs. Alex Carida (Bloomsburg) – L, dec. 5-1
1-2, eliminated from MAC tournament on Day 1

165: R-Jr. Austin Bell (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) 3-2 / 21-14 / 42-39 (#8 seed)
First Round vs. Chase Deihl (SIUE) – W, tech fall 16-0 (2:09)
Quarterfinals vs. Troy Keller (Buffalo) – L, dec. 8-6
Consolation Round 2 vs. Mike Bartolo (Clarion) – W, major dec. 14-3
Consolation Quarterfinals vs. Riley Smucker (Cleveland State) – L, dec. 7-2
7th – Place Match vs. Derek Ciavarro (Edinboro) – W, major dec. 14-4
7th Place, 3-2

174: Sr. Jared Siegrist (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) 4-0 / 25-11 / 94-58 (#5 seed)
First Round vs. Chase Archangelo (Cleveland State) – W, pin (4:13)
Quarterfinals vs. Connor Flynn (Missouri) – W, dec. 3-2
Semifinals vs. Jake Lowell (Central Michigan) – W, dec. 9-4
Finals vs. Andrew McNally (Kent State) – W, dec.10-9
Champion, NCAA Qualifier, 4-0

184: R-Sr. Corey Hazel (Spring Mills, Pa./Penns Valley) 3-3 / 11-10 / 78-37 (#5 seed)
First Round vs. Shane Mast (Kent State) – W, dec. 10-3
Quarterfinals vs. Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois) – L, dec. 10-4
Consolation Round 2 vs. Paul Pierce (George Mason) – W, dec. 10-4
Consolation Quarterfinals vs. Cody Mulligan (Edinboro) – W, dec. 10-5
Consolation Semifinasl vs. George Walton (Rider) – L, dec. 8-6
5th – Place Match vs. Trevor Allard (Bloomsburg) – L, dec. 6-5
6th Place, 3-3

197: So. Parker McClellan (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) 0-2 / 16-18 / 36-34 (unseeded)
First Round vs. Sam Schuyler (Buffalo) – L, dec. 6-1
Consolation Road 1 vs. Kyle Murphy (Bloomsburg) – L, dec. 5-3
0-2, eliminated from MAC tournament on Day 1

285: Sr. Trey Hartsock (Lewistown, Pa./Mifflin County) 0-2 / 5-15 / 19-32 (unseeded)
First Round vs. Max Ihry (Northern Illinois) – L, dec. 4-2 SV1
Consolation Round 1 vs. Spencer Berthold (Kent State) – L, pin (1:18)
0-2, eliminated from MAC tournament on Day 1

*Rankings = NCAA Coaches’ Panel Rankings (Feb. 27)