LH wrestling repeats as MAC champions, Noto and Strickland earn individual titles
FAIRFAX, Va. – In what proved to be a thrilling final day, the Lock Haven University men’s wrestling team fended off the competition and brought home the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship for the second straight year Saturday at the 2023 MAC Championships hosted by George Mason.
The reigning champions took on all comers once again in this year’s iteration of the tournament, and the MAC team trophy will once again come home to The Haven. Buoyed by two individual champions and seven total place winners the Bald Eagles tallied 112.5 points, edging out Central Michigan’s 110.
A true force in the conference, the Bald Eagles have now won the team title in two of four years since their introduction to the MAC in 2019. Going back to the EWL, Lock Haven and head coach Scott Moore have claimed the conference crown in four of out of the last six seasons.
For the second straight year, Anthony Noto (Lima, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima (NC State)) kicked things off for Lock Haven with a championship at 125. The No. 10 ranked wrestler left no doubt as he soared to an 8-0 major decision over the 32nd-ranked Jake Ferri of Kent State. With the win, Noto becomes the first two-time MAC champion in LHU history, and also secured his place in the 2023 NCAA National Championships.
Gable Strickland (Benton, Pa./Benton) kept The Haven party rolling as the sophomore brought another title home to Mat Town U.S.A. at 133 pounds. The Bald Eagles 30th-ranked wrestler got locked into a nail-biter with Rider’s Richie Koehler, and trailed 1-0 heading into the final frame. Strickland turned on the gas for a thrilling final period and earned an escape and a takedown to take the belt at 133 pounds and seal his spot in the national tournament.
Ashton Eyler (Millersburg, Ohio/ Claymont High (Iowa Central CC)) capped a trio of Bald Eagle finalists at 157 pounds, but dropped a tense sudden-victory bout to George Mason’s Peter Pappas. Despite the result, Eyler has already locked in his place at the 2023 NCAA National Championships.
At 174, Tyler Stoltzfus (Mifflinburg, Pa./Saint Joseph’s Academy) battled back to the third-place match with a win over Rider’s Michael Wilson, before wrapping up third and his spot at the national tournament with a 4-2 decision over Sal Perrine of Ohio.
Noto, Strickland, Eyler and Stoltzfus each earned their spot at the 2023 NCAA Division I National Championships March 16-18 in Tulsa Oklahoma.
Another place winner for Lock Haven, No. 31 Avery Bassett (Middleburg, Pa./Midd-West (George Mason)) grabbed a third-place finish with two more wins on the day. In the third-place bout, he grinded out a tough 5-4 win over Central Michigan’s Tracy Hubbard.
Colin Fegley (Mahanoy, Pa./Mahanoy) notched another important fourth-place finish, which proved crucial to the Bald Eagles team title.
At 141, Sean Logue (Philadelphia/Father Judge) notched a seventh-place finish with a win over Buffalo’s Jack Marlow.
The 2023 NCAA Division I National Championships are set for March 16-18 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The NCAA will release additional at-large NCAA tournament qualifiers on Wednesday, March 8.
