Coming off of a third place finish at the Messiah Invitational in Grantham, Pennsylvania, the Heidelberg University wrestling team traveled to Washington PA. to compete in the Washington & Jefferson College Invitational. Sophomore Jason Russell (Columbus/West) was the only Student Prince to claim an individual championship, but seven other Berg wrestlers brought hardware back to Tiffin.
Russell, wrestling at 197 pounds this season, wrestled to a perfect 6-0 at Washington & Jefferson to claim top honors. He began the day with a major decision over Threron Mitchell of host Washington & Jefferson, followed by two decisions, one of which was in the double overtime.
Russell then scored another major decision over Anthony Confessore of Mercyhurst to earn a spot in the championship bout. Russell fought his way to a 4-1 decision over Nick Richuisa of Middlesex Community College for the 197-pound individual championship.
The Berg entered four wrestlers at 149-pounds and three went on to place. But it was freshman Travis Luft (Ashville/Teays Vally) who wrestled to a runner-up finish in the 149-pound weight class.
Luft received a bye in the first round, then went on to win by major decision, 14-5 and 11-2, in the second and third rounds. In the semifinals, Luft wrestled to a 7-4 decision over Chris Mulligan of Waynesburg University.
Luft’s winning streak would be brought to a halt in the finals, where he was defeated, 9-3.
Andrew Johnson (Weston/Otsego) and Zach Green (Elida) were the other Student Princes to step onto the podium at 149. Johnson and Green met to decide fifth place after battling through the consolation bracket. Johnson would emerge victorious by a score of 7-1.
Senior Justin Wharton (Oregon/Clay) wrestled to a second place finish in the 165-pound weight class after not competing last weekend due to injury. Wharton downed his first opponent by major decision, 9-1, then posted a pin for the Berg in a time of 3:43.
In his quarterfinals match, Wharton defeated Christian Bosco of Pittsburgh Johnstown, 9-5 to move onto the semifinals where he wrestled Angelo Bortoluzzi of Mercyhurst to a 7-4 victory.
Wharton then took on Bortoluzzi’s teammate, Clint Schaefer for the 165-pound individual title. Wharton was pinned in the finals in 3:19.
Heidelberg, for the second week, entered five freshman at 285-pounds, and again, one of them earns a place on the podium for the Berg. Nino Majoy claimed third for the Student Princes after earning a medical forfeit in the consolation semifinals.
Majoy won his first three matches by a combined score of 6-0, only to lose, 3-1 to Josh Duplin of Pittsburgh Johnstown in the quarterfinals. Majoy went on to a 4-0 victory in the consolation championship match.
Underclassmen Colin McDermitt (Lima/Lima Shawnee) and Brennan Kelly (Clinton Township/De La Salle) also placed for the Berg in Pennsylvania. The youthful duo claimed fifth at 133-pounds and sixth at 184-pounds, respectively.
Second-year head coach Ned Shuck and the Heidelberg wrestling team will return to the mats on Tuesday, November 13, when they return to Seiberling Gymnasium for their first 2012-2013 dual meet. They will battle the College of Mount St. Joseph at 7:30 p.m.
