The College opened its wrestling season on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the annual Ursinus College Fall Brawl. The Lions had a very successful match against the region’s best, including one weight-division title, a runner-up and third place finish. In total, over 20 colleges and universities participated in the event, with over 100 wrestlers competing in 10 different weight classes.
Junior Doug Hamann took home the title in the 165-pound division. After transferring from Rutgers University in the offseason, Hamann won the College’s first title win at the Fall Brawl since the 2012 season, in his first outing as a Lion. Hamann went undefeated in his weight class, racking up four wins before pinning Rochester Institute of Technology’s Connor Martinez in a long bout of 5:52.
Senior Nathaniel Leer advanced to the finals in the 197-pound grouping but was edged out by American University’s Brett Dempsey by a slim 3-2 decision. Leer finished with a respectable 3-1 record on the day and earned two of his wins by pins. Leer also finished second in the 2013 Fall Brawl.
Sophomore Patrick Schinder placed third in the 285-pound division. After winning his first two matches, Schinder was defeated by runner-up Scot Augustine of American University. Schinder was relegated into the consolation bracket, where he rattled off four straight wins to claim a third-place finish.
Two Lions reached the semifinals in their respective divisions: Junior Antonio Mancella finished with two wins in the 157-pound division, while sophomore Daniel Wojtaszek posted identical numbers in the 184-pound weight group.
The Lions will open their team meet portion of the season with four meets this week. The College will travel to Stevens Institute of Technology on Wednesday, Nov. 12, for a 7 p.m. meet with a Ducks squad coming off a shutout loss to Division 1 Rutgers University.
The College will then participate in three meets on Saturday, Nov. 16, at York College. The Lions will take the mat with York College, Shippensburg University and Waynesburg University for a hectic noon start.
Last season, the College had an average 8-8 season as a team. However, the Lions are expecting a bounce-back season as reflected in the 2014 coaches poll, where the College was ranked 15th in the nation.
