Full Results
WASHINGTON, Pa. – In one of the closest Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Wrestling Championship finishes to date the Tomcats claimed the 2012 team championship, outscoring two-time reigning champion Waynesburg University by just three points.
Thiel, securing its first conference team title since 2009, totaled 110 team points at the event, followed by Waynesburg (107) and host Washington & Jefferson College (66). Ninth-year head coach
Craig Thurber was named the conference Coach of the Year following his team's triumphant finish. The championship was Thiel's seventh under Thurber's tutelage.
"It feels great. The team has really worked hard for this. Tonight was a total and complete team effort - with four individual champions and four second-place finishers - every single match mattered. I think losing the close dual to Waynesburg last Wednesday was a great motivating factor as these guys didn't want to have that feeling again. We wrestled with a lot of heart, emotion, and toughness tonight, and Coach Linn and I couldn't be prouder," said Thurber.
The Tomcats had won 10-straight conference crowns prior to the Yellow Jackets two-year run as champions. Friday's championship was Thiel's 11 over the past 13 seasons.
Corey Brown (Greenville, Pa./Reynolds) led four individual Tomcat champions, claiming fourth individual PAC title and running his career record to 99-24. Brown, currently the nation's second-ranked wrestler at 133 pounds in the February 7 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) individual rankings, earned a 15-6 major decision victory over Waynesburg's Jake Vitolo in round one and followed that up with a 9-3 decision over W&J's Zach Cecchetti.
"Corey winning his fourth PAC title tonight wasn't only for him. It was for all of the seniors who haven't won this since their freshman year. He has been a super person and a tremendous leader for our team and tonight was step one with the regional and national championships to follow. We're all looking forward to Corey putting an exclamation point on his already outstanding career," said Thurber.
Patrick Morris (Graysville, Pa./West Greene) earned his second individual conference title as a Tomcat, pinning W&J's Theron Mitchell (2:24) in round one and posting a 7-3 decision against Waynesburg's Patrick Jennings in round three at the 197-pound weight class. Morris, who's points towards the team title proved to be critical in the Tomcat's attempt to unseat Waynesburg, had won an individual championship at 184 pounds in 2009.
Jacob Lowry (Smithfield, Pa./Albert Gallatin) claimed the first individual PAC title of his young Tomcat career, posting a 7-5 decision over Waynesburg's Ryan Walters in round one and a 12-3 major decision over W&J's Eric Kohr in the 174-pound weight class.
Stephen Ceremuga (Greenville, Pa./Commodore Perry) won the 184-pound weight class, defeating Waynesburg's Cody Catalina 3-1 in overtime in round one and pinning W&J's Michael Mahramas (1:11) in the second round. Ceremuga notched 3-2 decision over Catalina in the dual meet matchup between the two schools on Feb. 1 in Greenville.
"Jake, Stephen, and Pat have been wrestling exceptionally over the past few weeks and I just want to really congratulate those guys. They really deserved this, especially with Pat being a senior leader on this team. It was great having those those three back-to-back-to-back to close out tonight's championship," said Thurber.
The Tomcats will close out their 2011-2012 regular season on Saturday, Feb. 18 when they travel to Case Western Reserve University for the Si Ostrach Meet, which will feature the Tomcats, the host Spartans, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Muskingum University. Matches are scheduled to get underway at noon.
