Lock Haven wins MAC Championships with two champions, 2.5 points ahead of Central Michigan

2023 MAC champions – Lock Haven University. Photo courtesy of Lock Haven athletics.

FAIRFAX, Va. - Led by individual champions Anthony Noto (125) and Gable Strickland (133), Lock Haven repeated as MAC Wrestling Championships, scoring 112.5 points, ahead of second place Central Michigan with 110 points.

The MAC had 23 automatic qualifiers. Four extra matches were held to get true winners to determine NCAA qualifications.

Lock Haven press release

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 today 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.

MAC CHAMPIONSHIIPS
At Fairfax, Va., March 4, 2023

125 (2 qualifiers)
1st Place Match - Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) 26-2, RS So. over Jake Ferri (Kent State) 20-7, RS Fr. (MD 8-0)
True 2nd Place Match - Jake Ferri (Kent State) 19-6, RS Fr. over Blake West (Northern Illinois) 19-8, RS Fr. (Dec 6-5)
3rd Place Match - Blake West (Northern Illinois) 24-8, RS Fr. over Markel Baker (George Mason) 27-12, Fr. (Dec 2-1)
5th Place Match - Joey Fischer (Clarion) 11-10, So. over Ben Aranda (Cleveland State) 18-17, Jr. (Fall 4:21)
7th Place Match - Tyler Klinsky (Rider) 17-14, So. over Sean Spidle (Central Michigan) 12-15, RS So. (Dec 14-10)

133 (1 qualifier)
1st Place Match - Gable Strickland (Lock Haven) 27-9, So. over Richie Koehler (Rider) 11-10, RS Jr. (Dec 3-2)
3rd Place Match - Louis Newell (Kent State) 11-12, Jr. over Jake Manley (Cleveland State) 17-14, Jr. (Dec 7-6)
5th Place Match - Aaron Schulist (SIU Edwardsville) 11-9, RS Sr. over Vincent Perez (Central Michigan) 13-20, RS Jr. (Dec 10-5)
7th Place Match - Gio DiSabato (Ohio) 6-7, RS Sr. over Lucian Brink (Northern Illinois) 12-11, Jr. (Dec 10-7)

141 (2 qualifiers)
1st Place Match - Seth Koleno (Clarion) 22-9, Sr. over Josh Mason (Bloomsburg) 23-14, RS Jr. (Dec 4-3)
3rd Place Match - Jaivon Jones (Northern Illinois) 19-10, RS Jr. over Saul Ervin (SIU Edwardsville) 18-8, RS Sr. (Dec 2-0)
5th Place Match - Caleb Rea (Cleveland State) 14-7, RS Sr. over Anthony Glasl (George Mason) 17-15, RS Fr. (MD 8-0)
7th Place Match - Sean Logue (Lock Haven) 18-8, Fr. over Jack Marlow (Buffalo) 5-17, So. (Dec 11-5)

149 (5 qualifiers)
1st Place Match - Johnny Lovett (Central Michigan) 19-9, RS Jr. over Nate Higley (George Mason) 24-15, RS Fr. (Dec 7-5)
3rd Place Match - Quinn Kinner (Rider) 24-7, RS Jr. over Ryan Burgos (Edinboro) 16-5, RS So. (MD 11-1)
5th Place Match - Alec Hagan (Ohio) 21-14, RS Sr. over Caleb Tyus (SIU Edwardsville) 23-7, So. (Dec 4-3)
7th Place Match - Kody Komara (Kent State) 20-13, . over Kyle Schickel (Clarion) 14-15, So. (M. For.)

157 (4 qualifiers)
1st Place Match - Peter Pappas (George Mason) 23-3, RS Sr. over Ashton Eyler (Lock Haven) 27-10, RS Sr. (SV-1 3-1)
3rd Place Match - Peyten Keller (Ohio) 24-7, RS Fr. over Michael Petite (Buffalo) 11-4, RS Sr. (Dec 9-2)
True Fourth Place Match - Corbyn Munson (Central Michigan) 24-10, RS Sr. over Michael Petite (Buffalo) 8-3, RS Sr. (Dec 6-5)
5th Place Match - Corbyn Munson (Central Michigan) 25-12, RS Sr. over Marcus Robinson (Cleveland State) 19-6, RS Sr. (Dec 9-7)
7th Place Match - Trevor Elfvin (Clarion) 8-19, RS So. over Anthony Gibson (Northern Illinois) 14-11, RS Sr. (Dec 7-3)

165 (1 qualifier)
1st Place Match - Izzak Olejnik (Northern Illinois) 27-2, RS Sr. over Enrique Munguia (Kent State) 23-11, So. (Dec 7-2)
3rd Place Match - Avery Bassett (Lock Haven) 16-5, So. over Tracy Hubbard (Central Michigan) 17-16, RS Sr. (Dec 5-4)
5th Place Match - Jordan Slivka (Ohio) 13-13, RS Jr. over Cardy Wilson (SIU Edwardsville) 13-9, Sr. (Dec 6-1)
7th Place Match - Cameron Pine (Clarion) 24-9, RS Fr. over Marcus Petite (Buffalo) 4-7, RS Fr. (SV-1 5-3)

174 (4 qualifiers)
1st Place Match - Alex Cramer (Central Michigan) 30-8, RS Jr. over John Worthing (Clarion) 19-9, RS So. (Dec 4-1)
3rd Place Match - Tyler Stoltzfus (Lock Haven) 31-10, So. over Sal Perrine (Ohio) 21-7, So. (Dec 4-2)
True Fourth Place Match - Sal Perrine (Ohio) 18-5, So. over Michael Wilson (Rider) 23-9, RS So. (SV-1 3-1)
5th Place Match - Michael Wilson (Rider) 27-10, RS So. over Logan Messer (George Mason) 25-9, So. (Dec 5-2)
7th Place Match - Jared McGill (Edinboro) 16-4, RS So. over Jay Nivison (Buffalo) 7-11, So. (MD 8-0)

184 (2 qualifiers)
1st Place Match - Will Feldkamp (Clarion) 24-4, RS Sr. over Zayne Lehman (Ohio) 20-10, So. (Fall 1:40)
True Second Place Match - Zayne Lehman (Ohio) 18-9, So. over DeAndre Nassar (Cleveland State) 14-12, Sr. (MD 9-0)
3rd Place Match - DeAndre Nassar (Cleveland State) 17-12, Sr. over Colin Fegley (Lock Haven) 14-14, RS Jr. (TB-1 3-2)
5th Place Match - Malachi DuVall (George Mason) 23-9, RS Fr. over Giuseppe Hoose (Buffalo) 19-9, RS Jr. (M. For.)
7th Place Match - Benjamin Cushman (Central Michigan) 16-20, RS Sr. over Matt Zuber (Northern Illinois) 14-16, RS So. (Dec 8-3)

197 (1 qualifier)
1st Place Match - Ethan Laird (Rider) 25-1, RS Sr. over Carson Brewer (Ohio) 13-11, Jr. (Dec 8-4)
3rd Place Match - Sam Mitchell (Buffalo) 15-8, RS Jr. over Cody Mulligan (Edinboro) 13-10, RS Sr. (TB-1 4-2)
5th Place Match - Anthony Perrine (Cleveland State) 19-10, RS Sr. over Tyler Bagoly (Clarion) 22-10, RS Sr. (MD 9-0)
7th Place Match - Cameron Wood (Central Michigan) 13-22, RS So. over Blake Schaffer (Kent State) 16-22, Fr. (Dec 8-7)

285 (1 qualifier)
1st Place Match - Colton McKiernan (SIU Edwardsville) 27-3, Sr. over Terrese Aaron (Northern Illinois) 11-15, RS Sr. (Dec 2-0)
3rd Place Match - Bryan Caves (Central Michigan) 25-13, RS Fr. over Daniel Bucknavich (Cleveland State) 21-10, Jr. (M. For.)
5th Place Match - David Szuba (Rider) 21-13, So. over Isaac Reid (Lock Haven) 10-5, RS Jr. (For.)
7th Place Match - Jacob Cover (Kent State) 12-16, RS Sr. over Shane Noonan (Bloomsburg) 20-14, RS So. (For.)

Team Standings
1 Lock Haven 112.5
2 Central Michigan 110.0
3 Clarion 92.0
4 Ohio 87.5
5 Rider 86.0
6 George Mason 83.0
7 Cleveland State 81.5
8 Northern Illinois 77.5
9 Kent State 68.0
10 SIU Edwardsville 63.5
11 Buffalo 48.5
12 Edinboro 32.5
13 Bloomsburg 20.5