Five place for wrestling at Ursinus Fall Brawl

COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. -- Senior Joe Ghione enjoyed a successful debut with the Elizabethtown College wrestling team, Saturday, finishing runner-up at 149 pounds to lead five place-winners in the unscored Ursinus Fall Brawl.

Ghione was the only Blue Jay to reach a championship bout, but four of his teammates wrestled into the top four in their respective weight classes. Rocco Hladney was third at 197, while Philip Torresani (125), Quinn Ruble (197) and Eric Eckstein (285) each took fourth.

Ghione, the Lock Haven transfer, won matches in almost every way possible en route to the final. He opened with a 22-6 technical fall over Gettysburg's Patrick Briody and pinned Ursinus' Pat Rowe in 3:25 to reach the quarterfinals. Ghione earned a major decision against Worcester Polytechnic Institute's (WPI) Jack Nigro in the quarters and knocked off top-seeded Connor Price of Navy, 8-6, in overtime of their semifinal battle.

In the 149 final, York's Greg Warner derailed Ghione's bid for an unbeaten tournament with a 4-2 decision. Warner came into the match ranked fourth in this season's initial NWCA rankings and eighth in the d3wrestle.com Poll.

Torresani racked up a major decision and two decisions before dropping a 3-1 decision to Navy's Logan Treaster, the top seed, in the semifinals of the 125-pound bracket. Torresani bounced back with a 3:46 pin of WPI's Michael Aquino in the consolation semis, but fell to Apprentice's Kolin Johnson in an effort to claim third-place.

The 197 consolation final was an all Elizabethtown affair as Hladney faced off against Ruble. Hladney, last week's Messiah Invitational winner, held off his senior teammate, 7-3, as both placed.

Hladney held the weight class' No. 2 seed, Saturday. He received a first round bye and a forfeit win in the second round, before falling, 4-1, to Liberty's Taylor Westlake in the quarterfinals, which was his first true match of the day. On his way through the consolation bracket, Hladney scored a pin and three decisions, including a 6-0 shutout of top seed Michael Curtis (WPI) in the consolation semis.

Ruble compiled a team-leading three pins in his six matches.

Eckstein hasn't been known as a big-point scorer in his three previous seasons with the Jays, but found a way to generate offense in his journey to fourth at 285. Following a first round bye, Eckstein trounced Liberty's David Trig in a 14-3 major. No. 2 seed Austin Shrewsbury (WPI) tripped up the senior, 5-3 in the quarters, but Eckstein responded with a 36-second pin against Delaware Valley's Oscar Daniels, a 12-4 major decision against Apprentice's Ross Graham and an injury default versus John Shorter (York) to set up a rematch with Shrewsbury in the consolation final.

Shrewsbury would again find a way to prevail, this time 7-1, to take third.

In consolation matches, 149 entry Dan Smith and 184 representative Dayne Ross collected a pair of pins for the Blue and Gray.

Elizabethtown opens its dual schedule Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. at York (Pa.).

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Players Mentioned

Eric Eckstein: 285; 5' 10"; Junior

Rocco Hladney: 184; 5' 11"; Junior

Quinn Ruble: 174/197; 6' 0"; Junior

Dan Smith: 141/149; 5' 8"; Sophomore

Philip Torresani: 125; 5' 3"; Junior

Dayne Ross: 174/184; 6' 0"; Freshman

Eric Eckstein: 285; 5' 10"; Senior

Rocco Hladney: 197; 5' 11"; Senior

Dayne Ross: 184; 6' 0"; Sophomore

Quinn Ruble: 184/197; 6' 0"; Senior

Players Mentioned

Eric Eckstein
: 5' 10"; Junior
: 285

Rocco Hladney
: 5' 11"; Junior
: 184

Quinn Ruble
: 6' 0"; Junior
: 174/197

Dan Smith
: 5' 8"; Sophomore
: 141/149

Philip Torresani
: 5' 3"; Junior
: 125

Dayne Ross
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: 174/184

Eric Eckstein
: 5' 10"; Senior
: 285

Rocco Hladney
: 5' 11"; Senior
: 197

Dayne Ross
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: 184

Quinn Ruble
: 6' 0"; Senior
: 184/197