Wrestling wins fourth-straight OAC tournament

Five weight champions helped keep the Ohio Athletic Conference Wrestling Tournament Title with Heidelberg University for the fourth-straight season. The Berg had all 10 of its wrestler’s battle for a top-four finish, including seven grapplers that vied for a weight class championship. It was the second time in four years that Heidelberg had a wrestler place in all 10 weight classes. Overall Heidelberg will take a program-best six wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, which tops its five from a season ago. Muskingum College hosted the tournament in New Concord, Ohio.
 
Heidelberg accumulated 101 points to outdistance them from the rest of the pack. Mount Union College improved on its sixth place finish from a year ago to stand second with 68.5 points followed by John Carroll University (61.5) and Ohio Northern University (59.5). Rounding out the team scores was Baldwin-Wallace College in fifth (29.5) followed by Wilmington College (25.5) and Muskingum (23.0).
 
Heidelberg, ranked 11th in the latest Brute/Adidas National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) national poll, won the regular season trophy for the third time in four years last week and successfully defended its tournament title today. Seventh-year head coach Jason Miller was tabbed the OAC Co-Coach of the Year with Mount Union’s Mark Hawald. It is the fourth-consecutive year that Miller has been honored.
 
Winning their weight classes and earning a bid to the 2009 NCAA Championships March 6-7 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as well as all-league honors, was 125 pounder Jerrad Hoxie (Grand Rapids, Mich. / Forest Hills Northern), 133 pounderTony Lawler (West Jefferson, Ohio / West Jefferson), 141 pounder Boomer Fechko (Brunswick, Ohio / Brunswick), 165 pounder Matt Curley (Brecksville, Ohio / Lakewood) and 285 pounder Tony Carothers (Bloomingdale, Ohio / Harrison Central).  
 
Taking home runner-up honors and subsequent all-conference honors was Josh Levy (West Liberty, Ohio / West Liberty Salem) at 149 pounds and Zach Mizer (Canton, Ohio / Perry) at 157 pounds. Mizer will make is six national qualifying wrestlers for the Berg as he earned the OAC at-large bid.
 
Rounding out the placers was Brad Rice (West Jefferson, Ohio / West Jefferson) with a third at 197 pounds, while Mac Henry (Bowling Green, Ohio / Bowling Green) and Ed Bizorik (Bellevue, Ohio / Bellevue) finished fourth at 174 and 184 pounds, respectively.
 
"We are very pleased with our performace today," stated Miller. "We were the only school to place in all 10 weight classes and have six national qualifers, which speaks highly of our program as the next closest is sending two. Our next goal is to bring home some All-American honors."
 
Hoxie, a sophomore, will be making his second-straight trip to nationals. As a freshman he was the underdog and upset the no. 1 seed to earn a spot at the NCAA Championships. In 2009 he returned as the wrestler to beat, earning the top seed. En route to the championship he posted an 11-0 major decision over Colin Dennis of Mount Union and won the title with a 7-3 decision over John Carroll’s Elie Naoum. Sandwiched between was an 8-4 decision over last year’s runner-up David Penny of ONU. For the year Hoxie stands at 24-16. It is the second-straight year that he has eclipsed the 20-win plateau.
 
Lawler, also a sophomore, came into his own this season in his first year having a full time presence in the Berg lineup. He earned the no. 1 seed, which played into a first-round bye. Lawler had a 15-7 major decision over Michael Halko of Muskingum and claimed his first trip to nationals with a 3-0 decision over Adam Kriwinsky of JCU. Lawler will carry a 16-7 record with him to Cedar Rapids.
 
Redeeming himself from a runner-up finish as season ago at 133 pounds was Fechko. He moved up a weight class and left no doubt that he wanted to make it to the next level. Fechko went 5-0 in dual contests this year to earn the tournaments no. 1 seed. The day began with an 18-2 technical fall in 4:51 and ended with a 16-0 technical fall in 5:24 over Joe Spooner of Ohio Northern to win the title. He found himself in the title bout following a 5-1 decision over Josh Malave of Mount Union. Following today’s tournament Fechko stands at 25-9 overall.
 
Curley joins classmate Lawler as a first year go-to wrestler in the Berg lineup. He has posted an overall record of 27-5 and will be making his first appearance at the national tournament. Curley was the no. 1 seed and earned a first round bye. For the day he had a 10-3 decision over Billy Painter of ONU and won the 165 pound championship with an 11-3 major decision over Baldwin-Wallace’s Joe Incorvaia.
 
Saving his best season for last has been Carothers at heavyweight. Wrestling in his first OAC Tournament of his career Carothers earned a spot in the tournament following a 4-0 dual record. Carothers was tabbed the no. 1 seed and did not disappoint. He began the tournament pinning Baldwin-Wallace’s Terrence Haynes in 46 seconds before earning a spot in the finals with a 6-3 decision over Mount Union’s Derrick Hesson. In one of the most exciting match ups on the day, Carothers met Wilmington’s Adam Salyers in the finals and the duo battled in front of a standing crowd. Carothers had a takedown in double overtime to earn his first trip to nationals. For the year, Carothers stands at 31-8. He is just one of two wrestlers to record 30 wins on the year.
 
Levy, a junior, found himself in the tournament finals for the first time of his career. He had a fall in 2:59 to open the day before posting an 8-5 decision. Levy dropped a 7-3 decision to Dan Mixener of John Carroll in the finals. Levy closes out the year at 18-16 overall.
 
Mizer entered the tournament ranked 10th in the nation at 157 pounds and went 6-0 on the year in OAC duals to earn the no. 1 seed. He began the day with a 16-1 technical fall in 7:00 before posting a 7-3 decision to earn a spot in the championship match. No. 2 seed Luke Miller of ONU upset Mizer in a close 3-2 decision in the championship match. Mizer will be making his second-straight trip to nationals via the at-large selection and will take a team-leading 32-10 record.
 
Rice went 2-1 on the day to finish third. He earned a first round bye before suffering an 8-5 loss to no. 1 seed Bill Schindel of Mount Union. Rice battled back to finish third with 10-3 and 6-4 decisions. For the year, Rice, a sophomore, posted a 21-15 record.
 
Henry is also a sophomore in the Berg line up that has a promising future. He went 2-2 on the day, posting a 6-4 decision and an 8-4 decision to close out the year at 13-16.
 
Bizorik, a junior, closes out the year with an overall record of 20-13. He had two decisions at the tournament to earn a spot to battle for a final placing.