Pitt-Johnstown advances 6 to NCAA tournament, but injured star falls short
· Yahoo Sports
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Pat Pecora always said that the postseason was like "weddings and funerals" for wrestling coaches.
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The late Pitt-Johnstown coach's line seemed apropos for his protégé Saturday.
"It was emotional. It's probably one of the hardest days I've ever every had in a gym," Mountain Cats coach Tyler Reinhart said after six of his Mountain Cats qualified for the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships.
Those six advanced by placing in the top three of their weight class at the Super Region I tournament in East Stroudsburg. Five of them are first-time qualifiers.
But Reinhart also had to watch a heartbreaking scene unfold as the nation's No. 1-ranked 125-pounder, Trevon Gray, unsuccessfully try to wrestle through an injury. The two-time All-American fell to sixth place and will not advance to the NCAA tournament in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, March 13-14.
"Today was more of a funeral feel, for sure," Reinhart said, "but there were some good things in there."
Brad Morrison won Pitt-Johnstown's lone title, at 197 pounds, and the Mountain Cats finished third in the team standings behind champion Gannon and East Stroudsburg. Ty Morrison, Matt Sarbo, Brady Baker, Penn Cambria product Trent Hoover and Isaiah Vance also qualified for the national tournament.
Brad Morrison had two pins and a technical fall to reach the finals, where he beat Gannon's Joey Lyons 4-0 for the title.
"He looked great," Reinhart said. "Brad doing Brad stuff. He makes me laugh when he's out there. He's so goofy. He doesn't look like much, but he's a stud. I'm super-happy for him."
Ty Morrison, a freshman 174-pounder, placed second after a 7-4 loss to Gannon's Dalton Gimbor.
Matt Sarbo, who entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed and ranked third nationally, fell to Gannon's Kenny Kiser in the 149-pound final. Sarbo beat Kiser 13-7 in the teams' dual meet in January, but this time Kiser scored a takedown at the buzzer for a 6-5 victory.
Brady Baker turned in one of the team's best performances with a third-place finish at 133. The lone loss for the true freshman was a 1-0 setback to Frostburg State's Tanner Hauling – the top-ranked wrestler in the nation. It was a rare close match for Hauling, who beat Baker by technical fall in the dual.
"He had a hell of a tournament," Reinhart said of Baker. "In the semis, he almost pulled it out. That's the kid's closest match all year. It's impressive that they're both true freshmen. It's hard being a freshman and being mentally tough enough to pull through."
Baker showed that ability in the consolation final, as he came up with a cradle at the buzzer for the winning takedown in a 5-4 victory over Javien DeLeon from Kutztown.
Hoover, a redshirt freshman from Penn Cambria, also showed mental toughness in a pressure-packed situation. Needing a victory in the 165-pound consolation final to qualify for the national tournament, Hoover trailed Bailey Gimbor from Kutztown 3-1 with less than 30 seconds remaining in the second period. He scored a takedown, then added another in the third period for a 7-5 victory.
"The kid that he beat to go is a senior and a two-time All-American," Reinhart said.
Vance, who is ranked fourth nationally, lost by fall in the semifinals, but rebounded to place third at heavyweight.
"It's just one of those things," Reinhart said of Vance's loss. "He was in a weird position and, heavyweights – once you go to your back – you're not getting of it. Isaiah pinned him in the national semifinals last year. The region at heavyweight is legit."
Noah Gnibus capped his Pitt-Johnstown career with a fifth-place finish at 184.
"His career is over, but he still wrestled for fifth and ended on a win," Reinhart said. "He showed a lot of heart. He's meant so much to this program."
Richland graduate Cooper Warshel placed sixth at 157.
"It's the best he's wrestled all year," Reinhart said of Warshel, who medically forfeited his final bout. "His eye's completely swollen shut."
Chad Ozias, who missed a month of the season while recovering from a concussion, went 2-2 on the day.