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Wrestling
2009-10
Season Preview
updated
10/27/2009
Golden
Bears with high hopes for 2009-10 season
KUTZTOWN, PA. (October 27, 2009) –
The Kutztown
University wrestling team is set to compete with one of its
strongest rosters from top-to-bottom.
Despite losing national champion
Joe Kemmerer, the Golden Bears will be one of the top programs
in the nation. The preseason NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches poll
has KU ranked No. 20 and transfer Chris Sheetz (Barto/Upper
Perkiomen) is individually ranked No. 8 at the 125-pound weight
class.
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| David Zeek won 22
matches in the 2008-09 season. |
The Golden Bears have a group of
experienced wrestlers returning along with a very strong recruiting
class to create big expectations for the 2009-10 season.
The Golden Bears will look for veteran
leadership from seniors David Zeek (Newtown/Council Rock North),
Scott Snyder (Slatington/Northern Lehigh), Brett Martinez
(Slatington/Northern Lehigh) and junior John Paukovits
(Northampton/Northampton).
Zeek finished with a 22-7 record
wrestling at 174 pounds last season. Snyder finished 23-9, placing
fifth at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship and
second place at the NCAA Division II Super Regional.
Martinez finished with a 19-15 record
last season, after missing the 2007-08 season. Paukovits (23-9)
placed sixth at the PSAC Championship. The junior will be wrestling
primarily out of the 141-pound weight class.
The incoming freshman class is a very
accomplished group from the high school level. Daniel Dortone
(Springfield/Springfield), Austin Williams (Pen Argyl/Pen
Argyl) and Ricky Williams (New Tripoli/Northwestern Lehigh)
were all fourth in the state in the 2008-09 season. Alex
Depew (Wilson/Northampton) and Justin Grant (Easton/Easton)
each were fifth in the state.
Head coach Rob Fisher expects
an immediate impact to be made by freshman Derek Schmelyun (New
Oxford/Bermudian Springs) at either 157- or 165-pounds.
Schmelyun was a four-time Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic
Association (PIAA) place winner. Tyler Stambaugh (East
Berlin/Bermudian Springs) will also be looked on for
contributions for the Golden Bears at the 184-pound weight class.
“I am really excited for the upcoming
season,” said Fisher. “I think this is the best recruiting class
that we ever had, between depth and quality.”
Sheetz, a junior transfer from
Delaware Valley College, is a two time NCAA All-American. Sheetz
dominated for the Aggies in the 2008-09 season, sporting a 37-7
record with 17 pins. He won the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional
and took home eighth place hardware at the NCAA Championship.
Other key returnees for the Golden
Bears are Kevin Bolinsky (Ashland/North Schuylkill), Bobby
Mort (Huntingdon/Huntingdon), Eric Sergent
(Nazareth/Nazareth) and Ricky Pena (Reading/Reading).
The Golden Bears host five home dual
meets this season, starting with Muhlenberg College on Saturday
January 9. The rest of the home duals will be in February. The PSAC
Championship will take place Saturday December 5 at Edinboro.
--KU--
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