CLARION, Pa. – Three Clarion wrestlers won their respective brackets and two others reached the finals as the Golden Eagles finished a highly successful day at the 2016 Clarion Open.
(Photo courtesy of Clarion University Athletics)
The event was held at the Recreation Center on Clarion’s campus, with 10 mats running continuously throughout the day.
Evan Daley (285), Evan DeLong (165) and Brock Zacherl (141) all won at their respective weight classes on Sunday, while Jake Gromacki (125) and Scott Marmoll (184) also reached the finals. Daley was the first to claim victory on the day while Zacherl and DeLong completed their wins near the end of the afternoon.
Daley’s run through the bracket was buoyed by a major decision and a pair of pinfall victories, and closed with a dramatic win in sudden victory. He opened with an 11-0 major decision over DJ Salinas of Penn State-DuBois before claiming a win by fall over Pitt-Johnstown’s Allan Beattie in the quarterfinal round. After pinning Mercyhurst’s Jake Robb four minutes into the semifinal match, Daley found a much tighter battle against Virginia’s Chuck Boddy. The two were tied at 1-1 after regulation but Daley scored a takedown late in the sudden victory period to claim the win and the Open title.
Zacherl’s matches fluctuated between blowouts and closer affairs, starting with a 16-1 technical fall over Matthew Dowler of Edinboro. The quarterfinal match with Penn State’s Bo Pipher was much tighter, with Zacherl holding on for a 5-2 win, but he responded with another tech fall over Kent State’s Ethan McCoy in the semifinals. He closed the day with a win over Lock Haven’s Ronnie Perry, fighting off a late rally for a 5-3 decision in the finals.
DeLong opened with a 10-3 decision over Pittsburgh’s Donnie McAfee, then scored a late takedown in the semifinal match against Lock Haven’s Jared Siegrist to claim the win. He overtook Kent State’s Jared Walker with another late takedown, winning 7-5 in the semifinals, and then enjoyed a relatively straightforward victory over Virginia’s Drew Hull. DeLong took a 5-1 lead through two periods and never allowed Hull to catch his breath, winning 7-1 to claim the title.
