ERIE, Pa. – Freshman Brock Zacherl claimed the individual championship in the 141-pound weight class, and the Clarion wrestling team took home a fourth-place finish at the 73rd Pennsylvania State Athletics Conference championships hosted by Mercyhurst on Saturday.
 
Zacherl was considered one of the favorites to claim a title at the PSAC's in 2015 and the Brookville native delivered with three straight winning decisions en route to the championship.  After receiving a bye to the quarterfinal round, Zacherl started his day with a major decision over Gannon's John Marotto, working his opponent for a 9-1 win to move on to the semifinal round.  There Zacherl shut out his next opponent, defeating Pitt-Johnstown's Sam Hanau by a 4-0 score to move on to the championship.
 
The championship match with Lock Haven's Dan Neff started out close, with Zacherl holding a slim one-point advantage at one point in the first period.  From there he took over, though, claiming a 6-4 decision over Neff to win the championship and earn 16 team points for the Golden Eagles. 
 
Earning top-three honors at the tournament were Evan Delong at 165 pounds, Dominic Rigous at 184 points and Zach DeLuca at heavyweight, with all three wrestlers reaching the semifinals of their respective brackets and winning two straight from there for the strong finishes.  Delong just narrowly missed a spot in the championship match, falling in a sudden victory situation to Kutztown's Ryan Krecker by a 3-1 score.  He bounced back with a narrow win of his own, beating Gannon's Nathaniel Ross 3-2 in the third place match.
 
Rigous started his day with a tight 3-1 decision over Mercyhurst's Angelo Bortoluzzi, winning 3-1, before falling in the semifinal to Pitt-Johnstown's Travis Mckillop.  He went on to wallop Seton Hill's Morris Lawson with a technical fall in the consolation round, winning 16-0 on the fall, and then held on for a 3-2 decision over Gannon's Nick Costa in the third-place match.
 
DeLuca, coming off a week in which he was named both the PSAC and EWL Wrestler of the Week, opened his day with a 3-1 decision over Lock Haven's Brad Emerick in the quarterfinal round.  He sustained an 8-4 decision loss to Edinboro's William Miller but came back to pin East Stroudsburg's Tyson Searer in the consolation semifinal.  He then won a high-scoring decision over Mercyhurst's Andy Welton in the third-place match, winning 8-7.
 
In addition to Rigous and DeLuca, Michael Pavasko also reached the third place match in the 174-point weight class.  Pavasko defeated Shippensburg's Hunter Fenk in a major decision to start the day and downed Pitt-Johnstown's John Blankenship in the consolation semifinal before suffering a medical forfeit in his last match of the day.  Brodie Zacherl made the third-place in the 149-pound weight class before losing to Ty Lydic in a 5-2 decision.
 
Dustin Conti wrestled his way back from a quarterfinal loss to win two straight matches, ultimately reaching the fifth place match in the 197-pound weight class.  Conti took fifth after a forfeit by Lock Haven's Phil Sprenkle.

Team Scores
1. Edinboro 136.5
2. Lock Haven 118.0
3. Mercyhurst 108.5
4. Clarion 95.0
5. Pittsburgh-Johnstown 92.0
6. Gannon 49.5
7. Kutztown 46.0
8. Shippensburg 42.0
9. Bloomsburg 40.0
10. Seton Hill 30.5
11. East Stroudsburg 28.5
12. Millersville 12.5
 
PSAC Championships Results for Clarion
125 - Patrick Dewitt (7-8) place is unknown and scored 0.50 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 - Patrick Dewitt (Clarion) 7-8 received a bye () (Bye)
    Quarterfinal - Sean Russell (Edinboro) 4-0 won by major decision over Patrick Dewitt (Clarion) 7-8 (MD 22-10)
    Cons. Round 2 - Patrick Dewitt (Clarion) 7-8 won by decision over Collyn Dorney (East Stroudsburg) 6-5 (Dec 11-5)
    Cons. Round 3 - Jake Field (Lock Haven) 10-9 won by decision over Patrick Dewitt (Clarion) 7-8 (Dec 10-7)

133 - Mike Bartolo (8-7) place is unknown and scored 3.00 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 - Mike Bartolo (Clarion) 8-7 won by fall over James Harrison (Pittsburgh-Johnstown) 1-2 (Fall 4:16)
    Quarterfinal - Kevin Kinyua (Mercyhurst) 2-2 won by decision over Mike Bartolo (Clarion) 8-7 (Dec 7-6)
    Cons. Round 2 - Dante Steffenino (Shippensburg) 4-4 won by injury default over Mike Bartolo (Clarion) 8-7 (Inj. 4:27)

141 - Brock Zacherl (14-1) placed 1st and scored 16.00 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 - Brock Zacherl (Clarion) 14-1 received a bye () (Bye)
    Quarterfinal - Brock Zacherl (Clarion) 14-1 won by major decision over John Marotto (Gannon) 10-6 (MD 9-1)
    Semifinal - Brock Zacherl (Clarion) 14-1 won by decision over Sam Hanau (Pittsburgh-Johnstown) 3-1 (Dec 4-0)
    1st Place Match - Brock Zacherl (Clarion) 14-1 won by decision over Dan Neff (Lock Haven) 7-7 (Dec 6-4)

149 - Brodie Zacherl (9-10) placed 4th and scored 10.50 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 - Brodie Zacherl (Clarion) 9-10 received a bye () (Bye)
    Quarterfinal - Ty Lydic (Seton Hill) 9-2 won by major decision over Brodie Zacherl (Clarion) 9-10 (MD 10-2)
    Cons. Round 2 - Brodie Zacherl (Clarion) 9-10 won by decision over Nick Haegele (Millersville) 0-2 (Dec 8-2)
    Cons. Round 3 - Brodie Zacherl (Clarion) 9-10 won by decision over Travis Shaffer (Pittsburgh-Johnstown) 1-2 (Dec 9-5)
    Cons. Semi - Brodie Zacherl (Clarion) 9-10 won by medical forfeit over Mike Raccioppi (East Stroudsburg) 10-5 (M. For.)
    3rd Place Match - Ty Lydic (Seton Hill) 9-2 won by decision over Brodie Zacherl (Clarion) 9-10 (Dec 5-2)

157 - Morgan Way (2-8) place is unknown and scored 1.50 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 - Morgan Way (Clarion) 2-8 received a bye () (Bye)
    Quarterfinal - Garrett Smith (Gannon) 4-5 won by decision over Morgan Way (Clarion) 2-8 (Dec 6-0)
    Cons. Round 2 - Morgan Way (Clarion) 2-8 won by major decision over Adam Martz (Shippensburg) 1-5 (MD 14-4)
    Cons. Round 3 - Michael Griffith (Mercyhurst) 3-2 won by fall over Morgan Way (Clarion) 2-8 (Fall 4:04)

165 - Evan Delong (14-4) placed 3rd and scored 13.00 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 - Evan Delong (Clarion) 14-4 won by decision over Ryan Krecker (Kutztown) 7-4 (Dec 4-1)
    Quarterfinal - Evan Delong (Clarion) 14-4 won by tech fall over Grayson Garber (Shippensburg) 1-3 (TF-1.5 7:00 (16-1))
    Semifinal - Francis Mizia (Mercyhurst) 2-1 won in sudden victory - 1 over Evan Delong (Clarion) 14-4 (SV-1 3-1)
    Cons. Semi - Evan Delong (Clarion) 14-4 won by decision over Ryan Krecker (Kutztown) 7-4 (Dec 3-1)
    3rd Place Match - Evan Delong (Clarion) 14-4 won by decision over Nathaniel Ross (Gannon) 11-4 (Dec 3-2)

174 - Michael Pavasko (9-7) placed 4th and scored 10.50 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 - Michael Pavasko (Clarion) 9-7 received a bye () (Bye)
    Quarterfinal - Michael Pavasko (Clarion) 9-7 won by major decision over Hunter Fenk (Shippensburg) 3-4 (MD 12-3)
    Semifinal - Patrick Jennings (Edinboro) 4-0 won by decision over Michael Pavasko (Clarion) 9-7 (Dec 6-5)
    Cons. Semi - Michael Pavasko (Clarion) 9-7 won by decision over John Blankenship (Pittsburgh-Johnstown) 4-2 (Dec 4-2)
    3rd Place Match - August Mizia (Mercyhurst) 3-1 won by medical forfeit over Michael Pavasko (Clarion) 9-7 (M. For.)

184 - Dominic Rigous (11-7) placed 3rd and scored 13.00 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 - Dominic Rigous (Clarion) 11-7 received a bye () (Bye)
    Quarterfinal - Dominic Rigous (Clarion) 11-7 won by decision over Angelo Bortoluzzi (Mercyhurst) 3-2 (Dec 3-1)
    Semifinal - Travis Mckillop (Pittsburgh-Johnstown) 4-0 won by major decision over Dominic Rigous (Clarion) 11-7 (MD 9-0)
    Cons. Semi - Dominic Rigous (Clarion) 11-7 won by tech fall over Morris Lawson (Seton Hill) 4-6 (TF-1.5 6:46 (16-0))
    3rd Place Match - Dominic Rigous (Clarion) 11-7 won by decision over Nick Costa (Gannon) 10-2 (Dec 3-2)

197 - Dustin Conti (7-11) placed 5th and scored 13.50 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 - Dustin Conti (Clarion) 7-11 won by decision over Nigel Toussaint (Gannon) 0-2 (Dec 4-0)
    Quarterfinal - Phil Sprenkle (Lock Haven) 10-6 won by decision over Dustin Conti (Clarion) 7-11 (Dec 4-3)
    Cons. Round 2 - Dustin Conti (Clarion) 7-11 won by medical forfeit over Tyler Richardson (East Stroudsburg) 5-4 (M. For.)
    Cons. Round 3 - Dustin Conti (Clarion) 7-11 won by tech fall over Jamar Henry (Mercyhurst) 1-2 (TF-1.5 2:35 (16-1))
    Cons. Semi - Evan Ramos (Shippensburg) 7-1 won in tie breaker - 1 over Dustin Conti (Clarion) 7-11 (TB-1 3-2)
    5th Place Match - Dustin Conti (Clarion) 7-11 won by forfeit over Phil Sprenkle (Lock Haven) 10-6 (For.)

285 - Zach Deluca (6-3) placed 3rd and scored 13.50 team points.
    Champ. Round 1 - Zach Deluca (Clarion) 6-3 received a bye () (Bye)
    Quarterfinal - Zach Deluca (Clarion) 6-3 won by decision over Brad Emerick (Lock Haven) 9-9 (Dec 3-1)
    Semifinal - William Miller (Edinboro) 4-0 won by decision over Zach Deluca (Clarion) 6-3 (Dec 8-4)
    Cons. Semi - Zach Deluca (Clarion) 6-3 won by fall over Tyson Searer (East Stroudsburg) 5-5 (Fall 0:40)
    3rd Place Match - Zach Deluca (Clarion) 6-3 won by decision over Andy Welton (Mercyhurst) 3-2 (Dec 8-7)