CLARION, Pa. – The Clarion wrestling team opened the 2018-19 dual season with a bang on Friday, blitzing Gardner-Webb to the tune of a 42-9 win at Clarion Area High School.  The Golden Eagles (1-0) will continue their weekend tomorrow when they host the Clarion Open at the Student Recreation Center.
 
It was all Golden Eagles from the word jump, with Clarion taking the first four matches with bonus points to build a commanding lead.  The only wins for the Runnin' Bulldogs came in the 157- and 174-pound bouts, with Clarion closing the team match with two pins and a tech fall in the final three matches. 
 
Seth Koleno recorded his first collegiate win and did it in style, taking Brandon Bright for a fall in little more than a minute in the 133-pound bout.  The true freshman caught Bright was a takedown and immediately leveraged it into a win by fall, cradling him to put Clarion ahead 12-0. 
 
Taylor Ortz followed that with a win by major decision, thought the beginning of the match did not necessarily foreshadow how the bout ended.  Blake Mulkey led 2-1 after the first period, and managed to reverse Ortz to build up a 4-2 lead before Ortz scored his first takedown.  Once he got started, though, Ortz was difficult to stop.  He came alive in the third period, taking Mulkey down and racking up three near falls to take the 17-4 major decision.
 
Ninth-ranked Brock Zacherl wrestled his first match at 149 pounds and showed a quick adjustment to the new class, defeating Taylor Parks by major decision at 13-3.  Mike Bartolo fell in the 157-pound match but gave nationally-ranked Tyler Marinelli everything he could handle, dropping a 5-3 bout with several opportunities to take the lead.
 
Evan Delong scored Clarion's first technical fall of the night, working Evan Schenk for the full seven minutes and adding the riding time point for the 18-3 win.  Ty Bagoly and Edgar Ruano added pins in the 184- and 285-pound bouts, while 2018 national qualifier Greg Bulsak made quick work of Markus Emory at 197 for the first period technical fall.
 
Clarion 42, Gardner-Webb 9
125 – Tyshawn White (CLAR) win by forfeit
133 – Seth Koleno (CLAR) def. Brandon Bright (GW) Fall 1:06
141 – Taylor Ortz (CLAR) def. Blake Mulkey (GW) MD 17-4
149 - #9/9 Brock Zacherl (CLAR) def. Taylor Parks (GW) MD 13-3
157 – #14/18 Tyler Marinelli (GW) def. Mike Bartolo (CLAR) Dec. 5-3
165 – Evan DeLong (CLAR) def. Evan Schenk (GW) TF 18-3 7:00
174 – Kyle Homet (GW) def. Taylor Cahill (CLAR) SV-1 Fall 7:25
184 – Ty Bagoly (CLAR) def. Nathaniel Kale (GW) Fall 2:07
197 – Greg Bulsak (CLAR) def. Markus Emory (GW) TF 16-0 1:47
285 – Edgar Ruano (CLAR) def. Gabriel Pickett (GW) Fall 3:20