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Dec. 30, 2000
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – Nine members of the University of Virginia wrestling team competed in the 68th Open Wrestling Championship which was held at Wilkes University in the Henry Gym – Marts Center. The Cavaliers were highlighted by Mark McLean (Plainfield, Va./Blair Academy) and Tim Foley (Stafford, Va./Brooke Point). McLean and Foley each won four matches in the tournament.
McLean advanced to the semifinal consolation round of the 197 lbs. class after posting a record of 4-2 through six bouts. After dropping his first match of the tournament, McLean went on to claim victories in four consecutive matches (two by forfeit) before falling in the 197 lbs. semifinals. He earned a 5-2 decision over Franklin & Marshall’s Shaun Rodgers and topped teammate Andrew Demartino (McLean, Va./Jefferson) by the score of 3-1 in overtime prior to earning forfeit victories over Todd Cerone (Montclair) and Dom Abato (Cleveland State).
Foley began the tournament by jumping out to a 2-0 record in the 157 lbs. class by pinning Mark Diliberto at 3:55 before defeating Elizabethtown’s Brian Alwine by technical fall (17-0). After dropping a 3-2 decision to Findlay’s Waylon Lowe, Foley earned a forfeit victory over Nassau’s Artie Weidler before defeating teammate Matt Gallagher (Herndon, Va./Herndon) by the score of 6-4. Cornell’s Andy Tieben handed Foley his second loss of the tournament by pinning him at 1:12.
UVa’s Gallagher turned in an eye-opening mark of 3-2 in the tournament after recording three consecutive falls in the 157 lbs. class. After dropping his match to Foley, Gallagher pinned Mark Diliberto at 5:12 and Slippery Rock’s Justin Stamm at 5:30 before pinning Mount Union’s Drew Zollars at 3:48.
Virginia’s Brian Voliva (Piscataway, N.J./Blair Academy) went 2-2 in the 174 lbs. class after defeating Cleveland State’s Devin Pethtel (7-2) and Rutgers’s Rami Even-Esh (7-4). The trio of Kevin Collier (Stafford, Va./North Stafford), Demartino and Steve Keleher (Fairfax, Va./Lake Braddock) each posted a victory in the tournament. Collier recorded his first collegiate fall at UVa by pinning Harvard’s Nate Ackerman at 3:50 in the 174 lbs. class. Demartino was awarded a win over Pittsburgh’s Josh McCollough by default in the 197 lbs. class and Keleher posted his first collegiate win with a 3-2 decision over Cornell’s Eric Eisenhart in the 141 lbs class.
UVa’s Paul Bjorlo (Reston, Va./South Lakes) and Scott Mania (Virginia Beach, Va./Cox) also competed in the tournament in the 149 and 184 lbs. classes, respectively.
Virginia will return to action on Friday, January 5th when UVa travels to Ithaca, N.Y. to face Cornell in a dual match.
Here is a look at Virginia’s results from the 68th Open Wrestling Championship:
Wgt. Opponents Results141 Chris McDonnell (Rutgers) def. Steve Keleher (UVa) 6-2 Steve Keleher (UVa) def. Eric Eisenhart (Cornell) 3-2 Troy Minarovic (Lehigh) def. Steve Keleher (UVa) 2-1
149 Louie Delauro (ESU) def. Paul Bjorlo (UVa) 6-4 (OT) Matt Kaus (Pittsburgh) def. Paul Bjorlo (UVa) 4-3
157 Tim Foley (UVa) def. Mark Diliberto Fall @ 3:55 Tim Foley (UVa) def. Brian Alwine (Elizabethtown) TF 17-0 Waylon Lowe (Findlay) def. Tim Foley (UVa) 3-2 Tim Foley (UVa) def. Artie Weidler (Nassau) Forfeit Tim Foley (UVa) def. Matt Gallagher (UVa) 6-4 Andy Tieben (Cornell) def. Tim Foley (UVa) Fall @ 1:12
157 Matt Catullo (Pittsburgh) def. Matt Gallagher (UVa) 7-4 Matt Gallagher (UVa) def. Mark Diliberto Fall @ 5:12 Matt Gallagher (UVa) def. Justin Stamm (Slippery Rock) Fall @ 5:30 Matt Gallagher (UVa) def. Drew Zollars (Mt. Union) Fall @ 3:48 Tim Foley (UVa) def. Matt Gallagher (UVa) 6-4
174 Kevin Collier (UVa) def. Nate Ackerman (Harvard) Fall @ 3:50 Andrew Roy (Rutgers) def. Kevin Collier (UVa) MD 15-7 Tim Angelo (Penn) def. Kevin Collier (UVa) 10-6
174 Christian Luciano def. Brian Voliva (UVa) Fall @ 0:59 Brian Voliva (UVa) def. Devin Pethtel (Cleveland State) 7-2 Brian Voliva (UVa) def. Rami Even-Esh (Rutgers) 7-4 Gregg Osbeck (Pittsburgh) def. Brian Voliva (UVa) 2-0
184 Dan Stine (Pittsburgh) def. Scott Mania (UVa) 4-3 Brian Kostura (Mt. Union) def. Scott Mania (UVa) 5-2
197 Greg Eynon (Millersville) def. Andrew Demartino (UVa) Fall @ 1:45 Andrew Demartino (UVa) def. Josh McCollough (Pittsburgh) Def. Mark McLean (UVa) def. Andrew Demartino (UVa) 3-1 (OT)
197 Howard Bell (UPJ) def. Mark McLean (UVa) 2-0 Mark McLean (UVa) def. Shaun Rodgers (F&M) 5-2 Mark McLean (UVa) def. Andrew Demartino (UVa) 3-1 (OT) Mark McLean (UVa) def. Todd Cerone (Montclair) Forfeit Mark McLean (UVa) def. Dom Abato (Cleveland State) Forfeit Paul Velekei (Blair) def. Mark McLean (UVa) 3-2