Lancaster, Pa. – The Edinboro wrestling team had a pair of place winners in Gabe Willochell and Ryan Burgos as the Fighting Scots opened the second half of their schedule at the David Lehman Open hosted by Franklin & Marshall.
WIllochell opened with a 12-1 major of Scotty Kiyono from Virginia. Up 5-1 after two periods, Willochell took down Kiyono early in the third and used four nearfall points with eight seconds left to secure the major. Trailing 13-7 in the second round, Willochell scored a reversal on North Carolina's Lachlan McNeil with seven seconds left and promptly pinned the Tar Heel to advance to the quarterfinals.
In the quarters, Willochell met with #24 Zach Redding of Iowa State. After an eventful first period the wrestlers were tied 3-3. Redding scored an escape to take a 4-3 advantage 17 seconds into the second period. After Willochell required injury time with 35 seconds left in the second, Redding chose bottom, but Willochell was able to ride out the period and keep the score 4-3 Redding after two. Willochell took a 5-4 lead on a reversal 16 seconds into the third. He would build his riding time not allowing Redding out until the 16 second mark and won the match 6-5 on riding time.
Willochell then took on No. 16 Matt Kazimir of Columbia. Kazimir took the lead on a take down at the 2:03 mark of the first, but Willochell answered with a reversal at 1:11. Kazimir would escape to start the second, but a takedown and two nearfall points also in the second would set the final at 6-3 advancing WIllochell to the final. In the final, Willochell fell 11-2 to No. 7 Kizhan Clarke of North Carolina.
Burgos opened his tournament with a fall at the 4:28 mark while already leading Air Force's Dylan Martinez 5-0. In the round of 16, Burgos took on Cameron Robinson of Iowa State and fell behind 2-1 early in the first, but scored a takedown with 1:07 left in the first period to take a 3-2 advantage. The wrestlers traded escapes in the second and third to push Burgos to the semifinals with a 4-3 decision.
Burgos built an early lead in the quarters taking down Pitt's Luke Kemerer and scoring a pair of nearfall points to lead 4-1 after one. Burgos rode Kemerer out for the entire second period and then scored a pair of escapes to Kemerer's one take down to win 7-4 with riding time.
In the semifinals, Burgos fell to Jarod Verkleeren via pin in the first period. Burgos finished in fourth after dropping a 5-3 decision to Paniro Johnson.
Max Millin topped Bishop McCoy of Millersville 3-2 in his first match of the day at 285. After a scoreless first Millin chose bottom start the second and scored the escape just 8 seconds in. He scored a takedown at 1:08 and held a 3-1 lead after two. McCoy got out to start the third, but couldn't generate any more offense as Millin advanced 3-2. Millin was pinned by Air Force's Wyatt Hendrickson and then dropped a tough 6-5 decision to Navy's Ryan Catka to end his run in the consolation round.
After dropping his opening match at 157, PJ Gohn needed just 2:34 to score the pin of Cael Berg of Harvard. He advanced to the consolation semifinals by medical forfeit before going down 3-2 to Jack Bokina of Brown.
The Fighting Scots are back in action on Jan. 16 when they make the trip to Cleveland for a 2 p.m. MAC dual with Cleveland State.
