Thiel Claims PAC Wrestling Title; W&J’s Potts Named MVP
WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Thiel College edged Waynesburg University by three points to claim the 2012 Presidents’ Athletic Conference Wrestling Championship on Friday evening at the Henry Memorial Center.
Thiel amassed 110 points to narrowly defeat two-time defending champion Waynesburg’s total of 107. W&J placed third with 66 points, a 21.5-point improvement from the 2011 tournament.
In addition, W&J senior heavyweight Taylor Potts (Wellsburg, W. Va./John Marshall) was selected as the PAC Wrestler of the Year after winning the 285-pound title. Potts is now 33-10 on the season. His 33 victories tie Matt Smith ’05 for the second-highest, single-season total in school history. Potts, who also claimed the 2009 conference title, is four victories shy of setting a new school single-season record. .
Potts edged Waynesburg’s Brandon Fedorka 3-1 in the opening round and then nipped Will Ringer 2-1 in the final match of the night by use of a riding time point to clinch the heavyweight championship.
W&J had two PAC champions for the first time since 2010 as sophomore Josh Etzel (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) won the 141-pound crown. Etzel defeated Jerry Cramer of Thiel by a 6-0 margin and Aaron Mills of Waynesburg 7-1. Etzel collected his first PAC title and is now 21-3 this season.
Thiel Head Coach Craig Thurber was honored as the PAC Coach of the Year.
All three teams continue their seasons on Feb. 25 at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional at Case Western Reserve University.
