SOURCE: www.golhu.com

December 03, 2023

The No. 24 Bald Eagles competed in the Patriot Open on Sunday and came away with four place-winners, including a champion at 125 pounds thanks to No. 3 Anthony Noto.

FAIRFAX, Va. - The 24th-ranked Lock Haven men's wrestling team returned to action today (Sunday, Dec. 2) as the Bald Eagles traveled to George Mason University to compete in the 2023 Patriot Open, and finished the day with one champion and four-place winners.

With a 4-0 day and an 8-2 decision in the finals, third-ranked Anthony Noto (Lima, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima) brought home gold at 125 pounds. Noto breezed through his first three matches with a pair of tech falls (17-1 and 19-4) before clinching a berth to the finals with a pin (6:02) in the semifinal.

At 157, Connor Eck (Bensalem, Pa./Bensalem) stormed out to a 3-0 start with three straight decisions, including an upset in the quarterfinal after defeating 28th-ranked Michael North from Maryland University. Eck dropped his match in the semifinal, but rebounded with a 5-3 decision in the third-place bout.

No. 28 at 133 pounds, Gable Strickland (Benton, Pa./Benton) placed fourth after a 3-2 day which featured a major decision. Strickland opened the tournament with a major decision, before battling through two consecutive decisions to reach the semifinals.

At 149, Ty Linsenbigler (Landisville, Pa./Hempfield) had another impressive day, finishing in fifth with a 4-1 record, including a tech fall.

Also at 149, Lucas Kapusta (Jeanette, Pa./Hempfield Area) had a solid showing at 149, finishing 2-2 with a major decision.

The Road Ahead:
The Bald Eagles will now focus their attention on the Collegiate Wrestling Duals, where they will take on No. 3 NC State, No. 5 Ohio State and No. 16 Northern Iowa on Tuesday, Dec. 19 in Nashville, Tennessee (Montgomery Bell Academy).