Lock Haven Dominates Navy Classic Opener With Nine Pool Winners and Four Undefeated Wrestlers
Four Lock Haven wrestlers went unbeaten on Sunday to anchor a strong opening-day performance for the Lock Haven men’s wrestling team at the Navy Classic in Annapolis, Maryland. The Bald Eagles saw nine wrestlers win their respective pools during the busy early-season tournament.
Nick Stampoulos spearheaded the lineup at 165 pounds, putting together a flawless 3-0 record that relied entirely on victories over ranked opponents. Stampoulos opened his day by defeating 24th-ranked Nick Hamilton of Virginia 7-2, followed by an 8-2 decision against 28th-ranked Jared Keslar of Pittsburgh. He then capped off his tournament run with a 6-3 win over 31st-ranked Dylan Elmore of Navy.
Patrick O'Keefe and Jonny O'Brien Secure Undefeated Tournament Sweeps
Sophomore Patrick O’Keefe matched that perfection at 133 pounds, finishing 3-0 with a pair of bonus-point victories. O’Keefe started with a 17-4 major decision over American’s Ellis Kirsch, rolled to a 20-3 technical fall over Navy’s Hunter Heflin in 5:36, and secured his sweep with a tight 5-3 decision against Cal Poly’s Arno Vardanyan.
At 157 pounds, Jonny O’Brien also went 3-0 while picking up two bonus-point wins. O’Brien picked up a 16-0 technical fall against Tyler Russ of Navy in 3:44, notched a 12-3 major decision over Isaac Johns of Bellarmine, and took a 7-1 decision versus Jack Tongel from Pittsburgh. Sophomore 174-pounder Connor Wetzel rounded out the unbeaten group, highlighted by a 4-1 sudden-victory win over Morgan State’s Cortilius Vann, a 13-0 major decision over American’s Max Herman, and an opening 5-2 victory against Cael Miller of Bellarmine.
Lucas Kapusta and Jake Zaltsman Post Strong Records
Several other Bald Eagles posted strong 2-1 days across multiple weight classes. Lucas Kapusta went 2-1 at 149 pounds, featuring a 2-1 tiebreaker win over 13th-ranked Kal Miller of Pittsburgh and an 8-2 decision over Bellarmine’s Aj Rallo. At 141 pounds, Jake Zaltsman went 2-1 with 15-0 technical falls over Morgan State’s Isaiah Jackson (3:55) and American’s Max Rosen (3:16). Senior Caden Dobbins pinned Morgan State’s Aaron Turner in 1:57 at 165 pounds before taking an 8-1 decision against Bellarmine’s Noah Hall to finish 2-1. Brody Rebuck, a freshman competing at 285 pounds, secured a pin against Bence Veress of Morgan State at the 2:56 mark and defeated Dom Iaquinto of Navy via a 12-1 major decision to also end up 2-1, alongside Kelly Kakos who went 2-1 thanks to triumphs over Connor Swaim of Pittsburgh and Aiden Simmons of Cal Poly.
Next Weekend’s Schedule
The Bald Eagles return to action next weekend at Wranglemania and the Journeymen Collegiate Classic. On Friday at Liberty High School located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Lock Haven is slated to square off against Indiana starting at 2 p.m. before taking on Appalachian State at 4 p.m.
