KUTZTOWN, PA (January 6, 2011) – After returning from its trip in the sun, the Kutztown University wrestling team returns home and will face the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Saturday night at Keystone Arena beginning at 7:00 p.m.
The Golden Bears competed at the Grand Canyon Duals in Phoenix, Az on New Year's Day and found various forms of success during their trip. On the mat, Kutztown had five wrestlers with two or more wins.
Off the mat, the entire team and coaching staff took time to take in all the sights and sounds of the Rocky Mountains. After Saturday's matches, the team traveled about 100 miles from Grand Canyon University on Sunday to visit the Red Rock State Park in Sedona, Az. It was a great experience not only for the Rockies' extraordinary scenery, but for the team to grow as a unit.
“The experience was great,” said senior John Paukovits (Northampton, PA/Northampton). “We went on a great hike on Devil's Bridge Trail together as a team. It was a good chance for the entire team to bond together, and was probably one of the coolest things I've done in my life. It was an awesome trip.”
Paukovits was one of four wrestlers who had three victories at the dual meet, and he also had a 32 second pin in KU's win over Chadron State. He is now 4-4 in dual meets this season and has five major decisions.
Tim Darling (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth), Austin Williams (Pen Argyl, PA/Pen Argyl), and Justin Grant (Easton, PA/Easton) also won three matches for Kutztown. Desmond Moore (Easton, PA/Easton) was also a multi-match winner with two wins. KU achieved one victory throughout the day and gained some valuable experience going up against some of the top Division II teams in the country.
“At times we looked very good.” said Paukovits, “We were impressive in our victory against Chadron State, and we were very close to getting a second victory against Mesa State. We know we wrestled hard, but we know we still have some work to do.”
Along with having an impressive 8-1 record in dual meets this year, Darling is ranked fifth in Division II at 174. Grant is also 8-1 this year and has put together a nice string of matches as of late. Darling and Grant's experience and leadership should play a significant role in Kutztown's success heading into the second half of the season.
“The trip was a great experience for the guys,” said head wrestling coach Rob Fisher. “We wrestled well and really enjoyed our time in Phoenix. Our guys have been wrestling hard and their conditioning has improved throughout the year. We feel good about making a final push towards the end of the season.”
Looking ahead to Saturday's match against Pitt-Johnstown, the Golden Bears (3-7) have been putting in extra time to ensure they are ready when the sixth-ranked Mountain Cats (3-0) come to town. KU has been working on conditioning all year, and is doubling the dosage to prepare for some tough upcoming matches. Between running in the morning and wrestling in the afternoon, it is safe to say that the team is focused on the matter at hand.
Williams has continued to get KU points at 133 and continues to prove why he is one of the top wrestlers in his weight-class. He is 6-3 this year and has two tech. falls and two major decisions to date. Williams will have his hands full on Saturday however, as he is expected to go up against Pitt's Ryan Link who is ranked third in Division II at 133.
“We have a real good chance to win on Saturday,” said Williams. “It's going to be a tough one, but we know we know we can compete with other top schools.
Pitt-Johnstown will also feature Chris Dempsey, a three-time national qualifier and 2010 All-American who is ranked seventh at heavyweight.
“We're so excited for Saturday's match,” said Paukovits. “Our goal is to beat them on Saturday. We've been training real hard and if we wrestle with the intensity and strength we know we have, I'm confident we can get a win. Everything is starting to come together.”
--KU--
