ERIE, Pa. – Five Kutztown University wrestlers won both of their matches on Friday's opening day of the NCAA Super Region I Championships, leading the Golden Bears to fourth-place after Day One at Mercyhurst University.
 
Seven of Kutztown's 10 wrestlers advanced to Day Two on Saturday, Feb. 27.
 
KU's semifinalists are Joe Esposito (Sewell, N.J./Saint Augustine Prep), Matt Martoccio (Kintnersville, Pa./Council Rock South (Lock Haven)), Collin Schildt (Thurmont, Md./Catoctin), Brandan Clark (Audubon, Pa./Methacton) and Ryan Appleby (Belvidere, N.J./Belvidere). Those five can punch their tickets to nationals with a semifinal win.
 
Other Golden Bears advancing include Austin Petril (Clifton Heights, Pa./Upper Darby (Ursinus)) and Joe Balboni (Springfield, N.J./Jonathan Dayton (Old Dominion)).
 
As a team, Kutztown stands in fourth place in the region. Notre Dame leads with 71.0 points, Pitt-Johnstown is second at 68, Mercyhurst is third at 52, Kutztown is fourth at 45.5 points, Wheeling Jesuit is fifth at 43.5 and Gannon is sixth with 40 points before a double-digit dropoff to seventh place.
 
Esposito pinned both of his opponents on Friday at 149. He needed to overcome a 6-2 deficit early in the third period of his opener against Pitt-Johnstown's Travis Shaffer. Early in the third in the middle of the mat, Esposito took a shot, grabbed a leg and put Shaffer on his back to finish off the pin in 5:58 (VIDEO).
 
Esposito, a redshirt-junior in his final year at KU, answered with a pin in 1:10 in the quarterfinals to advance him to the semifinals on Saturday. He will face second-ranked Jeremy Landowski.
 
Martoccio was impressive in his two wins at 157. He opened with a first-period pin over Reyse Wallbrown in 1:40, and didn't allow a point in the quarterfinals in an 8-0 win over Joey Kratochvil. Martoccio, the fifth-ranked 157-pounder in Division II, will face Devin Austin in the semifinals on Saturday for the first time this season.
 
The wins were Martoccio's 84th and 85th of his career, moving him into sole possession of third in school history. With an unreachable deficit from second all-time, Martoccio will finish his career third in career wins.
 
Schildt needed heart in his 3-2 quarterfinal win over LIU Post's Ron King. The two met earlier this season at 184 pounds, with King earning a 3-2 decision. Following a 7-0 win for Schildt in his opening match, and then tied at 1-1 in the third period against King in the quarterfinals, Schildt used a late takedown to command a 3-1 lead. He allowed an escape point and was called for a stalling warning, but held on for a 3-2 win to advance to Saturday. Schildt will face the second-ranked wrestler in the country in the semifinals, Travis McKillop of Pitt-Johnstown.
 
Clark won both of his matches and is a win away from returning to nationals for the second time of his career and first since 2012. He opened with a pin in 4:20 over Alderson Broaddus' 197-pounder, and earned a narrow 2-1 win over Seton Hill's Jake Temple in the quarters. The wins set up a rematch with Shippensburg's Evan Ramos in the semifinals on Saturday. In Clark's regular-season finale against Ramos at Keystone Arena, Ramos earned a 6-1 win on Senior Night.
 
Appleby faced off against Shippensburg heavyweight Derek Earnest for the second time in his last three matches in Friday's opener. Appleby won the first matchup on Feb. 12, 3-0, and continued his momentum with a 9-2 win on Friday. In the quarterfinals, Appleby was in a tied, 5-5 match against Wheeling Jesuit's Logan Bowman in the third period. With just 30 seconds left, Appleby worked a takedown for a 7-5 lead, and after allowing an escape point, held off Bowman for the final seconds in a 7-6 win. Appleby will face second-ranked D.J. Sims from Pitt-Johnstown on Saturday in the semifinals, their first meeting of the season.
 
At 174, Balboni won his opening match with a 13-7 decision over Shane Springer of Shippensburg, his second win over Springer this month. He dropped a competitive 12-6 decision to John Blankenship of Pitt-Johnstown in the quarterfinals, putting him against Austin Antill of Ohio Valley in his final match of the day. Balboni controlled the match and pinned Antill in 2:16 to advance to Saturday.
 
At 125, Petril overcame a tough, one-point loss in his opening match with a dominant performance in the consolation bracket. He took down East Stroudsburg's Collyn Dorney by a 14-2 major decision. Petril will face Millersville' Austin Camacci for the third time this season on Saturday. Petril won a 3-2 decision at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship in Dec., and a 9-7 decision in dual action on Feb. 10.
 
James Meyer (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) won a match in his first regional tournament. He took down Ohio Valley's Stewart Morris by a 13-4 major decision in his second match of the day, but suffered two pinfalls in his other two matches.
 
Action resumes on Saturday at 11 a.m.
 
 
 
Kutztown Results
 
125 – Austin Petril (Clifton Heights, Pa./Upper Darby (Ursinus))
Champ: Bye
Champ: #8 Dustin Warner (Wheeling Jesuit) dec. Petril (KU), 4-3 (VIDEO)
Cons: Petril (KU) maj. dec. Collyn Dorney (East Stroudsburg), 14-2 (VIDEO)
Cons: Petril (KU) vs. Austin Camacci (Millersville)
 
 
133 – Zach Ulerick (Middletown, Pa./Middletown Area)
Champ: David Bavery (Notre Dame) maj. dec. Ulerick (KU), 16-3 (VIDEO)
Cons: Connor Maliff (East Stroudsburg) dec. Ulerick (KU), 6-3 (VIDEO)
 
 
141 – Bruno Gerardi (Wood-Ridge, N.J./Don Bosco Preparatory)
Champ: #8 Sam Hanau (Pitt-Johnstown) pinned Gerardi (KU), 1:18 (VIDEO)
Cons: Kollin Clark (Wheeling Jesuit) pinned Gerardi (KU), 1:10 (VIDEO)
 
 
149 – Joe Esposito (Sewell, N.J./Saint Augustine Prep)
Champ: Esposito (KU) pinned Travis Shaffer (Pitt-Johnstown), 5:58 (VIDEO)
Champ: Esposito (KU) pinned Dominick Nania (Wheeling Jesuit), 1:10 (VIDEO)
Champ: Esposito (KU) vs. #2 Jeremy Landowski (Mercyhurst)
 
 
157 – #5 Matt Martoccio (Kintnersville, Pa./Council Rock South (Lock Haven))
Champ: Martoccio (KU) pinned Reyse Wallbrown (Wheeling Jesuit), 1:40 (VIDEO)
Champ: Martoccio (KU) maj. dec. Joey Kratochvil (East Stroudsburg), 8-0 (VIDEO)
Champ: Martoccio (KU) vs. Devin Austin (Pitt-Johnstown)
 
 
165 – James Meyer (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East)
Champ: Juwan Edmond (Notre Dame) pinned Meyer (KU), 2:08 (VIDEO)
Cons: Meyer (KU) maj dec. Stewart Morris (Ohio Valley), 13-4 (VIDEO)
Cons: Keith Stednitz (Alderson Broaddus) pinned Meyer (KU), 0:49 (VIDEO)
 
 
174 – Joe Balboni (Springfield, N.J./Jonathan Dayton (Old Dominion))
Champ: Balboni (KU) def. Shane Springer (Shippensburg), 13-7 (VIDEO)
Champ: John Blankenship (Pitt-Johnstown) dec. Balboni (KU), 12-6 (VIDEO)
Cons: Balboni (KU) pinned Austin Antill (Ohio Valley), 2:16 (VIDEO)
Cons: Balboni (KU) vs. Dean Meyer (Wheeling Jesuit)
 
 
184 – Collin Schildt (Thurmont, Md./Catoctin)
Champ: Schildt (KU) dec. Hunter Fenk (Shippensburg), 7-0 (VIDEO)
Champ: Schildt (KU) dec. Ron King (LIU Post), 3-2 (VIDEO)
Champ: Schildt (KU) vs. #2 Travis McKillop (Pitt-Johnstown)
 
 
197 – Brandan Clark (Audubon, Pa./Methacton)
Champ: Clark (KU) pinned Nathan Cunningham (Alderson Broaddus), 4:20 (VIDEO)
Champ: Clark (KU) dec. Jake Temple (Seton Hill), 2-1 (VIDEO)
Champ: Clark (KU) vs. Evan Ramos (Shippensburg)
 
 
285 – Ryan Appleby (Belvidere, N.J./Belvidere)
Champ: Appleby (KU) dec. Derek Earnest (Shippensburg), 9-2 (VIDEO)
Champ: Appleby (KU) dec. Logan Bowman (Wheeling Jesuit), 7-6 (VIDEO)
Champ: Appleby (KU) vs. #2 D.J. Sims (Pitt-Johnstown)