Four Lock Haven wrestlers go 3-0 at Navy Classic

Four Lock Haven Wrestlers Go Unbeaten at Navy Classic Opening Day

Four Lock Haven wrestlers finished their matches without a single defeat to anchor a strong opening weekend for the Bald Eagles at the Navy Classic in Annapolis, Md., on Sunday, lockhavenathletics.com reported. Across a busy slate of early-season action, nine different Lock Haven competitors secured victories in their respective pools, setting a competitive tone for the squad as they face a quick turnaround.

Leading the charge for the Bald Eagles was senior 165-pounder Nick Stampoulos, who put together a flawless 3-0 record against a gauntlet of ranked opponents. Stampoulos opened his day by defeating 24th-ranked Nick Hamilton of Virginia 7-2, followed by an 8-2 victory over 28th-ranked Jared Keslar of Pittsburgh. He capped off his afternoon by edging 31st-ranked Dylan Elmore of Navy 6-3, as noted in the results released by lockhavenathletics.com.

Stampoulos’ clean sweep against ranked foes anchored a day where four individual wrestlers went 3-0 and nine won their pools. Alongside Stampoulos, sophomore Patrick O’Keefe dominated the 133-pound bracket with a 3-0 record that included two 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 closed out with a 5-3 decision against Cal Poly’s Arno Vardanyan.

Depth and Bonus Points Drive Bald Eagles’ Performance

Lock Haven’s success in Annapolis extended well beyond the top tier of the lineup, with multiple wrestlers collecting bonus points through technical falls and pins. Jonny O’Brien went 3-0 at 157 pounds, racking up a 16-0 technical fall against Navy’s Tyler Russ in 3:44, a 12-3 major decision over Bellarmine’s Isaac Johns, and a 7-1 decision against Pittsburgh’s Jack Tongel.

Sophomore Connor Wetzel rounded out the unbeaten 3-0 group at 174 pounds. Wetzel opened with a 5-2 win over Cael Miller of Bellarmine, survived a 4-1 sudden victory against Morgan State’s Cortilius Vann, and secured a 13-0 major decision over American’s Max Herman.

Other contributors posted 2-1 marks on the day:

Lucas Kapusta (149 lbs): Went 2-1, highlighted by a 2-1 tiebreaker win over 13th-ranked Kal Miller of Pittsburgh and an 8-2 decision over Aj Rallo of Bellarmine.
Jake Zaltsman (141 lbs): Went 2-1 with back-to-back technical falls over Morgan State’s Isaiah Jackson (15-0, 3:55) and American’s Max Rosen (15-0, 3:16).
Caden Dobbins (165 lbs): Pinned Morgan State’s Aaron Turner in 1:57 and added an 8-1 decision against Bellarmine’s Noah Hall.
Brody Rebuck (285 lbs): Pinned Morgan State’s Bence Veress in 2:56 and earned a 12-1 major decision over Navy’s Dom Iaquinto.
Kelly Kakos (149 lbs): Picked up a 10-7 decision over Pittsburgh’s Connor Swaim and a 2-1 win over Cal Poly’s Aiden Simmons, alongside a narrow 7-6 loss to Navy’s Cole Householder.

Additional Weight Class Results from Annapolis

Other competitors across the lineup logged bouts during the opening-day tournament rounds:

Four Lock Haven wrestlers go 3-0 at Navy Classic — Photo: clintoncountysports.com

Alex Reed (125 lbs, 1-2): Recorded a 16-0 technical fall over Morgan State’s Jimmie Jones in 3:52 during round one, before falling by fall to Pittsburgh’s Matt Marlow in 4:56 and dropping a 24-9 technical fall to Bellarmine’s Joe Calvin in 6:59.
Curtis Nelson (125 lbs, 2-3): Defeated Pittsburgh’s Santino Sloboda 9-6 and major-decided Navy’s Nick Treaster 12-3, while suffering an 11-3 major decision loss to Cal Poly’s Koda Holeman and a 6-5 decision loss to Pittsburgh’s Tyler Chappell alongside a bye.
Chris Noto (133 lbs, 1-2): Picked up a 16-1 technical fall over Navy’s Caleb Carter in 4:10, followed by 8-5 sudden-victory decision losses to Virginia’s Nick Salamone and Navy’s Sean Garretson.
Hunter Gould (141 lbs, 0-3): Dropped a 4-1 sudden-victory decision to Bellarmine’s Trayce Eckman, a 5-1 decision to Pittsburgh’s Briar Priest, and a 10-3 decision to Navy’s Caedyn Ricciardi.
Conner Heckman (141 lbs, 0-1): Dropped a 23-14 major decision to Navy’s Collier Hartman and took losses by forfeit against Virginia’s Jayce Paridon and Pittsburgh’s Nico Fanella.

Upcoming Matches at Wranglemania and Journeymen Collegiate Classic

The Bald Eagles have little time to rest following their opening tournament. Lock Haven will return to action next weekend at Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pa., competing at Wranglemania and the Journeymen Collegiate Classic.