CLARION’S HADLEY HARRISON READY FOR NCAA D-I NATIONALS

NATIONALS HOSTED AT “SCOTTRADE CENTER” (ST. LOUIS, MO.) MARCH 20-22

 

           

The 78^th NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship will begin on Thursday March 20^th and end on Saturday March 22nd. The NCAA Wrestling Pot of Gold awaits 10 NCAA Division I wrestlers at “The Scottrade Center in St. Louis on Saturday, March 22nd, where the “Rainbow” ends and the best collegiate wrestlers in the nation are crowned. Clarion will have 1 NCAA Qualifier competing this year in Hadley Harrison (So. McKean - General McLane ) and his opening round opponent will be Oregon State’s Kyle Larson.

           

 The 78th NCAA Division I Wrestling National Championships will get underway on Thursday, March 20th with Round 1 beginning at Noon (ET). A second prelim round will start at 7:30pm, followed by a round of consolations. Friday has the quarterfinals starting at 11am, with the semi’s slated for 7:00pm Friday night. Saturday will feature the All-America place matches starting at 11:00am, with the championship finals scheduled for 8:30pm live on ESPN.

           

Harrison qualified for the NCAA Div. I Nationals by placing third at 149-pounds and earning a wild card. He defeated Lock Haven’s Matt Fittery 6-5 for third place. Harrison led 5-3 in thethird period of that match when Fittery tied the bout with a takedown with about 40-seconds left. Harrison escaped 12 seconds later and posted the 6-5 win. Hadley was 2-1 at EWL’s, losing to eventual winner Daryl Cocozzo (Edinboro) 3-2 in the semi’s, and then posting a 12-5 decision over Ryan Hurley (Cleve. St.) In the wrestle backs. Harrison has a 23-10 record this year entering the NCAA’s. He has a career record of 44-29.

           

Larson has a season record of 20-7 and finished third at the PAC 10 conference tournament defeating Stanford’s Lucas Espericueta 8-3.

            Should Harrison win his opening match, he would take on #9 seed Lance Palmer of Ohio State, who placed 6^th at the Big Ten Tournament. Palmer was seeded 5^th at the Big Ten’s, and in the 5^th place match, he medical forfeited to Penn State’s Bubba Jenkins.

 

            Clarion second year head coach Teague Moore, no stranger to the wars at D-I Nationals, is preparing Harrison for Kyle Larson, his opening opponent.  “We want to be aggressive, but smart at the same time,” said Moore. “The best thing for Hadley is to relax, wrestle his own match and let the chips fall where they may.”

 

            The team race seems wide open, with Iowa the pre-tournament favorite along with Michigan, Minnesota and Iowa State expected to challenge.

 

            Last year, at the Palace at Auburn Hills, Minnesota won the team title with 98 points, Iowa State was second with 88.5, Missouri third with 80, Northwestern fourth with 71.5 and Oklahoma State fifth with 69 points. Oklahoma State had won the previous 4 team titles.

            In 2006 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma State won the NCAA team title going away with 122.5 points, while Minnesota was second with 84 points and Oklahoma was third with 80.5.

 

            In 2005 at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, Oklahoma State won the team title with 153 points, while Michigan was second with 83 at Oklahoma third with 77.5 points. 2005 was also the 75^th Anniversary Year for NCAA Division I Wrestling where Clarion’s Wade Schalles and Kurt Angle were honored as two of the top 15 wrestlers in the first 75-years of collegiate wrestling.

 

            In 2004 in St. Louis, Oklahoma State won title with 123.5 points, Iowa was second 82 points and Lehigh and Ohio State tied for third with 77.5 points.

            In 2003 Oklahoma State won the 73^rd NCAA D-I Nationals held at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, with 143 points, while two-time defending champion Minnesota finished second with 104.5.

 

            In 2002  Minnesota won the 72^nd NCAA Division I Nationals at the Pepsi Arena in Albany, New York. The Golden Gophers scored 126.5 points, besting Iowa State who was second with 104 and Oklahoma who was third with 101.5.

 

            In 2001 Minnesota won the nationals at Iowa’s Carver - Hawkeye Arena scoring 138.5 team points, edging Iowa who finished with 125.5 in second place and Oklahoma State who was third with 115.5 points. Minnesota was the only team to win an NCAA title without posting a finalist. Clarion was 42^nd with 4  points.

 

            The closest team title in years was in 1999 at the Bryce Jordan Center at Penn State, when Iowa edged Minnesota 100.5 - 98.5 points.

            CLARION NOTES: TELEVISION: ESPNU/ESPN 360 will air Friday's quarterfinals live at 11 a.m. (ET). ESPNU will be producing and syndicating live coverage of Friday's semifinals beginning at 7 p.m. (ET). Check your local listings for stations airing the event. ESPNU will carry Saturday's medal rounds live at 11 a.m. (ET). ESPN will air Saturday's championship round live at 8:30 p.m. (ET).Clarion qualified A.J. Brooks at heavyweight last year and he went 0-2 at nationals ... Clarion did not have an NCAA Qualifier last year (2006) for the first time since going to the D-I Nationals in 1967... In 2005 Clarion had 2 wrestlers at nationals Frank Edgar (141) and Chris Horning (157), with Chris Horning earning A-A status with an 8^th place finish... 2005 was also the year that Clarion stood tall at the 75^th Anniversary of the NCAA Wrestling Championships ... 15 wrestlers were named the best of All-Time.. Clarion’s Kurt Angle and Wade Schalles were named 2 of the top 15 collegiate wrestlers of All-Time...  8 individual titles have been won including two by Kurt Angle (1990, 92), two by Wade Schalles (1972, 73), and one each by Sheldon Thomas (1996), Garry Barton (1972), Don Rohn (1973) and Bill Simpson (1973) ... Clarion also has 43 NCAA Div.I All-Americans ... Bryan Stout was Clarion’s only 4-time A-A (1994-97) ... 3-time All-Americans include Kurt Angle (1990-92), Sheldon Thomas (1995-97), Don Rohn (1973, 74, 76) and Charlie Heller (1980-82)... Bob Bubb who coached Clarion from 1967-92 led Clarion to top team finishes of 4^th in 1973, 6^th in 1972 and 1987 and 8^th in 1992 ... Under Bubb Clarion had 16, top 25 finishes at the NCAA’s and 12, top 20 endings ... Jack Davis (1993-97) led Clarion to a 12^th place finish in 1996, 14^th in 1997 and 15^th in 1994 and 95 .... Ken Nellis led the Eagles from 1998-2006 and his top team finish was 24^th in 1998 and 26^th in both 2000 and 2003... Clarion has an NCAA match record of 310-270 since 1967.