Lock Haven University's Obe Blanc

  The Eastern Wrestling League Wrestler of the week for the week ended November 27, 2005, is Obe Blanc of Lock Haven University.  Blanc, a sophomore from Naples, Florida, competes for the Bald Eagles at 125 pounds.  This past Saturday (November 26th) Mr. Blanc helped lead Coach Rocky Bonomo's Lock Haven team to a fourth place finish at LHU's Mat-Town USA Tournament (won by the Big Ten's Indiana University).

  In the preliminary round Obe pinned his opponent from Indiana University, then in the quarter finals beat the University of Oregon's Ryan Dunn by a score of 13-10.  In the Mat-Town semi finals Blanc edged Rider University's tough Ryan Smith 6-5, setting up the finals' show-down with 2005 NCAA champion Joe Dubuque of Indiana.

  The championship final match was a good one.  There was no scoring two minutes into the first period.  Then Blanc shot in on a single and captured Dubuque's leg.  Dubuque, however, fought off the attempt.  The first period ended 0-0.  The nation's top ranked Mr. Dubuque chose down to start the second period and escaped.  There were several flurries, but neither wrestler came away with a takedown in that period.

  Obe chose neutral to start the final period and with about 1:20 remaining in the bout Dubuque hit a go-behind for the only take-down of the match.  Blanc escaped and, with about 20 seconds left, got in on another single-leg attempt, but the champion fought it off.  The match ended in a scramble with the board showing Dubuque the winner 3-1.

  Last season as a redshirt freshman Blanc placed third in the 2005 EWL Tournament, competed in the NCAA's, and logged a freshman year record of 31-14.  This season Mr. Blanc has shown that he can compete with the very best, and, come March, aims to win the EWL title and become an NCAA All-American in the 2006 NCAA event at Oklahoma City.

  Congratulations to Obe Blanc, our Eastern Wrestling League's Wrestler of the Week!