JOHNSTOWN – Redshirt junior Braden Turner and freshman Tyson Searer posted victories for No. 20-ranked East Stroudsburg University as the Warriors fell at No. 11 Pitt-Johnstown, 34-6, in a Super Region 1 wrestling dual on Tuesday night.

Turner, ranked #4 in Division II and #2 in the region at 157 pounds, got a takedown early in the second period for a 2-0 decision over Joel Paolo to get ESU on the board in the fifth bout of the night.

Searer, who moved into the regional rankings at #3 on Monday, notched a 6-4 decision over #6 Sean O'Connell at 197 pounds in one of two match-ups of regionally-ranked wrestlers. Searer scored a takedown and three back points in the first period to build an early advantage.

Pitt-Johnstown, listed at #3 in the latest regional rankings, opened the night with a pair of pins and won eight of the 10 bouts. The Mountain Cats entered with seven wrestlers ranked in the top 6 in Super Region 1. ESU came in at #8 in the region with three wrestlers listed in the regional rankings.

In the other bout between ranked athletes, UPJ's Gary Lantz (5th in SR1) won by injury default over redshirt junior Brendan McKeown (3rd in SR1, 6th in DII) in their 174-pound bout when McKeown couldn't continue in the middle of the second period. Both wrestlers were Division II national qualifiers last year, McKeown at 174 and Lantz at 184.

ESU (1-1), which opened its dual schedule with a 37-6 win over regional foe American International last Friday, heads to Kutztown on Saturday for the PSAC Championships.


Pitt-Johnstown 34, ESU 6
125 – Evan Link (UPJ) pinned Nick Kaiser, 2:37; UPJ leads 6-0
133 – Glenn Winslow (UPJ) pinned Devin Holmes, 2:40; UPJ leads 12-0
141 – Dave Cawley (UPJ) dec. Joseph Hoy, 3-0; UPJ leads 15-0
149 – Jack Bachman (UPJ) dec. Nate Silverthorn, 6-2; UPJ leads 18-0
157 – #4 Braden Turner (ESU) dec. Joel Paolo, 2-0; UPJ leads 18-3
165 – Keith Ryan (UPJ) dec. Colin Martucci, 10-4; UPJ leads 21-3
174 – Gary Lantz (UPJ) injury default (3:51) over #6 Brendan McKeown; UPJ leads 27-3
184 – Travis McKillop (UPJ) maj. dec. Luke DeLuise, 13-3; UPJ leads 31-3
197 – Tyson Searer (ESU) dec. Sean O'Connell, 6-4; UPJ leads 31-6
285 – Josh Duplin (UPJ) dec. Joe Blaes, 4-0; UPJ wins 34-6

Super Region 1 rankings:
125 – Evan Link (UPJ) #5
141 – Dave Cawley (UPJ) #3
149 – Jack Bachman (UPJ) #4
157 – Braden Turner (ESU) #2
174 – Brendan McKeown (ESU) #3, Gary Lantz (UPJ) #5
184 – Travis McKillop (UPJ) #1
197 – Tyson Searer (ESU) #3, Sean O'Connell (UPJ) #6
285 – Josh Duplin (UPJ) #4