Ruhnke wins 165-pound title; Marauders earns five placewinners at PSAC Championships

Saturday, December 8

Kutztown, PA

10:00 AM

Millersville University

PSAC Championships

Ruhnke wins 165-pound title; Marauders earns five placewinners at PSAC Championships

12/8/2018 8:34:00 PM | Wrestling

Final Bracket

By: Ryan Small, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

Kutztown, Pa. – Redshirt senior Shane Ruhnke captured the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) 165-pound championship Saturday, becoming Millersville's first conference champion since 1995-96. Ruhnke was also named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler.

Led by second-year head coach Kerry Regner, Millersville earned five placewinners including freshman Ryan McGuire (133) in third, senior Colton Dull (197) in second, Evan Morrill (184) in fifth and D.J. Mele (149) in sixth.

TOURNAMENT HIGHLIGHTS
• Ruhnke won the title by defeating 2017 champion Evan Delong (Clarion) by a pin at 2:55 in the championship final. Ruhnke began his day with a 9-0 major decision over Pitt-Johnstown's Devin Austin. He advanced to wrestle against Mercyhurst's Logan Grass in the semifinal, and Ruhnke pinned the Laker at the 4:23 mark, earning him a spot in the first-place match. It was a bounce back performance for Ruhnke as Grass had won the season's first match-up just one week ago.
• Dull posted a 2-1 record on the day for a runner-up finish. Dull started his run with a bye into the quarterfinals. Dull advanced to the championship quarterfinal match against Jody Grouse of Seton Hill by claiming a 17-0 technical fall win. That win put him in the semifinals. Down to four in the championship bracket, Dull wrestled Shae Bloom of Clarion and scored a 5-1 decision victory to claim a spot in the championship finals. In the finals, Dull wrestled against a Division I wrestler in Lock Haven's Luke McGonagle and took a 7-3 loss.
• McGuire concluded a stellar day in third place. McGuire defeated Richie Gomez of Edinboro in the consolation semifinals by a pin at the 4:26 mark. McGuire and Gomez met in the first round of the championship where McGuire pinned him again but at the 2:16 mark. After a first round pin, McGuire advanced to the championship quarterfinal match against Dalton Rohrbaugh of Lock Haven where he was edged in a 6-5 decision, pushing him to the consolation bracket. McGuire battled in the consolation semifinal bout, scoring a takedown in the final seconds for a 7-4 win.
• Junior Evan Morrill finished in fifth place in his second appearance in the conference championships. After losing in the championship quarterfinals, Morrill won his next two bouts. Morrill began his day, winning in the first round 11-5 over a Division I opponent, Michael Porreca of Bloomsburg. He dropped his next bout against Zach Ancewicz of Edinboro, 10-2. Morrill responded with a 9-4 victory over Ryan Narber of Shippensburg, advancing him into the consolation quarterfinals. Morrill kept the momentum going with a pin at 3:53 against Breylon Douglas of Lock Haven. Trevor Begin of Mercyhurst defeated Morrill in the consolation semifinals with an 11-3 major decision. In the fifth-place match, Morrill won by medical forfeit.
• Redshirt senior D.J. Mele earned a sixth-place finish after losing 10-2 to Chris Matzke of Edinboro in the fifth-place match. Mele finished 2-3 on the day. After dropping the first bout of the day to Grant Bond of Bloomsburg, Mele won the next two bouts against Mike Cusick in a 2-0 decision and Colton Babcock of Shippensburg in a 7-1 decision. Mercyhurst's Mike Clark earned a 4-0 decision win over Mele that dropped the Marauder to the fifth-place match.

HEAD COACH KERRY REGNER QUOTES
• "I am proud of Shane's efforts. He is making strides of improvement."
• "A big effort in the program is to perform in a way that exhibits pride and excellence to Millersville. I believe our efforts not our placements exuded pride and excellence."
• "Guys must believe whether times are tough or good that you have to keep moving forward looking for the next point. If you do that, good things will happen."
• "We are always trying to improve our effort and fight. If you focus on the right things and aspects of the task ahead of you. The goals you are striving for are in reaching distance."

NOTES
• Ruhnke's first two matches were rematches from this season's duals. Ruhnke faced Austin of Pitt-Johnstown and Grass of Mercyhurst previously this year.
• 285-pound Jerry McCoy in 1995-96 was the last Marauder was a conference champion.
• Ruhnke improved to 5-1 on the season while Dull picked up his sixth victory.
• Ruhnke was the only wrestler from a Division II school to win a championship.

UP NEXT
• The Marauders conclude 2018 and look toward the New Year when they are back in action at the David H. Lehman Open on Saturday, Jan. 5.

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