LANCASTER, Pa. - The Millersville wrestlers shook off the winter break rust by sending 15 competitors to Franklin & Marshall's David H. Lehman Open. Anthony Yacovetti continued his impressive season at 174 pounds by advancing to the championship semifinals and finishing in fourth place. 

Friday's open marked Millersville's first action since Dec. 18. Millersville was the only non-Division I program in the event. Yacovetti entered the open with a 6-0 record and continued his torrid start to the season. He finished the day 2-1 and knocked off former NCAA Division I qualifier Victor Marcelli of Virginia 3-1 in the process. Bishop McCoy also picked up three victories in the 285-pound bracket. 

DUAL HIGHLIGHTS
• Against Marcelli, Yacovetti fell behind after a second-period escape, but after starting the down position in the third period, he scored a reversal 34 seconds in and stayed in control to earn a point of riding time. Yacovetti advanced with a dominating 18-0 technical fall that took just three minutes against A.J. Dempsey of Virginia Tech. His run through the championship bracket ended against Air Force's Steve Wolf. Still not 100% from an ankle injury, Yacovetti elected to take a medical forfeit in the third-place match. 
• At 165 pounds, Brandon Connor picked up two decisions in the championship bracket--both by decision--before falling to second-seeded Dalton Harkins of Army in the round of 16. His day ended with a 2-2 record. Fellow 165-pounder Guy Deleonardis also went 2-2, defeating Penn State's Brian Borden 6-5 with a third-period reversal and two nearfall points. He also downed North Carolina's Sonny Santiago 4-3, scoring all of his points in the second period. 
• In the 184-pound bracket, Anthony Giampietro defeated teammate Cameron Whisner by a 6-0 decision and then got three third-period points plus a point of riding time to top Bucknell's Michael Giallorenzi, 7-4. Giampietro's day was cut short with a medical forfeit in the following consolation round. 
• The 285-pound McCoy started his day with a third-period pin of Columbia's Jalen Stephens. He led 5-2 before getting the fall at 6:22. Edinboro's Max Millin won a narrow 3-2 decision on an escape in the third. But McCoy bounced back nicely with a 3-2 decision over Rutgers' Nico Colucci, which included a takedown with 39 seconds left in the period. McCoy then rallied late against Virginia's Jessie Knight, getting an escape and a takedown in the final second of the match to win 5-2. McCoy's run was finally stopped by Lehigh's Nathan Taylor on a first-period pin fall. 

REACTION FROM COACH KERRY REGNER
• On Yacovetti's placing: "Anthony continues to wrestle relentlessly against whoever is in front of him. The thing that I am so proud of him for is his ability to continually want to improve in the room--always looking for technical adjustments before and after practice."

UP NEXT
• Millersville's next four matches all come against PSAC competition, starting with a dual at home against Gannon on Jan. 14.