WRESTLING
WILLIAMSPORT — Nationally-ranked junior 165-pounder Nolan Barger (Clearfield) won Lycoming’s first Middle Atlantic Conference individual championship since 2006 with three one-sided wins in Lamade Gym Saturday.
He padded his record to 23-0 by pinning Matthew Judge of Wilkes in 1:06 and then defeating two Messiah matmen, Tag Wilbur by 9-2 and Jeff Hojnacki by 7-2.
Against Hojnacki, rated a top national contender by d3wrestle.com, Barger built a 5-0 lead with two takedowns and an escape before giving up a late reversal. He added an escape and a point for riding time.
Barger, who has been No. 2 in several rankings all season, is the first Warrior to reign since the MAC resumed the individual tournament in 2014 after having dropped the event for six years.
He has a 16-0 dual meet record and is tied for the team lead in falls with eight and major decisions with four. He also has two technical falls.
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HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Redshirt junior 149-pounder Jake Keller (Curwensville) experienced a tough weekend for Clarion in four dual meets that the Golden Eagles split, with three of them in Hofstra’s Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex Sunday.
Keller was up a weight at 157 for three of his matches, including Friday night’s 23-12 Eastern Wrestling League loss to visiting Cleveland State when he took John Vaughn into overtime before the Viking freshman from Boiling Springs secured a takedown for a 10-8 sudden victory.
Despite the historic snowstorm that hit the East Coast, the Golden Eagles made it to the Hofstra campus to join two other teams for the quad meet.
Keller lost a 14-5 major decision to Markus Scheidel of Columbia at 157, was pinned by Kyle Krasavage of Hofstra in 4:28 at 149 and lost a 12-3 major decision to Casey Mitchell of Sacred Heart at 157.
Clarion sandwiched a 25-21 setback to Hofstra with wins over Columbia 19-13 and Sacred Heart 33-7 for a 6-10 record.
Keller is 8-15 with a 2-11 record in duals.
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MEN’S SWIMMING
CLARION — Freshman Alex Shugarts (Clearfield) was a member of a victorious relay team and earned points in one individual event to help Edinboro spoil Senior Day for Clarion and even its record at 3-3 with a 148-143 win in Tippin Natatorium Saturday.
Shugarts recorded a 22.47-second third split for the Fighting Scots’ 200-yard freestyle quarter that posted a season-best 1:27.24 time.
He added second-place points in the 1,000 free with a 10:33.87 effort and also was sixth in the 100 free in 51.68 seconds.
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WOMEN’S SWIMMING
CLARION – Sophomore Kara Thorp (Clearfield) picked up key points in two events as Edinboro defeated Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference rival Clarion 146-139 in Tippin Natatorium Saturday.
Thorp finished second in the 1,000-yard freestyle in 11:57.28 and took fourth in her first 200 backstroke race in 2:24.47.
The Fighting Scots are 4-2.