From the Allentown Morning Call
Cooler heads help Lehigh prevail, despite Trenge’s disqualification
Weibel’s win helps offset Trenge’s outburst in 20-16 win over PSU.
By Gary R. Blockus
Of The Morning Call
UNIVERSITY PARK | Paul Weibel used his head and won. Teammate Jon Trenge lost his cool and got disqualified.
But Weibel’s impressive 12-3 major decision over Penn State’s Josh Walker locked up a 20-16 for the Mountain Hawks, who nipped No. 16 Penn State on Friday night at Rec Hall.
Trenge, the nation’s No. 3 ranked 197-pounder and a two-time NCAA finalist, became incensed by his opponent’s tactics and was disqualified just one minute and eight seconds into the bout, costing Lehigh not only six team points for the DQ, but an additional team point for flagrant misconduct.
Trenge, apparently upset with himself for losing his cool, wouldn’t comment later.
Joel Edwards, Trenge’s opponent, had repeatedly grabbed Trenge’s goggles during their match.
”It was clearly illegal,” Lehigh coach Greg Strobel said. ”It wasn’t even questionable.”
Trenge wears protective eyegear because of his propensity for detached and torn retinas, a condition that could end his career any time. Because of that, he redshirted last year and tried to make the Olympic team, figuring it might be his only shot.
Referee Bob Derr seemed totally unaware of Edwards’ tactics despite animated protests from Lehigh’s bench.
Trenge eventually slapped through Edwards’ blocking attempts, got him in a double underhooks, and threw him over his head cement-job style and onto the floor in the Lehigh bench area.
The DQ gave Penn State a 16-16 tie. Lehigh had led 17-10 going into the bout.
”When Jon keeps his focus, he’s unstoppable,” said Weibel, who knew he had a big task ahead of him against a much bigger heavyweight. ”He’s so good that people are going to go after his goggles. He’s just got to keep focused.”
Weibel, a sophomore from Quakertown, certainly kept focused. He countered every move the bigger Walker made and chalked up four takedowns en route to the match-clinching major decision as Lehigh became the first-ever team to defeat Penn State twice in one season at Rec Hall.
”I tried not to be too nervous because it’s business out there,” said Weibel said, who wrestled right after the emotional turn of events. ”Tonight, I got a good, quick easy takedown and I kept wrestling.”
Weibel credited Lehigh assistant coach Kerry McCoy, the U.S. Olympic heavyweight, with teaching him good position for the counter moves.
”Well, you never know what to expect when you come to Happy Valley,” Strobel said.
The evening featured seven rematches from the Mountain Hawks’ 24-15 win over the Nittany Lions at the Penn State Duals in November. Weibel reversed his loss to Walker. Penn State’s DeWitt Driscoll reversed his fortune and upset the No. 3-ranked Cory Cooperman 9-5 on a takedown and tilt in the final 1:08 of the match.
Lehigh junior Derek Zinck (No. 10 at 157) put Lehigh on top with a one-point decision over No. 11 Nate Galloway.
Lehigh’s Troy Letters, ranked first in the nation at 165, played a game of take Steven Troup down and let him up, en route to a technical fall in 6:54, which gave Lehigh a 14-6 lead.
Junior Travis Frick, from Nazareth, repeated his victory over James Yonushonis, allowing just two escapes in a 5-2 decision as the Mountain Hawks lead swelled to 17-6 with three bouts remaining.
Mat side: Penn State’s 149-pounder, James Woodall (knee), and 197-pound Philip Davis (ankle) sat out. “¦ The Nazareth Junior High School wrestling team, under the direction of coach Mike Frick, wrestled Dover in a preliminary. Nazareth won 56-36. Frick had a dual purpose for scheduling the match. His son Travis is a two-time national champ and Lehigh’s 174-pounder.
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