m — ST. LOUIS — Edinboro got two grapplers to the ultimate stage, just not the two one might expect.
Senior Paul Donahoe, a transfer from Nebraska who won the 125-pound championship in 2007, is in position to add a second title to his résumé after a pair of wins Friday. Joining him is not fellow 2007 champ Gregor Gillespie, but senior Jarrod King, who won both his matches at 165 pounds. Gillespie came up short, falling in his semifinal bout.
Donahoe went a different direction in his 125-pound semifinal bout with Arizona State’s Anthony Robles, who made it all the way to the semifinals despite missing a leg, choosing to grapple from his knees for the first time in the tournament. It paid off in the end, but made for a slow moving match through the first two periods. Still, the Fighting Scot senior took a 1-0 lead after two thanks to an escape 22 seconds in to the second stanza.
In the final period, Donahoe took the top position. Robles got out immediately to tie the score at 1-1. Donahoe finally got the first takedown after just missing on a couple other occassions. Robles escaped to make it 3-2 but, after a stall warning against Donahoe, the Scot sealed the match with another takedown for the 5-2 win.
Gillespie also went unconventional at 157 pounds.
After falling behind to Nebraska’s Jordan Burroughs 2-1 in after the first period, Gillespie chose to start the second from the bottom position. With riding time a factor at the NCAA level, most grapplers take the top position. Gillespie got out quickly to tie the score 2-2. Burroughs got another takedown, but the Scots senior again escaped quickly. A second stall warning against Gillespie and another Burroughs takedown put the Scot at a 7-3 disadvantage heading to the third.
Gillespie was never able to close the gap. Burroughs got two more takedowns and the Scot got just one more escape as the No. 1 seed advanced with an 12-4 major decision.
As for King, he won a whale of a match.
The senior took a 2-0 lead, getting the only takedown of the first period. He added another takedown in the second, but Iowa State’s Jonathan Reader countered with a takedown and a pair of escapes. With no scoring in the third period, the two went to overtime tied at 4-4.
The pair fought through sudden victory, a pair of tiebreaking periods, a second sudden victory and two more tiebreaking periods, only gathering two escapes each for a 6-6 score. That put the match to a tiebreaker, which King won based on his riding time advantage. King will face Wisconsin’s Andrew Howe today in the finals.
Donahoe advanced to the semifinals with a 7-3 decision in the quarters. Gillespie won his quarterfinal match, 1-0, while King posted a 12-5 decision to reach the semis.
The other five Scots were eliminated Friday.
Ricky Deubel (133) and Pat Bradshaw (197) each lost by fall, while Torsten Gillespie dropped a 6-4 decision. Chris Honeycutt made it within a win of placing, but lost his fifth-round consolation match by decision, 7-2. Joe Fendone also came up short of a podium finish, losing 8-6 in sudden victory during the fifth round of the 285 consolations.
As a team, the Fighting Scots stood in fourth place with a round of consolations to go. EUP has 63.5 points and trails just Ohio State (84.5), Iowa (72.0) and Iowa St. (64.5).
Local Sports
Donahoe, King reach finals
- Local Sports
-
-
SOFTBALL: Hanley’s bat, attitude propelled Panthers in 2013
One of the most important parts of a softball or baseball game comes before a single pitch has even been thrown.
That moment comes when the opposing teams’ coaches and captains gather at home plate for the coin flip. -
TRACK AND FIELD: Sternby rebounds from injury to win D-10 title
On a frigid April afternoon at the Harbor Creek Invitational, Meadville’s Heather Sternby felt a shock of discomfort in her leg while competing in the 200-meter dash.
Sternby still finished the race in first place. But she found out afterwards that she had strained her hamstring. -
BASEBALL: Franklin edges Meadville in CVAL action
Zach Guth’s two-hit, complete-game shutout trumped the Meadville pitching staff’s six-hit performance as Franklin edged the Marauders 1-0 in a well-played Crawford/Venango American Legion baseball game held Friday at Eldred Glen.
-
Rough first inning, miscues doom FCV in loss to Franklin
French Creek Valley had better pitching than Franklin. It also (barely) out-hit Franklin.
However, it also bettered Franklin in errors, and that proved to be the difference as Franklin downed the Creekers 4-3 in a Crawford/Venango American Legion baseball meeting on Wednesday at Saegertown American Legion’s Ed Acker Field.
-
Veteran coaches Courtney, Frazier hang up whistles
The end of the 2012-13 school year has also signaled the end of two long-time coaching careers in the area.
-
BOYS BASKETBALL: McElhinny takes over sideline for MASH boys
Norm Price’s big shoes have been filled.
-
Rampage ready for Meadville home opener
Semi-professional football is making its way to Meadville.
-
Bergeron scores in 2nd OT to give Bruins 2-1 win over Pens
Patrice Bergeron scored 15:19 into the second overtime to lead the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins and a 3-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night.
-
PIAA BASEBALL PLAYOFFS: Cardinals on wrong end of pitching dual against OLSH
This postseason, the Cochranton baseball team has been the beneficiary of a 1-0 result and, as of Monday, has been the victim of a 1-0 result after falling to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart by the smallest of margins in the opening round of the PIAA Class A playoffs yesterday at Jerry Uht Park.
-
PIAA BASEBALL PLAYOFFS: Late rally comes up short in Saegertown loss
And just like that, Saegertown’s stupendous spring has come to an end.
Last week, the school was celebrating District 10 championships in three sports — baseball, softball and boys volleyball. - More Local Sports Headlines
-
SOFTBALL: Hanley’s bat, attitude propelled Panthers in 2013
Obama Renews Call for Nuclear Reductions
Raw: Car Jumps Curb in NYC, Injures 8
Obama: 'Lives Have Been Saved' by NSA Programs
Obama: Friction in Afghan Talks No Surprise
Unusual Heat Wave Bakes Alaska
Raw: Massive Protests Fill Brazilian Streets
Raw: German President Welcomes President Obama
Fans Cheer Dramatic Heat Comeback
Raw: Arizona Wildfire Scorches 8 Square Miles
Hoffa Mystery Still Fascinates After 4 Decades
Raw: 1 Dead in Shooting at Mo. Apartment Complex
Raw: Huge Fire Near Yosemite National Park
3 Charged in Ohio With Enslaving Mom, Daughter
Kid Couture: Spending Big Bucks on Babies
