Dec. 2, 2007

Official Results

Contact: Gene Natale, Jr.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Junior Marcus Effner was the top finisher for the Vikings as he was fourth at 165 after a 4-1 day in a field of 57 wrestlers at the annual Nittany Lion Open today at Penn State University.

In a highly competitive field featuring over 600 wrestlers from some of the top programs across the country, the Vikings managed a decent measure of success despite only bringing 11 wrestlers to the tournament.

"It was just an awesome experience to go to Penn State and compete against some of the top wrestlers in the country," said head coach Jack Effner, adding that "Marcus did a really good job today, and it was definitely respectable performing the way he did against such a tough field."

Junior JT Miller was another Viking grappler who made good things happen at Penn State, as he scored victories over wrestlers from Rutgers and Michigan State en route to a 5-2 day, just falling short of placing in the meet.

Also contributing victories for Cleveland State were sophomore Benny Balogh, who went 2-2 at 184 pounds, and freshmen Josh Palivoda, who scored a win at 133, and Eric Schwartz, who went 1-2 at 285.

Several Vikings went without a win, which as Coach Effner put it, "really gives us purpose, and it was a real eye-opener." He continued, "This is valuable experience that will help us continue to get better as we get closer to the meat of our season, the dual meets."

The Vikings return home for their next competition of the season as Cleveland State hosts the annual CSU open on Dec. 15 at the Woodling Gymnasium.