Grapplers of Penn State Fayette attain group, individual victories
The wrestling team brought home a third Penn State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) championship title this academic year to Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, with a strong showing in the combination 2017 PSUAC-USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association) wrestling tournament, held Feb. 11 in University Park. In addition, the Fayette grapplers finished fifth of 14 teams in the USCAA portion of the tournament.
This latest victory shines a spotlight once again onto the athletic program at Fayette, which has turned out to be one of the University’s smallest but most competitive campuses, with its men’s Cross-Country and women’s Volleyball teams each winning championships of their own during the past semester.
At the tournament Saturday, eight of Fayette campus’ 12 wrestlers competed in Rec Hall, and the following five men won first place in the PSUAC portion, in addition to doing well in the USCAA portion: Nathan Spinetti, Ethan Kenney, Michael Perdomo, John Fedorek, and John Godzin.
During the USCAA portion, senior Spinetti (285 pounds) and junior Kenney were first-place finishers, while junior Perdomo (141 pounds) placed third. At 184 pounds, Godzin, a first-year student, also performed well enough to rank third, and the 125-pound Fedorek, another first-year, finished fifth.
Also doing well in the USCAA portion was another team member, Pedro Tavarez Jr., who brought home third place for the 149-pound weight class.
Coach Jerry Simon is “very pleased” with the way his team did this season, adding that he thinks their showing at the weekend tournament was impressive. “The kids have been working hard all year,” he said. “We were fortunate enough to get everything put together in order to do well in the tournament.”
Only one member of Penn State Fayette’s wrestling squad is a departing senior, so Simon expects big things next year when the mats come out again.
