TIMELINE EIWA HISTORY The Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association was founded in 1904 between students from Princeton, Penn, Yale and Columbia for the purpose of fostering the sport of wrestling. It held the first of its annual tournaments in 1905. The oldest intercollegiate wrestling organization, Penn State joined the “The Easterns” in 1918, after applying for membership for eight years. The Nittany Lions quickly proved their value as they became the jewel of the association, which included Cornell, Lehigh, Syracuse, Harvard, Navy, Virginia, and Pittsburgh among others. Penn State won the first four championships it was part of and went on to claim 16 EIWA titles and finish in the top three of the league tournament 40 times in its 56 year affiliation. The Nittany Lions also garnered the league’s only NCAA title in 1953 and produced more E.I.W.A. champions (105) than any other school before leaving the league in 1974. EIWA TEAM TITLES 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1924, 1925, 1936, 1937, 1942, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1957, 1960 (tied with Pittsburgh), 1971, 1973. THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS Jack Light, ‘35, 36, 37 Charles Ridenour, ‘41, 42, 43 Dick Lemyre, ‘52, 53, 54 John Johnston, ‘56, 57, 58 Clyde Frantz, ‘69, 70, 71 Dave Joyner, ‘70, 71, 72 Andy Matter, ‘70, 71, 72
FLETCHER TROPHY (most tournament points scored in career) John Johnston, ‘58 Johnston Oberly, ‘61 Clyde Frantz, ‘71 SHERIDAN TROPHY (most falls in shortest time) Rich Lorenzo, ‘68 RECENT HALL OF FAME Dave Joyner (inducted in 2004) John Fritz (2002) Rich Lemyre (2002) Charles Ridenour (2002) Clyde Frantz (2001) Andy Matter (1999) John Johnston (1996) Charles Speidel (1995)
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Jeff Prescott won his third consecutive league title at 118 pounds and became only the sixth Nittany Lion to secure three EWL championships. Tim Wittman, who defeated top seed Scott Hovan in overtime for his second league title and first at 158 pounds, was voted Outstanding Wrestler. Penn State posted a 89–12–2 (87.4) league dual record including a 56-bout unbeaten streak. The Nittany Lions went undefeated (7–0) in their final season in the EWL. THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS Dave Becker, ‘76–78 Greg Elinsky, ‘85–87 Chris Bevilacqua, ‘84–86 Dan Mayo, ‘86–88 Carl DeStefanis, ‘82–84 Jeff Prescott, ‘90–92 EWL TOURNAMENT OUTSTANDING WRESTLER Jeff Prescott, ‘91 Tim Wittman,‘92 Steve Sefter, ‘81 John Yankanich, ‘90 COACH-OF-THE-YEAR Rich Lorenzo, 1981–84, 87, 91 WRESTLER-OF-THE-YEAR Carl DeStefanis, ‘84 Jim Martin, ‘88 Scott Lynch, ‘83–84 Jeff Prescott, ‘91–92 FRESHMAN-OF-THE-YEAR Steve Sefter, ‘81 Ken Chertow, ‘85 Greg Elinsky, ‘84 Jim Martin, ‘86 EWL HALL-OF-FAME Coach Contributor Bill Koll Ed Czekaj, Rich Lucas Rich Lorenzo Doug McDonald Wrestlers Dave Becker, Chris Bevilacqua, Carl DeStefanis, Greg Elinski, John Hanrahan, Scott Lynch, Jim Martin, Steve Sefter, Jerry White, Tim Wittman, Dan Mayo.
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6 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
OUTSTANDING WRESTLERS Charles Ridenour, ‘42 Sam Harry, ‘46 Rich Lorenzo, ‘68 Clyde Frantz, ‘69 & 70 John Fritz, ‘74
The seven-for-seven performance in the finals broke, by two, the EWL record for most individual champions from one team. Five Nittany Lions had won titles in 1976, 1986 and 1987. All 10 Penn State wrestlers advanced to the semi-finals. The Lions’ team total of 165.50 points eclipsed the tournament scoring record of 148.25, set by Penn State in 1987. Overall, Penn State wrestlers won 29 of 34 bouts and a record 10 by fall.
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TWO-TIME CHAMPIONS Ivan Brown, ‘18, 19 Frank Watson, ‘21, 22 Len Cary, ‘24, 25 Bill Black, ‘24, 25 Ted Wilson, ‘28, 29 Bob Ellstrom, ‘33, 34 Sam Harry, ‘42, 46 Howard Johnston, ‘34, 35 Homer Barr, ‘49, 50 Gerry Maurey, ‘53, 54 Marty Strayer, ‘64, 65 Johnston Oberly, ‘60, 61 John Fritz, ‘73, 74 Jerry Villecco, ‘73, 74
EWL HISTORY In 17 years (1976-82) of competition in the Eastern Wrestling League, Penn State was, by far, the most dominant member school, winning 14 tournament titles, including 11 consecutive from 1982 to 1992. Nittany Lions won 59 individual championships and 140 placed. In its final league tournament appearance, in March of 1992, Penn State, under the direction of Rich Lorenzo, romped to the EWL title, breaking its own scoring record and crowning a record seven individual champions.
5 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
2016 - Cael Sanderson leads Penn State to its fifth NCAA Championship in the last six years at Madison Square Garden in New York City. - Penn State has six All-Americans, including five NCAA finalists. - The Nittany Lions claim two National Champions as Nico Megaludis (125) and Zain Retherford (149) claim Penn State’s 31st and 32nd individual titles. - Megaludis became Penn State’s ninth four-time All-American by winning the NCAA title at 125. Megaludis also became a three-time finalist. - Retherford was named the 2014 NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler. - Retherford won his first NCAA title at 149 and was named the 2016 NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler for his season-long efforts. - Retherford was named Penn State’s Male Athlete of the Year and is a finalist for the Big Ten’s Jesse Owens Award as the conference’s Male Athlete of the Year. Retherford became the fifth straight wrestler to win the Penn State Male Athlete of the Year award. - Morgan McIntosh became Penn State’s 25th three-time All-American as the 197-pound national runner-up. - Red-shirt freshmen Bo Nickal (174) and Jason Nolf (157) became freshmen All-Americans and NCAA national runners-up with 4-1 runs to the finals in Madison Square Garden. - Senior Jordan Conaway became a two-time All-American with a sixth place finish at 133 while qualifiers Geno Morelli (165) and Jimmy Gulibon (141) each went 2-2. - Penn State won its fifth Big Ten title in six years, running away from the field in Iowa City. The Lions’ 150.5 points were over 20 more than second place Iowa’s 127.0. - Sanderson was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for the 5th straight time. - Retherford was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year. - Nickal won the Big Ten title at 174. - McIntosh became Penn State’s ninth two-time Big Ten Champion, winning another crown at 197. - Nolf was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. - Penn State won a share of its third Big Ten Regular Season (dual meet) title with a school record 9-0 record. - The Nittany Lions posted a perfect 16-0 dual meet mark. - Penn State won the 2016 NWCA National Dual Meet title with a rousing 29-17 win over Oklahoma State in Rec Hall. - Penn State claimed its sixth-straight Southern Scuffle title. - Penn State averaged a school-record 8,756 fans per dual meet and has wrestled in front of sell-out crowds in 32 of its last 33 home events, including 29 straight in Rec Hall.