Dec. 2, 2005
NORFOLK, VA - The Old Dominion Wrestling Monarchs split up this weekend to travel to Las Vegas, Nevada and University Park, Pennsylvania for the 24th annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and the Penn State Nittany Lion Open.
Five Monarchs wrestlers will compete for ODU at the Cashman Center in Las Vegas in the double-elimination tournament, wrestling for one of the Top 8 spots with no team score being kept. Preliminary, consolation and quarterfinal rounds are set to kick off today, with semi, consolation and championship finals set for Saturday.
Old Dominion will be represented in five weight classes this weekend starting with Freshman Bryan LaShomb at 125. LaShomb enters competition after going 3-2 last weekend to capture fourth place at Mat Town U.S.A. Senior Shanon Slack will wrestle at 141 this weekend, and sophomore Nick Pullano will compete at 157. Last weekend Pullano finished in third place at Mat Town going 3-1 on the day. Representing ODU at 165 will be senior Robby Gosnell, and senior Adam Wright will see mat time at 197. Wright comes off a devastating 1-3 finish at Mat Town for sixth place after being forced to forfeit his final three matches due to injury.
Five other Monarchs wrestlers will represent ODU in the Penn State Nittany Lion Open this Sunday. Wrestling for ODU will be freshman Ryan Williams at 133, sophomore Josh Tyler at 149, and Bryan Lenhardt at 174. Lenhardt finished fourth last weekend after going 3-2 at Mat Town, including defeating Rider's Doug Umbehauer in a 10-1 major decision, and Oregon's Chet McBee by fall at 1:57. Freshman Kevin Harrington will compete at 184, while senior John Dolida will contend at 285.
The Old Dominion wrestling Monarchs take next weekend off to prepare for their home dual match against no. 20 University of Northern Iowa December 17, at the ODU Fieldhouse.