Penn wants attention at Penn State

The Penn wrestling team has participated in two tournaments this season -- one at Iowa State and one at Penn. At the Cyclone Open in Ames, Iowa, the Quakers faced some of the best teams in the country and came away with victories in five of 10 weight classes. Penn was again successful at home in the Keystone Classic, but against weaker competition. This weekend, the Quakers will again compete against some of the best wrestlers in the nation when they participate in tomorrow's Penn State Open. Leading the field are the host Nittany Lions, who hold a No. 5 national ranking and will be coming off today's matchup against No. 1 Iowa. At the Penn State Open last year, the Lions boasted three championships, three runner-ups and four third-place finishers. Returning from first-place finishes at the Open in 1995 are sophomore Glenn Pritzloff at 167 pounds and senior Kenny McKoy in the heavyweight class, who returns to Penn State after an unsuccessful tryout for the Olympics. Another strong contender is No. 9 Oklahoma, a young but experienced team expecting to have its best finish in years. Ivy League foe Cornell will also provide tough competition as seen by their narrow defeat at the hands of No. 10 Lock Haven a few weeks ago. They return junior Joel Holman, returning Penn State Open champ in the 177-pound division. The Quakers look to make up for a disappointing performance at last year's Penn State Open, when no one on the team made it to the finals. The best performance was turned in by Sean O'Hara, who advanced to the semifinals at 134 pounds. Also key for the Quakers will be sophomore Brett Matter at 142 pounds, who truly arrived on the wrestling scene at the Open last year when he shocked the No. 1 seed, only to lose in the quarterfinals. He has started the year strong, winning his class in both the Cyclone Open and the Keystone Classic. Quakers co-captain Brandon Slay will be tested at 167 pounds if he faces last year's champion, Pritzloff. He has looked strong in his return to the Penn after missing last year due to injury. He, too, has won championships at both two tournaments this year. Penn senior Joey Allen could also face a previous champion at the heavyweight division, as he seeks to build on his first-place performance at the Cyclone Open. The Quakers have a second chance to show off their ability to a nationwide audience. In their first opportunity, they surprised the wrestling elite by defeating host Iowa State in many weight classes at the Cyclone Open. This weekend, they will face the likes of Penn State and Oklahoma in an attempt to prove that they are a force to reckoned with on the national, not just eastern, scene.