Two weeks ago at the Keystone Classic, it took a third period fall for Penn wrestling captain Jody Giuricich to win the 149-pound individual title.
It was much easier this time around.
Yesterday at the Nittany Lion Open, Giuricich took home his second straight championship after Sacred Heart's Mark Laramee declared a medical forfeit.
"I feel like I've got a pretty good start to the season," Giuricich said. "These are not the biggest tournaments -- ones I worry about too much -- but hopefully it will set a good groundwork for the rest of the season."
Giuricich isn't the only one making strides. Penn freshman Matt Valenti won his first-ever collegiate meet at 125-pounds.
After a season-ending injury in 2001, junior Doug McGraw finished runner-up at Penn State yesterday. He lost by one point, 6-5, to Edinboro's Cory Ace, an All-American last year.
"It wasn't a great match for me, but if there's a positive I can take away, it's that I improved every match," McGraw said. "The result didn't come out like I wanted it to, but the effort was there."
Penn coach Roger Reina was pleased with the Quakers' overall performance. According to him, out of the 30-plus squads represented at the open, the Red and Blue and Nittany Lions stood out.
He thinks that McGraw has "turned the corner" by converting close matches from losses into wins. He called Valenti's individual title a "breakthrough."
Other notable Quakers were Matt Feast, who finished third in the heavyweight division, and Mike Silengo, who was sixth at 125 pounds.
"Our team this year, to be successful, needs strong improvement from every member," Reina said.
"We don't have any returning All-Americans," he added, referring to the absences of past-Red and Blue wrestling stars like Yoshi Nakamura and Rick Springman. "But we have a lot of capable guys."
In the minds of the media, the Quakers are far beyond capable.
Paul Velekei cracked into the top-20 for the first time in his two-year Penn career, ranked No. 20 in the nation at 184 pounds. Feast is No. 15 and Giuricich is No. 16 in their weight classes.
Penn is now on a three-week hiatus until the Midlands Open.
The tournament "is the No. 1 opportunity to make a name for yourself on a national scene," Reina said.
With a season-long emphasis on improvement, Reina will need to make sure that over the 21-day break, the Quakers don't regress.
"We definitely aim to progress in three weeks," he said. "The [Penn wrestlers] have finals to focus on, but so does every other team in the country. We're not different from anyone else."
The break will also give the Quakers an opportunity to heal. Absent at the Nittany Lion Open were Velekei, Marcus Schontube, Ethan Bullock and Brett Vanderveer.
Reina expects all four to be healthy in time for the Midlands.
