Scranton, PA –Garrett College wrestlers EJ Guy and Elijah Hunter reached the finals in the Gulf Atlantic District championships on Saturday at 133 and 197 pounds, respectively.
Guy and Hunter earned berths in the NJCAA national tournament along with teammate Connor Saladin, who finished third at 285 pounds. Laker Ethan Doctor placed fifth at 174 pounds while teammates Linden Amtoung and Zachary Schoch took sixth at 157 and 184 pounds, respectively.
The unseeded Guy pinned third-seeded Derek Renninger of Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in the 133-pound quarterfinals. He then upset second-seeded Jeffrey Molina of Bergen Community College, 8-7, when he executed a reversal with 15 seconds left in the semifinal match.
Top-seeded defending champion Giuseppe Nott of Camden County College pinned Guy 45 seconds into the 133-pound title match.
"That was an unbelievable run by EJ," said GC head coach John Chambers, noting Renninger had beaten Guy earlier in the season. "I can't say enough about how EJ wrestled Saturday. It was the best he's wrestled all year."
Hunter, the top seed and defending champion at 197 pounds, pinned Mason Andreassi of Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester in the quarterfinals. He then used a third-period escape to break a 2-2 tie on the way to a 4-2 win over Tony Ray of Patrick & Henry Community College in the semis.
In the finals, third-seeded Austin Suess of Southwest Virginia Community College took a 2-0 lead late in the first period with a takedown. Suess then pinned Hunter late in the middle period to earn the crown.
"The 197-pound bracket this year was, by far, the toughest bracket in our district tournament," said Chambers. "Elijah had a good day. I'm looking forward to Elijah making a run at all-American status at the national tournament."
Saladin used a second-period reversal to set up a quarterfinal pin against Brett Fick (Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology). Eventual champion Shane Whitley of Camden County College then pinned Saladin in the first period of their semifinal match.
Saladin rallied in the consolation bracket, notching two more pins to claim third place as he finished the tournament 3-1 with three pins.
"Connor had an awesome day," said Chambers. "His only loss was to a returning JuCo all-American."
Doctor pinned Robert Rhinehart (Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology) in the fifth-place match at 174 pounds.
"All six wrestlers I took to the [Gulf Atlantic] district had the chance to punch their ticket to nationals," said Chambers, whose young squad finished fourth as a team. "The growth that all of these freshmen showed was so enjoyable."
Chambers said the Lakers would likely have finished even higher as a team if injured 184-pounder Paxton Wertz – questionable right up until tournament time – had been healthy enough to wrestle.
"Paxton would have been right there potentially in the finals if he had been healthy," said Chambers.
Guy, Hunter, and Saladin will compete at nationals March 3-4 in Council Bluffs, IA.
