Sophomore Lou Gardone, the anchor of Penn State New Kensington’s revived wrestling program, won the National Collegiate Wrestling Association Mid-East Conference championship Feb. 27 at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa. Gardone, a former standout at Burrell High School, advances to the National Collegiate Wrestling Association national championships, March 10-12, at Mercer College in Macon, Georgia.
Seeded number one in the 197-pound bracket, Gardone pinned his semi-final opponent and scored a 4-0 decision over an opponent from West Chester University in the title match. Coach Scott Morgan was not surprised at the conference result and cited Gardone’s confidence as a factor in the victory.
"Lou was determined to win his bracket, and that carried him," said Morgan, a former Pennsylvania high school wrestling champion. "Despite an early knee injury, he pushed through all year and is wrestling his best right now."
Gardone, 12-6 overall during the regular season, echoed his coach’s analysis of the result, and also partly attributed his Mid-East championship to the tournament set-up.
"Honestly, these types of tournaments are all about where you get seeded," said Gardone, an administrative of justice major. "I got the number one seed in the bracket which put me in perfect position to win my way into the finals."
On the year, Gardone had the best record on the New Kensington Lions team that is in its first season of intercollegiate competition after a 35-year hiatus. Morgan resuscitated a program that was dormant since 1975. Wrestling was a staple of the campus athletic program in the early 1970s.
Gardone is the first wrestler in the history of the campus to advance to a national tournament. The Upper Burrell native will join 35 other contenders from across the country for NCWA’s signature event at Mercer.
"Everyone at the nationals is going to be good so it’s all about who wrestles better," said Gardone, who defeated the NCWA’s 15th ranked wrestler earlier in the season. "It’s going to be a good learning experience and I am looking forward to it."
For more on wrestling, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/StudentLife/Athletics/36287.htm online.