WRESTLING
WILLIAMSPORT — Penn State DuBois sophomore Cliff Hill (Clearfield) placed second in the Mid-East Conference Championships Saturday at Bardo Gymnasium on the Penn College campus to earn a trip to the National Collegiate Wrestling Association Nationals.
Hill, who has compiled an 11-3 record with a United States Collegiate Athletic Association/Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference National Wrestling Invitational championship since joining the Lions this semester, lost in the finals to University of Maryland-Baltimore County’s Chris Urps at 197 pounds.
Landon Clayton (125), Austin Scheibley (133) and Jake Himes (165) also were runners-up for coach Matt Park’s Lions to qualify for next week’s NCWA Nationals at Allen, Texas.
Penn State DuBois piled up 195 points to finish second in the team race. UMBC won the title with 217 points.
Hill pinned Apprentic School’s Lule Hanson in 3:51 to win his USCAA/PSUAC tourney crown in Penn State’s Rec Hall Feb. 16.
Himes, Ryan Terwilliger (174) and Stephen Terwilliger (184) also were champs for Penn State DuBois, which was edged 176-168 by Apprentice School for the team title.
Hill placed third in the Jamestown (N.Y.) Community College Open on Feb. 3.
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GYMNASTICS
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Senior Scott Rosenthal (Clearfield) led Penn State’s strong showing on the still rings that was a key to the nation’s No. 1-ranked team holding off No. 7 Illinois 438.900-436.250Â in Huff Hall Saturday evening.
Rosenthal, making only his second appearance since rehabbing from a shoulder injury, earned a 15.650 from the judges as the undefeated Nittany Lions posted a season-high 77.250 score on the rings that was crucial since the overall total was the lowest of the year.
The Fighting Illini’s Mike Wilner won the rings event with a 15.900.
Penn State is 6-0 in dual meets after its second Big Ten Conference victory.
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BASEBALL
JOHNSTOWN — Sophomore shortstop Derek Danver (Clearfield), sophomore second baseman Brett Sutika (Grampian/Curwensville Area High School) and junior pitcher Ben McGary (Curwensville) saw action in Clarion’s season-opening doubleheader against Pitt-Johnstown at Point Stadium Feb. 25.
Danver singled in four at-bats and Sutika walked in three trips to the plate in the first game, an 11-0 defeat.
Danver was hit by a pitch twice and scored a run while McGary started and suffered the loss in the 12-6 nightcap.
McGary exited on the short end of a 5-3 count after being staked to a 3-0 lead. All of UPJ’s runs off the left-hander were earned. McGary pitched three innings, surrendering five hits, striking out five and hitting one batter.
All three Golden Eagle newcomers are transfer students, Danver from Penn State Altoona, Sutika from Gannon and McGary from Pitt-Bradford.
Danver had an outstanding rookie season with the bat for 17-22 Penn State Altoona.
His 37 runs batted in were tops for the Lions, and he was third in hits (37), doubles (9) and batting average (.348). He tied for third in runs scored with 26.
McGary, who sat out the 2012 season, was a pitcher-outfielder as a freshman and sophomore at Pitt-Bradford, appearing in 18 games on the mound, all but two in relief.
He worked 30.2 innings with a 5.87 earned run average, losing his only decision. He did notch three saves for the 19-14 Panthers in 2011.
McGary started 29 games in center field that year and hit .306 with 16 RBIs.
