Simburger paces Panthers

York College bags seven mat medals

News-Times/Steve Moseley Josiah Simburger (front) of York College works against Baker University 141-pounder Joel Olivas. Simburger went 4-0 and won the York College Open.

by Steve Moseley,
York News-Times

Ten teams converged on the York College campus to fill the Freeman Center with four mats of nonstop action.

Simburger, a junior out of Mandan, N.D., went 4-0 on the day and won the championship on a loaded, 19-man bracket.

Simburger won it all with two major decisions, a 3:59 pin and, in the quarterfinals, a medical forfeit. In the finals Simburger beat Brandon Rimpley of the University of Nebraska - Kearney by 10-1 major decision.

Jamel Wheatley, a 184-pound sophomore from Lafayette, La., battled to second with a tourney record of 3-1. Wheatley began with a decision, 8-4, then won by fall in 2:54 and 5:53 to earn a berth in the finals where he lost a close 10-8 decision.

Second on a short 174-pound bracket went to Panther Brandon Reif. He won 9-7 in the semifinals, then dropped a 6-1 decision in the finals.

Jake McCoy garnered third for York College at 165. After splitting his first two matches, McCoy, a junior from Coos Bay, Ore., won his last two, both by major decision.

Bryan Williams dropped his first bout at 149, but wrestled all the way back to the third-place match where the Sacramento, Calif., senior took fourth after falling by 16-7 major decision to Justin Ferguson of Hastings College. Williams' success on the day qualified him for NAIA Nationals. He joins Panther wrestlers Simburger, Wheatley, and Raymond Johnson as those who have qualified for the pinnacle tournament of NAIA competition.

Landing fifth at 197 for YC was Ellis Trotter. The redshirt junior from Los Angeles fell 8-6 in his first match, but swept the grueling, four-match marathon in the wrestlebacks to earn his medal the hard way.

Miles Negley out of Wahoo, Neb., was sixth at 133. He went 1-1 on the championship bracket, lost in the semifinals and then went 0-2 in the consolation round.

York College grapplers who did not place include: Wes Negley (2-2 at 125), Nicholas Clarke (2-2 at 149), Kyle Wichman (1-2 at 157), Bryan Irsik (0-2 at 184), Quinnell Willingham (1-2 at 197), Ray Johnson (2-2 at 285) and Nathan Trumbo (0-2 at 285).

More photos of the Panthers in action are available for viewing and sale in gallery at www.yorknewstimes.com.