Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Wrestling Travels to EIWA Foe No. 18 Penn on Saturday at 3 p.m.
1/27/2011 7:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Jan. 27, 2011
About Bucknell
Bucknell is coming off a split of home duals against Old Dominion (W, 20-16) and Liberty (L, 24-15) last weekend. Both duals were not decided until the final bout. The Bison bring a 4-9 overall mark into Saturday's dual at Penn. Bucknell, which went 6-0 against EIWA competition last year, will be aiming for its first EIWA win of the year as it faces the Quakers for the first time in 16 years. Kevin LeValley, who is listed sixth at 149 pounds, remains the Bison's lone nationally ranked wrestler.
About Penn
Penn, which has five ranked wrestlers in its probable starting lineup, is 5-3 overall this year and is ranked 18th nationally as a team. Saturday's match will be the first of eight duals in a 23-day span for the Quakers, who have yet to face an EIWA opponent. Penn last wrestled Jan. 16 and swept VMI (W, 33-6) and Virginia (W, 18-15).
Bucknell vs. Penn
• Penn leads 4-3.
• Bucknell and Penn have not met since 1995, and only twice since 1973.
• Average margin of victory in the series is just eight points.
• Bucknell has not wrestled Penn in Philadelphia since 1962.
Bucknell-Penn Series
Feb. 27, 1960 - Penn 16, Bucknell 13 (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Feb. 25, 1961 - Penn 16, Bucknell 14 (Lewisburg, Pa.)
Feb. 20, 1962 - Bucknell 21, Penn 8 (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Feb. 23, 1963 - Penn 18, Bucknell 6 (Lewisburg, Pa.)
Dec. 8, 1973 - Bucknell 23, Penn 19 (Lewisburg, Pa.)
Jan. 13, 1990 - Bucknell 25, Penn 15 (Lancaster, Pa.)
Jan. 21, 1995 - Penn 23, Bucknell 12 (Annapolis, Md.)
Follow Bucknell vs. Penn
Fans who can't make it to the Palestra to watch Bucknell and Penn square off on Saturday at 3 p.m. will have a couple different ways to follow the match:
• Live Video Broadcast on PennAthletics.com
• Live Results on NWCA site (NWCAonline.com)
Time Change
Saturday's match was originally listed as a 1 p.m. start, but it has been moved to 3 p.m. The venue is still The Palestra.
Close Calls
While Bucknell and Penn have not faced each other in a dual in more than a decade-and-a-half, they have been listed very closely in recent EIWA Championships standings. In 2009, the Bison and Quakers tied for third with 79 points apiece. Last year, Penn was second and Bucknell was fourth, but the Quakers were only 9.5 points ahead of the Bison at the end of the two-day tournament.
Winning Streaks
Three projected Bison starters enters Saturday's match on winning streaks. Seniors Kevin LeValley (149), Brantley Hooks (157) and Jay Hahn (197) have each won two bouts in a row. Additionally, freshman Stephen McPeek won his last bout Sunday vs. Liberty.
Starting Lineups
Bucknell has used 10 different starting lineups in its 13 dual matches this year. The Bison used the same lineup in each of their first four duals, but have wrestled a different lineup each of their last nine outings.
Consistent Starters
While Bucknell has used 10 different starting lineups, four Bison have been in the lineup in all 13 duals. Derek Reber (125), Kevin LeValley (149), Corey Lear (165) and Jay Hahn (197) have started every match. That quartet has combined to go 36-16 in duals. The rest of the team is a combined 23-53.
EIWA Rankings
Bucknell had three wrestlers show up in the latest EIWA rankings, which were released this past Wednesday (Jan. 26). Kevin LeValley is listed third in the EIWA at 149, David Thompson is ranked sixth at 174 and Jay Hahn shows up fifth at 197.
Senior Class Leads the Way
Bucknell's five-person senior class (Jay Hahn, Brantley Hooks, Kevin LeValley, Scott Sechler, Rob Waltko) has been strong this year. The five veterans have combined for a 76-41 mark with four of them already in double figures in victories. The rest of the team is a combined 122-149.
LeValley Moves Up Career Wins List
Thanks to an 21-1 record this year, senior 149-pounder Kevin LeValley has improved his career mark to 114-38 (.747). He is now third on Bucknell's career wins list, one spot ahead of 2010 graduate and current assistant coach David Marble. LeValley enters the weekend just seven wins behind Andy Rendos' one-year-old program standard (121).
Kevin LeValley Notes
• 21-1 record this season
• One regular-season loss in the last calendar year
• Went 36-4 during 2010 calendar year
• 14 consecutive wins in Davis Gym (home venue)
• First-ever Bison to win individual title at Midlands Championships
• 6-1 vs. ranked opponents in 2010-11 and 15-8 since the beginning of 2009-10
• 10 bonus-point wins in 2010-11
• Six-time Bison Athlete of the Week winner
• Defeated then-No. 12 Torsten Gillespie at NWCA All-Star Classic to become first Bison to win at that event
• Ranked No. 6 in the nation at 149 pounds
• Won 21 of last 22 dual matches
• Won 10 consecutive EIWA dual matches
• Nine losses over last two years are all by decision by a total of 19 points
• 2010 All-American
• Two-time NCAA qualifier and EIWA placewinner
Bucknell vs. Ranked Opponents
Bucknell has already faced five ranked opponents this year. The Bison still have No. 10 American and No. 18 Penn on their schedule. Bucknell has wrestled 24 ranked opponents since the beginning of 2006-07 and is 1-23 in those matches. The lone win over that span was a 17-16 victory over No. 25 Columbia in February 2007.
Hooks Nears Top 10
Senior 157-pounder Brantley Hooks enters the weekend with an 80-64 career record. He is just two victories shy of tying Mike Van Doren for 10th place on Bucknell's all-time wins list.
Hot Streak for Hahn
Senior 197-pounder Jay Hahn is in the middle of an outstanding final campaign as a Bison. He owns a 21-6 overall mark, tying classmate Kevin LeValley for the team lead in wins. Hahn enters Saturday's match on a four-bout winning streak, his fourth hot spell this year of at least four victories. He has lost back-to-back matches just once all year. Hahn has already set career highs for wins (21) and dual wins (10). He owns a 6-2 EIWA dual mark over the last two seasons.
Return of Bucknell Wrestling
The Bucknell wrestling program was discontinued following the 2001-02 season, but was brought back in 2005 thanks in large part to a generous donation from Bill Graham '62. The Bison's first season of competition after reinstatement was 2006-07 and they are 48-44-2 (.521) since then. Seven different wrestlers have combined for 16 NCAA appearances and three All-America certificates over that span.
Wirnsberger Second on Wins List
Bucknell head coach Dan Wirnsberger has guided the Bison to a 48-44-2 record over the last five years. He now ranks second on the Bucknell all-time wins list, trailing only longtime Bison mentor Bobby Ferraro, who posted a 169-175-6 mark from 1974-97. On a career level, Wirnsberger is just one victory shy of 75 (74-66-2).
Bucknell vs. Ranked Individuals
Bucknell wrestlers are a combined 9-36 when facing a ranked individual opponent. Kevin LeValley (6), Nicholas Czapla (1), Corey Lear (1) and Derek Reber (1) have accounted for all nine victories.
2011 EIWA Championships
Bucknell's Sojka Pavilion will host the 107th EIWA Championships March 5-6. It is the first time the Bison will be the host school for the prestigious event. It will be the second wrestling competition to ever be held in the eight-year-old Sojka Pavilion, Bucknell's primary basketball venue. The Bison hosted 23-time NCAA champion Iowa and Rutgers in the facility in November 2009. (Purchase Tickets)
Bison Vision to Broadcast EIWA Championships
Fans that can't make it to Sojka Pavilion for the EIWA Championships will have the opportunity to watch the event live through Bison Vision on BucknellBison.com. A small subscription fee will apply.
Up Next
Bucknell will begin a two-match homestand next Friday, Feb. 4, when it hosts Lock Haven in Davis Gym. The Bison defeated the Bald Eagles 25-12 in Lock Haven last February.
