Jan. 23, 2003
Last year was a banner year for the Duquesne University wrestling program as the team set a school record for wins in a season with its 12-6 dual match record while also winning two tournaments and sending three wrestlers to the NCAA Championships.
The 2002-03 team should provide more of the same good fortunes as sixth-year head coach John Hartupee returns seven starters including all three NCAA qualifiers in seniors Bill Boeh (165), Darren McLane (133) and Jeffrey Moskyok (184). The Dukes have eight letter-winners returning, all of which had double-digit wins last year and lose just two wrestlers who had double-digit wins while adding six freshmen and two new upperclassmen to this year's roster.
Light (125, 133, 141): McLane leads the lightweights into battle this year, coming off his East Regional Championship and trip to the NCAA's. He is third on the squad in career wins with a 46-32 mark through three seasons after winning 10 times in an injury-filled 2002 campaign. Three freshmen will join McLane in 125-pound Keith Pavlekovsky and a pair of 133-pounders in Dean Jacobs and David Kuntz. Pavlekovsky placed three times at the PIAA Championships, Jacobs was a three-time WPIAL qualifier and Kuntz wrestled on the 2000 PIAA Championship team.
Middle (149, 157, 165, 174): The Dukes will see a lot of wins come from the middle weight classes as the team's top two wins leaders from last year return in NCAA participant Boeh with his 29-7 record and sophomore 157-pounder Ryan Powell (25-9 last year). Boeh carries a team-best 78-32 career record and could become just the second wrestler in Duquesne history to accumulate 100 career wins while Powell's 25 wins last year were the most by a freshman since 1996. Also returning are junior Mike Frank and sophomores Jon Denk and Mark Himes. Denk is the incumbent at 149 where he won 17 times last year while Frank and Himes will battle for the starting spot at 174. Frank posted 10 wins in his initial collegiate campaign and Himes defeated 15 opponents a year ago. Battling for mat time will be freshmen Robert Dempsey and David Koba. Dempsey will see action at 149 and 157 pounds with Koba, a two-time All-Conference and All-County selection, seeing time at 174.
Heavy (184, 197, HWT): The Red and Blue will also have experience and talent in the upper divisions. Two-time NCAA qualifier Moskyok will look to become Duquesne's only three-time participant at the NCAA Championships. His 19 wins last year moved him to 12th all-time in wins at DU with a career slate of 52-46. Coach Hartupee's squad will again be strong at heavyweight with the return of sophomore Marc Allemang. Allemang posted an impressive 21-9 record as a frosh and led the Dukes with eight pins. Three newcomers will also contribute here as Brian Neuman, a senior transfer from Bucknell joins sophomore Matt Doak and freshman Charles Roka in rounding out the roster. Neuman will compete for time at 184, Roka at 197 and Doak at both weight classes.
Schedule: The season opens with Duquesne hosting the National Catholic Championship for the second straight season and continues with open tournaments at Ashland, Slippery Rock, North Carolina and Penn State. The Dukes will face 16 opponents in dual matches including first time opponents Eastern Illinois and Maryland as well as highly touted foes such as Duke, Pitt, Davidson, Slippery Rock and Millersville. The season culminates with the East Regional Championships at Delaware State on March 8 with qualifiers from the regional advancing to the NCAA Championships to be held in Kansas City from March 20-22.
