2007-08 Wrestling Outlook

Three national qualifiers return to the Marauders wrestling squad this year. Cody Becker, Jarrett Hostetter and John Heleniak are all back, and any success Millersville has on the mats this season will surely be driven by them.

In addition, head coach Neil Barnes has recruited a talented class of incoming freshmen who are expected to do great things at Millersville, which finished 3-13 as a team last season. Four of those seven freshmen have a good chance at starting in 2007-08.

Becker, a senior from Spring Grove, will compete at 149 pounds this year and is looking for his third NCAA tournament berth. He battled through injury last year to finish with a 10-8 record and peaked at the end of the season when he captured the NCAA East Regional title.

“Cody has been a very hard worker since we recruited him three years ago,” says Barnes. “He is a hard-nosed kid with a tough, defensive style of wrestling. He wins a lot of matches with heart.”

Barnes calls Hostetter, a junior from Oxford, the most explosive and dynamic wrestler on the team. The 157-pounder recorded a team-high 25 wins, compared to just 14 losses, last season and reached the NCAA Division II Tournament as a wildcard entry.

“He’s probably the most exciting wrestler to watch on the team,” Barnes says.

Heleniak, a junior from Conshohocken, battled teammate Jeremy Brooks for the team’s 174-pound slot throughout the season and nudged ahead by the end of the year. He pinned the top seed at the NCAA East Regional en route to a surprise first-place finish. He finished the year with a 7-9 record.

Barnes expects the battle for the team’s 174-pound position to continue this season.

“John and Jeremy are both solid wrestlers,” Barnes says. “Although they compete against each other, they also motivate each other.”

Senior Steve Funk (184 pounds), who went 10-22 last year, is also expected to start for the Marauders lineup.

“We expect good leadership out of Steve,” Barnes says. “His mat experience should prove to be beneficial.”

As for the starting lineup, junior John Andel of Red Lion is expected to compete in the tough 125-pound weight class. The experience he gained last year should help him improve his 6-13 record from a year ago.

Freshman Mark Stockdill of Laporte has turned some heads at practice and could end up grabbing the 133-pound spot. Barnes praised the first-year collegiate competitor for making the weight that was a need for the Marauders.

Barnes expects another first-year wrestler to compete in the Marauders’ starting lineup. Freshman Mike Greck of Nazareth was one of the team’s biggest recruits who will face tough competition at the 141-pound slot. He was a PIAA state runner up at 155 pounds during his senior year of high school.

Becker and Hostetter will wrestle at 149 and 157, respectively, giving Millersville a solid tandem at the middleweight slots.

Another freshman, David Morey of Glen Mills, is expected to grab the 165-pound slot. “He is a very strong first-year wrestler who has worked hard to adapt to the college level,” Barnes says. “We’re very excited to see him develop over the years.”

Heleniak and Brooks will once again battle for the 174-pound spot and Funk will wrestle at 184.

Two wrestlers will compete for the 197-pound slot. Junior Keith McDonald’s exciting style of wrestling helped the Marauders in several crucial situations last season. He finished with a 3-2 record.

But another freshman also has a good shot at winning the job. Ray Bennett of Clarks Summitt has exceeded everyone’s expectations with his strength and athleticism.

Out of those two, whoever does not win the 197-pound slot will likely wrestle as the heavyweight this season, Barnes says.

Millersville will once again face tough competition as Barnes continues with his philosophy that battling talented teams prepares MU wrestlers for regional and national competitions.