ITHACA, N.Y. – Paced by four individual champions, the #10 Ithaca wresting team finished first in the 15-team field at the 26th annual Ithaca Invitational to open its season. The Bombers' team title was their first since a run of four in a row between 1991 and 1994, and their four titlists were the highest total since the 1989-90 team – that went on to win a second straight NCAA title – crowned four. Ithaca's 175 points – the tournament's highest team score since the 1989 Bombers scored 188 – outdistanced 12th-ranked Cortland by 49.4.

Freshman #Seth Ecker# (Pottstown/Pottstown, Pa.), who won the 125-pound title as the second seed, was named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler. He pinned three of his five opponents – including the second and third seeds – and beat the other two by technical fall, with a 17-1 win in the final. Ecker is the first Bomber to win the meet's top individual award since Marc Israel, now an Ithaca assistant coach, in 2004.

Senior #John Paxos# (Roxbury/Succasunna, N.J.) knocked off the tournament's top seed (and the nation's sixth-ranked wrestler) in the 141-pound final. Seeded third, Paxos pinned the #2 seed in the semifinal round.

Junior #Willie Horwath (Liberty/Bethlehem, Pa.)# won his second straight championship, placing first at 157 pounds (he won the 141-poun d crown last year). Seeded first, he pinned his first two opponents, recorded a major decision in the quarterfinals and finished his weekend with a 10-3 win over the second seed.

Freshman #Chris Carabello# (Governor Mifflin/Shillington, Pa.) started his collegiate career off with a title, winning four bouts at 197 pounds. Seeded seventh, he pinned his first opponent, then posted three straight decisions (including victories over the second and sixth seeds; the #2 seed is also ranked 10th nationally).

Ithaca's seven other placewinners were paced by heavyweight #Dave Sbriscia# (Warren Hills/Stewartsville, N.J.), who finished second to Division III's 10th-ranked wrestler. The number-three seed, Sbriscia edged the second seed 3-2 to reach the title bout.

Sophomores #David Priest# (Wyomissing/Douglassville, Pa.) and #Blaine Woszczak# (Wall/Manasquan, N.J.) took third at 174 and 149 pounds, respectively. Priest, seeded second, opened with a pin and a major decision and recorded a 7-4 decision in the third/fourth-place match. Woszczak, another number-two seed, picked up two wins by major decision, one by fall and a victory by injury default in the third/fourth-place bout.

Woszczak is ranked fifth nationally; Priest is ranked 10th.

At 133 pounds, freshman #Chad Condidorio# (LeRoy/LeRoy) took fourth; both his losses were one-point decisions to Division III's sixth-ranked wrestler and his five wins included a pin and a major decision..

Another freshman, #Jeremy Stierly# (Owen J. Roberts/Pottstown, Pa.), finished fourth at 141 pounds, dropping his final bout in sudden death. Seeded eighth, his wins featured a 12-1 major decision, a 17-2 technical fall, two more major decisions in the consolation round, and a two-point win over the number-two seed (who's ranked eighth nationally).

Freshman heavyweight #Matt Mahon# (Brighton/Rochester) took fourth. He led Ithaca with four pins over the weekend, including one in his first collegiate match.

Junior #Chad Winowich# (Abington Heights/Clarks Summit, Pa.) reached the fifth/sixth-place match at 133 pounds before a medical forfeit. Seeded third, he won his first three bouts by a combined score of 21-1 (with two major decisions).

The Bombers return to action next weekend, competing in two events – the John Reese Duals, hosted by Wilkes, and the Binghamton Open.