South Mountaineer Volume 37, Issue 13

              SPORTS
the Las Vegas <
building block
sterns and p
rin
Contents
Page 13
♦Olympic sports update
and schedules
♦ Sheridan Tournament
stats
SOUTH
Page 14
♦ Men's and Women's
track & field preview
♦ Wrestling: Las Vegas
Invitational recap
Page 15
♦ Men's and women's
basketball week in
review
MOUNTAINEER
Volume   37,   Issue   13
December 6,1994
Engineers roll through Sheridan Tournament
Hepp wins outstanding
wrestler; Cassidy takes
fourth consecutive
Sheridan title
By ROB SCHMIDT
South Mountaineer Editor
Itwas a day of Sheridan Tournament firsts on
Saturday as not only did Lehigh become the first
team to ever win six individual championships, but
Steve Cassidy also became the only wrestlers to
claim four consecutive titles.
Cassidy bounced back from a narrow 2-1 loss in
the championships at the Las Vegas Invitational a
week ago to cruise through the 150-pound field in
Stabler Arena for his fourth championship in as many
years.
"I felt pretty good, and in control, today," the
senior co-captain said. "I was disappointed in the
finals at Vegas so it was good to pick it up here."
Cassidy wasn't the only Engineer who "picked it
up" on Saturday. Two-time All-American Rick
Hepp,who got off to a 4-4 start this season, was
seeded second in the tournament at 177 pounds
behind BuckneD's All-American Bob Ferraro.
Hepp rolled over his first two opponents by a
combined score of 28-8 to set up a championship bout
withFerraro. Ittookatakedownlateinthethirdperiod
of that match for Hepp to break a 4-4 tie and edge out
the dangerous Ferraro, 6-5. Hepp's performance also
eaniedhimthetournament'soufstandingwrestler
Sophomore heavy weight Bill Closson won his second Sheridan
Tournament championship. Photo by DAPHNIE SICRE
award.
"I have been wrestlingpretty well the last two
weeks, and I felt good at Vegas," said Hepp. "I just
didn't makethe mistakes this week, andlloosened up
more today.
"As far as the outstanding wrestler award is
concerned, I think Ed (Andres) should have gotten it."
Ed Andres, who might have been overlooked by
somecompetitorsenterring the tournament, certainly
made his presence felt. As Lehigh's second entry at
142 pounds (John McCumber was the first) he was
not apoint scorer for the Engineers and was
unseeded.
McCumber was the first seed, but fell to fourth-
seeded Brian Hazard of George Mason, 6-5, in his
secondmatch. Andres powered throughhisfirstthree
opponents, whichincluded third-seeded ShaneHanna
ofEast Stroudsburg and second-seeded Dan Covatta
of Duke, by a combined score of 29-7 to make it to
thechampionship.
Andres would face Hazard for the title, and after a
6-6 deadlock after regulation, Andres scored on a
takedown andnear-fall 23 seconds intoovertime.
"This was a big weekend for Ed," saidhead coach
Bob Latessa ofthe senior from Binghamton, NY. "I
love it when guys who work their tail offkick it to a
higherlevel."
Brian Cipollone mirrored Cassidy's performance at
158 pounds, entering as the number one seed and
defeatingthe second-seeded wrestlerfor thechampionship.
Andy Fitz and Bill Closson each held up their first-
seeded positions by winning the championships at 190
pounds andheavyweightrespectdvely.
All totalled, the Engineers walked away from the
tournamentwithsixindividual championships, themost
everbyoneteaminaSheridan Tournament. The
team's performance as oflate has raised the confidence
level in the wrestlingroom, and has the wrestlers
focussed.
"We had confidence headinginto the Vegas
tournament that we would do well, the attitude in
practice has been good, and wejust kept it up here,"
commented senior co-captain Hepp.
"Ifwe didn't win this way, it would have been a
disappointment," added Cassidy. "Wenow have to step
it up another notch for Midlands."
Coach Latessa was pleased with his team's performance, but pointed out that tere was still room for
improvement.
"I was curious to see where we would be emotionally following a tough grind at Las Vegas," Latessa
said. "We still have to work on some technical areas,
and a few guys are still fine tuning.
"However, I knew we were on the right track after
theLas Vegas Open last weekend. This(the Sheridan
Tournament) was a good building block for our team
goals,to win Easterns and placenationally."
The Engineers will host James Madison University,
and its top-20 wrestlers DougDetrick (126) and Jude
Arena (150), this Friday, December 9, at 7:30 in Grace
Hall.
The Lehigh wrestlingteam then heads to Chicago
forthe Midlands tournament on December 29-30.
Senior Steve Cassidy had a firm grasp on the 150-pound competition on his way to a fourth consecutive Sheridan
Tournament championship. Photo by DAPHNIE SICRE