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Teammates helping Hartenstine pin
down his own measure of greatness
Overlooked no more. Unbeaten sophomore becoming an Easton star.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
By MICHAEL BLOUSE
The Express-Times
Mark Hartenstine understands exactly why he's often overlooked in the Easton Red Rovers' loaded wrestling lineup.
"Considering there are state champions below me and above me," Hartenstine said with a smile, "some
teams probably overlook me. That's why they sometimes send out their best guys at me ... trying to avoid our state
champions.
"It's definitely a challenge I look forward to. That will make me better."
Hartenstine looks like he's capable of meeting the challenge each and every match.
The sophomore enters today's Manheim Lions Holiday Tournament off winning the 125-pound title at last week's Reno
Tournament of Champions. Hartenstine improved his overall record to 10-0 by winning his weight class and also helping
Easton to the team title at the two-day event in Nevada.
Coach Steve Powell's Red Rovers look to win another team title at the 14th annual Manheim tourney. The action starts
today in Lancaster County and is scheduled to be completed Friday evening.
"It was very exciting to win at Reno," said Hartenstine, who finished fourth as a freshman. "I was
looking forward to going out there and competing. It's a pretty tough tournament to win."
Powell, in his 24th season as Easton's wrestling coach, was not at all surprised by Hartenstine's run through the
competition at Reno. Hartenstine beat No. 1 seed Corey Mock of Chapel Hill, N.C., 2-0 in the 125 final.
"With Mark, you can't be surprised by his success," the coach said. "He's a real steady worker who
puts a lot into wrestling year-around. Mark's deadly on top ... he can score a whole lot of points and his conditioning
is also outstanding."
Hartenstine credits his workout partners, defending PIAA Class AAA champions Kegan Handlovic and Jordan Oliver,
for helping him improve.
The Palmer Township teenager already had lofty expectations placed upon him after winning a junior high title as
an eighth-grader. Hartenstine then went 29-17 as a freshman, finishing sixth at the PIAA Northeast Region tournament.
"It's exciting to work with Kegan and Jordan," he said. "They've already done what I'm trying to
do -- win a state championship. They're as good as they get."
Hartenstine's No. 1 goal is, of course, a state title. His more immediate goal is capturing the 125-pound championship
at Manheim.
After his fourth-place finish last year at Reno, Hartenstine went a surprising 0-2 at the holiday tournament.
"I'm definitely looking to do better," he said. "I don't want that feeling ever again."
"It's not like Mark to have a bad match," Powell said. "He's consistent. He got slowed up last year
and lost to an unseeded kid in the first round, then again in the consolation round."
Handlovic and Oliver, meanwhile, return to the 14-team Manheim tournament as defending champions. Easton won the
event last year by five points, 179.5-174.5, over Bald Eagle Area.
Powell likes to use this tournament as a final tune-up for Lehigh Valley Conference competition and also as a barometer
of what to expect in the postseason.
"It's 14 of the best teams in Pennsylvania," Powell said, "and it's a nice balance of all the regions
in the state."
For wrestling fans looking to stay in the Lehigh Valley, the Christmas City Wrestling Tournament at Bethlehem Catholic
begins at 11 a.m. today and the Bethlehem Holiday Wrestling Classic at Freedom starts Friday at 10:30 a.m.
In New Jersey, the John Goles Wrestling Tournament at Warren Hills begins at 10 a.m. today, with the championship
round expected to start around 5 p.m.
Michael Blouse can be reached at 800-360-3601 or by e-mail at mblouse@express-times.com.
Rovers sending four to the finals
Manheim Tournament. Easton stays on track for ninth straight title.
Friday, December 28, 2007
By MICHAEL BLOUSE
The Express-Times
In Manheim, Pa., the Easton Red Rovers are on track to capture their ninth consecutive team title at the 38th annual
Manheim Lions Holiday Wrestling Tournament.
Coach Steve Powell's Easton team advanced four wrestlers into today's championship finals. Seniors Kegan Handlovic
(119), Jordan Oliver (130) and Colin Dailey (152), and sophomore Mark Hartenstine (125) all moved through Thursday
night's semifinal round.
The Red Rovers led the team standings with 128 points through the championship round. (Consolation round matches
were still being completed at press time.)
Central Mountain was second with 117 points and Reynolds third with 112.
Hartenstine, who won a Reno Tournament of Champions title and owns a 12-0 record this year, continues to show impressive
improvement from last season.
He went two-and-out at the Manheim tournament as a freshman. On Thursday, Hartenstine beat Joe Waltko of North
Allegheny 8-5 in the semis after winning by major decision in the quarters.
"Hartenstine had a real nice win," Powell said. "It was a close match. The score was tied late before
Mark tilted him for the three points.
"He had a real good year as a ninth-grader and he's come a long way from then."
Powell also praised Handlovic for a strong performance in a 1-0 win over Zach Barrick of Lower Dauphin.
Oliver, who won a Reno title last week, beat Corey Brown of Reynolds by technical fall, 28-13, in the semifinals.
Dailey won by fall in 1:17 over A.J. Yingling of Shikellamy in the semis.
Handlovic and Oliver are defending state champs who won Manheim titles last year.
Freshman Mike Fleck (103), senior Tevin Gibson (140), junior Eric Burgey (145) and junior Chris Wilson (215) all
lost in the quarterfinals but remain alive in the consolation bracket.
Freshman Joey Rizzolino (112), coming off a second-place finish at Reno, was pinned in the quarterfinal round.
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Oliver whips up 4th crown
Manheim Tournament. Easton senior becomes third four-time champ.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
By PAUL SOKOLOSKIThe Express-Times
MANHEIM, Pa. | Jordan Oliver began his championship showdown by forcing his overmatched
opponent to hop on one leg, then cruelly chopping that leg out from under him.
That's how Oliver began cutting down the old standards of the 38th annual Manheim Lions Club Holiday Wrestling
Tournament.
While Oliver single-leg whipped his way to major decision and a rare fourth straight tourney title Friday, his
less-publicized teammate Colin Dailey came away with only an obscure point -- but recorded his first tournament
win.
But no matter how wide the margin of victory, or how small, the Easton Red Rovers were grateful for them all.
Oliver, Dailey and Kegan Handlovic all emerged as tournament champions as Easton piled up 198½ points to
capture its ninth consecutive Manheim title at Manheim Central High School.
"It's always exciting to win this tournament, just because there's a whole bunch of top teams that are here,"
said Oliver, who helped Easton edge Reynolds (192 points) and Central Mountain (185 points) for the top spot. "It
feels pretty good just to know you have your teammates next to you."
Easton nearly had a fourth champ, but Mark Hartenstine just missed a tilt with 20 seconds left and fell 4-3 to
Cody Kelly of Reynolds in the 125-pound title bout. It was Hartenstine's first defeat in 13 matches this season
and left him among eight other Easton wrestlers -- aside from the champs -- who placed in the top six.
Once again, though, Oliver was the star of the Manheim show.
He bullied Lower Dauphin's Nick Kristich in the 130-pound final, recording eight takedowns on his way to a 17-6
major decision. That gave Oliver 37 takedowns for the tournament, breaking the old Manheim Tourney record of 35
-- held by current Easton assistant JaMarr Billman.
"Actually, I was going for the takedown record here," Oliver said. "JaMarr Billman has 35. Now I
have bragging rights on him."
Then again, Oliver has it over a lot of people.
Oliver became just the third wrestler in tournament history and the first in Easton's illustrious program to win
four Manheim titles. Oliver was also rewarded with his third straight outstanding wrestler award at the end of
the tourney.
"It feels pretty awesome, just because nobody in Easton history has ever done it," said Oliver, a senior
and the top-ranked 130-pounder in the nation who's headed to Oklahoma State on scholarship. "All the great
wrestlers who came out of Easton haven't accomplished it."
"The fact the tournament's gone on for 38 years and only three people have won it four times speaks for the
competition that's here," Easton coach Steve Powell said.
While Oliver was reveling in his latest, and final, round of tourney success, Dailey was enjoying his own moment
as a first-time tournament champion. He edged Cumberland Valley's Tristan Warner 1-0 in the 152-pound final to
finally accomplish his long-sought title.
"It was a tournament I've never won before," said Dailey, who was beaten in last year's Manheim finals.
"I placed in it twice, but I never sealed the deal."
He did Friday, as Dailey slyly avoided the mistakes that cost him in the past after picking up a point in the second
period.
"I was just trying to wrestle a smart match," Dailey, a senior, said. "I've wrestled him (Warner)
twice before. I know what he does, he knows what I did. It's tough to score. Last year's loss in the finals was
really devastating for me. That experience might have something to do with it (his title), being in a similar situation."
"Colin's a good, steady worker," Powell said. "He's improved every year he's been in the room.
"We did well," Powell continued. "You find lots of way you could have scored a half-point or a point.
We learned a lot. The kids came through well."
Paul Sokoloski can be reached at 800-360-3601 or by e-mail at psokoloski@express-times.com.
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