Feb. 24, 2007

PEMBROKE, N.C. - Five Lakers have advanced to the finals at the NCAA East Regional at UNC-Pembroke. Payne Lint (125), J.J. Zanetta (141), Don Cummings (149), Andy Lamancusa (157) and Zack Schafer (174) all have shots at regional titles later this afternoon. With four finalists, the Lakers tie Pitt-Johnstown for the most of any school in the 13-team field.

Lint, the four-seed at 125, upset No. 1 seed Derek Bosso of Pitt-Johnstown, 12-7, to reach the finals. He will hit the mat against the No. 3 seed, Chris Neidermaier of Belmont Abbey.

At 141, top-seeded Zanetta outlasted the fourth seed, Doug Surra of West Liberty State, to reach the championship round. There, he will face No. 2 Sean Fittery of Shippensburg.

Cummings continued to defend the No. 1 at 149 with an 8-7 decision over Kutztown's Chris Chambers, the five-seed. Latra Collick, the No. 7 seed from Newberry, will be Cummings' opponent in the championship match.

Lamancusa pinned No. 4 seed Adam Phillips of Belmont Abbey in 2:10 to reach the championship. The No. 1 seed at 157 will face No. 3 Zack McKendree of Gannon.

Schafer avenged a loss in the last dual of the season by taking an 8-4 decision from No. 4 Eli Garshnick of UPJ. Schafer takes on No. 2 seed Tommy Clark of West Liberty State in the finals.

Hudson Harrison will be wrestling for third place when the No. 5 seed at 165 takes the mat against the seven-seed, J.J. Davis of UNC-Pembroke.

Two wrestlers will be going for fifth place finishes. Seventh seeded Trevor Gallo wrestles No. 5 Peter Grodziak of Shippensburg and Five-seed Kenny Bluska faces off with Anderson's Aaron Lambert, the six-seed.

The finals are scheduled from 1:00-4:00 PM.