ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE WRESTLING
Saturday, December 5, 1998

VAN WINKLE, BECHTOLD LEAD ETOWN TO THIRD-PLACE FINISH AT LEBANON VALLEY'S PETROFES INVITATIONAL

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Bill VanWinkle (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) and Dan Bechtold (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) each captured individual titles to lead Elizabethtown to a third- place finish out of 19 teams at the 29th Annual Petrofes Invitational at Lebanon Valley on Saturday.  The two-day tournament is the largest NCAA Division III regular-season wrestling meet in the nation.

VanWinkle won the 125-pound title with a 5-1 decision over Eric Kelly of King's College.  VanWinkle, the 1998 MAC champion at 118, is 9-1 with six pins this season and is currently ranked sixth in his weight class in Division III.

Bechtold captured the gold medal at 174 by edging Oneonta's Dan Perry, 3-2.  Bechtold, the 1998 MAC champion at 158, is 8-0 with two pins this season and is currently ranked seventh in his weight class in Division III.

Also keying the Blue Jay effort were Ryan Sellars (3rd place, Hwt), Eric Dusko (4th place, 184) and Art Mattes (4th place, 197).  157-pounder Jason Aurand (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) and 133-pounder Eric Snavely (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) each finished in fifth place.  Justin Smith (Camp Hill, Pa./Cedar Cliff) also placed for Etown, finishing eighth at 141.

Etown, currently ranked 23rd in Division III, returns to action on Saturday, December 12 at home against nationally-ranked Lycoming College.  Match time is 7:30 p.m.

Top Five Team Scores:
1. Messiah 117.5, 2. Thiel 109.0, 3. Elizabethtown 105.5, 4. King's 104.0, 5. Mount Union 84.5.