The Penn wrestling team (1-0, 0-0 Ivy) shined in its first tournament action of 2003, notching a pair of individual titles at the UC Davis Aggie Open Saturday. Senior co-captain Jody Giuricich (149 lbs.) and freshman Matt Herrington (174 lbs.) each collected titles for the Red and Blue, while nine others managed to place in their respective weight classes. In capturing his third tournament title of the season, Giuricich added to his already-impressive resume. His 21 total wins are a team best, and his four victories in as many matches this past weekend should preserve his spot in the national rankings -- currently 16th on Intermat and 19th in WIN Magazine. "He's just a guy that brings great intensity to the mat," Penn coach Roger Reina said of the senior. "He's someone that makes collegiate wrestling very exciting to watch, and he's doing an outstanding job both on and off the mat as a leader for our team." For the wunderkind Herrington, who headlines the Quakers' highly-touted freshman class, the Aggie Open marked his first tournament title at the collegiate level. Herrington clinched the championship by defeating Sam Sheretz of the Air Force Academy by major decision, 10-2. Saturday's action was his first since breaking into the individual national rankings for the first time. Amateur Wrestling News currently has Herrington ranked 20th. While Giuricich and Herrington claimed the only outright championships of the day, several other Penn wrestlers managed to place. Doug McGraw (141 lbs.), Paul Velekei (197 lbs.) and Matthew Feast (Heavyweight) each finished second, while freshman Matt Valenti (125 lbs.) defeated Menlo College's Issac Pumajero, 8-4, in an exciting third-place match. Reina is confident that the Quakers can do even better. "There were a whole set of matches that were winnable this weekend that kind of slipped away," Reina said. "I think we're poised to make the necessary changes in the practice room to turn those defeats into victories." This past weekend's success came on the heels of a considerably exciting week in the Penn camp. On Tuesday, the Quakers were ranked 23rd in both the NWCA and The Wrestling Mall polls, while two days later, they opened up their dual meet season with a convincing 38-6 victory at Stanford.
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