Postgame: Coach Loprieno (video)
Lebatte Box Score
Lincoln Box Score
Muskegon Box Score

After dropping their first match, the #11 Harper College wrestling team recovered to win their final two dual meets and take fifth place on Saturday at the National Duals in Springfield, Ill.
 
Harper lost 33-5 to #3 Labette Community College, who would go on to take second place, to open the tournament.   The Hawks rebounded to defeat #15 Muskegon 25-13.  Chris Gonzalez (Bloom Trail) at 157 and Curtis Blaydes at 285 each won their matches by pin.  Gonzalez is ranked eighth nationally in his weight class while head coach Dan Loprieno speculates that Blaydes will also be ranked when the newest polls are released.  Zach Hummel (Johnsburg, Ill., Johnsburg), Conor Infelise (McHenry, Ill., McHenry), Khari Washington (Broadview, Ill., Proviso West) and Jamey Zabrin (Buffalo Grove, Ill., Buffalo Grove) also posted victories.
 
The Hawks edged out #4 Lincoln College 27-19 for the consolation championship in their final match of the weekend.  Harper won five out of the ten individual matchups of the dual meet but they were big victories.  Washington proved his #2 ranking at 174 with a pin of Lincoln's Steve Burling in just 43 seconds.  Infelise, who is ranked 12^th at 133, beat Korey Robinson in dominating fashion, 17-1.  Hummel and George Iliopoulos (Addison, Ill., Addison Trail) also earned points for Harper by forfeit.  Blaydes capped off a successful first weekend with the team with a 19-8 victory over Gabriel Berry.
 
“Overall, it was a good weekend,” Loprieno said.  “We went 2-1 against some of the best teams of community colleges.  We saw that we can compete with everyone.  It looks like its going to be another successful season.  We just have to keep kids healthy, keep them in good shape and we'll be ready to go.”
 
The National Wrestling Coaches Association hosted this invite-only tournament that features the top eight schools of each division from the previous season.  Harper earned its bid by virtue of their 2010-2011 national championship squad.  This year was the seventh time in eight seasons of the event's existence that the Hawks have qualified.  The team has finished as high as fourth in the tournament.
 
“Even to be invited is a pretty neat honor,” Loprieno said.  “The nice thing about it is that we get to see colleges that we probably wouldn't wrestle against.”
 
Up next, the Hawks travel to Elmhurst on Saturday to take part in the Al Hanke Invite.  Harper won the tournament last year.
 
“We're right where we want to be at this time of the season,” Loprieno said.  “We have some tournaments that get us ready for our regional tournament.  It's a good tournament that gets us ready.”