Blair Wins 29th Consecutive Prep National Title and Helps to Pin Down Cancer

The Bucs left Lehigh’s Stabler Arena with 14 placers, ten finalists and eight Prep National Champs to capture its 29th Prep National team title. National champions include Adam Hogue, Ed Ruth, Max Huntley, Evan Silver, Austin Ormsbee, Sean Boyle, Mark Grey and Chris Villalonga. Runners up for Blair include Ben Krakower and Garrett Frey. Other Prep All-Americans include Tony Buxton (3rd), Andrew Lajara (4th), Brad Bishop (5th) and Jesse Shanaman (6th). The tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler was senior Ed Ruth, who also recorded the most pins in the shortest amount of time.

The wrestling team captured its team title while helping pin down cancer on behalf of two former Blair wrestlers, Adam Frey ’05 and Ryan McGrath ’98. The pledge is $1 per pin, so if the team records 35 pins, each person who has pledged will owe $35.

This year’s campaign specifically supports the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge, with 27 locations across the country providing free housing for cancer patients (who often travel far from home) and their families. In the past, the wrestling team conducted its annual “pin down” campaign at the preps for other charities as well, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the New Jersey Center for Outreach and Services for the Autism Community, and the Community Food Pantry of Blairstown.

Adam was diagnosed with germ cell cancer last March; in between his chemotherapy treatments, he stayed at New York City’s Hope Lodge. Like Adam, Ryan is fighting his own form of cancer – leukemia – as hard as he fought his former opponents on the mat.

To Pin Down Cancer with Blair, please contact Coach Charles Danhof at danhoc@blair.edu.

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Posted 2/23/09

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