Photos by Bucknell/Edinboro Sports Information

The first weight class for the 45th annual NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the Marines has been announced.

Two wrestlers from Pennsylvania colleges will participate at 149 pounds in the All-Star Classic at Selland Arena in Fresno, Calif., on November 21.

All-Americans Kevin LeValley of Bucknell and Torsten Gillespie of Edinboro will square off in one of the nation’s most competitive weight classes.

LeValley, a senior from Hugo, Colo., will be making his first appearance in the All-Star Classic and will be Bucknell’s second straight representative in the event. Last year, Andy Rendos became the first Bison wrestler to wrestle in the All-Star Classic competing at 165 pounds.

LeValley finished seventh at the 2010 NCAA Championships with a 42-8 record and will represent the U.S. later this month in Tornio, Italy at the University World Championships in freestyle wrestling.

Gillespie, a junior from Webster, N.Y., had a stellar run at the 2010 NCAA Championships, reaching the quarterfinals before finishing in sixth place after coming into the tournament unseeded. He finished the 2009-10 campaign with a 32-16 record.

Gillespie will be the Fighting Scots’ 11th participant it the event all-time and first since 2004 when Matt King wrestled Tyrone Lewis of Oklahoma State at 165 pounds. 

Gillespie and LeValley have never met in collegiate competition.

The 45th Annual NWCA All-Star Classic Presented by The Marines will be held at the Selland Arena in Fresno, California on Sunday, November 21, 2010. The doors open at 2:00 p.m. The All-Star Classic follows a weekend of fundraising events. For more information about the tournament, purchasing tickets and the fundraising events, visit the event page at www.nwcaonline.com  

To donate to the effort to save collegiate wrestling programs, visit
http://nwca.ticketleap.net

2010 NWCA All-Star Classic Presented by the Marines
Rankings by W.I.N. Magazine
125- 
133- 
141- 
149- #4 Torsten Gillespie, Jr. (Edinboro) vs. #5 Kevin LeValley, Sr. (Bucknell)
157- 
165- 
174- 
184- 
197- 
285- 

Exhibitions:

About California USA Wrestling 
California USA Wrestling is a non-profit organization committed to the success and health of their athletes and dedicated to the promotion and preservation of collegiate and international styles of amateur wrestling. As the official California affiliate of USA Wrestling, the national governing board for international-style amateur wrestling in the United States, the club is responsible for the organization and execution of sanctioned USA Wrestling events in the state. California USA Wrestling educates the community about the styles of wrestling and the value of being involved in the sport. They strive to provide fun, exciting and well-planned events and improve the quality of California wrestling at the competitive level. For more information, visit www.ca-usaw.org.

About NWCA
The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a professional organization dedicated to supporting and elevating the sport of amateur wrestling. NWCA provides leadership and guidance primarily to scholastic and collegiate wrestling programs, but is an advocate to all levels of wrestling. The NWCA promotes communication, recognizes achievement, recommends rules and regulations, sponsors events and serves as a resource for education and information pertaining to the sport of wrestling. Additionally, The NWCA strives to foster the sportsmanship and integrity that are the cornerstones of any competitive sport. For more information, visit http://www.nwcaonline.com.