The Wilkes University wrestling team will kick off the 2009-10 season Sunday afternoon when it hosts Hunter at 1 p.m. in the Marts Center. Prior to the start of the dual meet, the Colonels will celebrate their 2008-09 Metropolitan Conference championship with a ring and banner ceremony.

Former Wilkes head coach and athletic director John Reese will be presenting the rings while several of the current athletics staff will hand over the Metro championship banner to head coach Jon Laudenslager. Twenty three wrestlers and staff from last season's squad will receive their championship rings from Reese.

The Hunter match will be the first of 14 dual matches for the Colonels to go along with five tournaments on the 2009-10 schedule. The Colonels have 14 members returning from last year's squad, including seven that were in the starting lineup. Of those seven, Frank Heffernan (Slatington, Pa./Northern Lehigh), Wilkes' returning All-American after placing seventh at the NCAA Championship in the 174-pound division. Heffernan returns for his senior season after finishing the year with a 25-13 record.

Also back for the Colonels are Metro Champion in the 197-pound division Zach Pizarro (Easton, Pa./Easton) as well as conference runner-ups Anthony Dattolo (Succasunna, NJ/Roxbury), Buddy Gouger (Saylorsburg, PA/Pleasant Valley) and Andrew Feldman (Shavertown, Pa./Wyoming Valley West). Dattolo returns for his second season at Wilkes after finishing second at the Metro Championships in the 141-pound weight class, as does Gouger at 184. Feldman, who is in his final season at Wilkes, will look for his first conference championship in the heavyweight division.

Seventeen freshmen will look to fill the holes left by graduating seniors which includes two state champions in Scott Mantua (Clarksville, MD/River Hill) of Maryland, who won back-to-back titles, and Jesse Villella (Port Crane, NY/Chenango Forks) of New York. “The guys are excited about getting this season started. The whole championship thing and sending five guys to the national championships has really made a buzz. We have a lot of motivated guys,” Laudenslager said.

After the Hunter dual, the Colonels will compete in the King's Tournament to be held on Saturday, Nov. 7 starting at 10 a.m.