Slippery Rock University wrestler Brad Cieleski defended his NCAA Division I East Regional Championship in the 157-pound competition Saturday at SRU's Morrow Field House.

The title sends Cieleski on to the national tournament for the third consecutive season.

Also winning regional titles for The Rock were junior Jason Cardillo (165 pounds), and freshmen Ben Watson (125) and Ben Young (149).

Millersville University defended its team championship by scoring 88 points. Duquesne was second (81) and SRU took third (79.5).

Two Slippery Rock University track stars began the 2004 spring season with victories at the Jack Rose Long Beach Relays in California this past weekend.Senior Karyn McCready won the women's javelin title with a distance of 151 feet, 8 inches.Kurt Thompson took first place in the pole vault with a leap of 15 feet, 5 inches.Local athletes who placed included Slippery Rock high School graduate Melissa Sopher taking second in the 400 meter hurdles (1:03.36), Butler grad Jill Rekich finishing third in the 400 hurdles at 1:04.54 and Seneca Valley alum Heather Gostkowski taking fourth in the 1.500-meter run with a time of 4:07.74.