Monthly Archives: March 2012

Ecker and Stierly Both Win NCAA Titles for Ithaca

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LaCrosse, Wis. – Senior Seth Ecker (Pottstown, Pa./Pottstown) and graduate student Jeremy Stierly (Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) of the Ithaca College both won individual titles in Saturday’s final session at the NCAA Championships. Ecker won his second straight NCAA title at 133 pounds and Stierly claimed the crown at 149 pounds to highlight for the weekend for the Bombers, who finished in fifth place in the team standings. Ecker and Stierly’s titles bring the program’s total to individual national champions; they were two of Ithaca’s five all-Americans.

Joining Ecker and Stierly as all-Americans were junior Jules Doliscar (Trinity/Dix Hills), who placed seventh at 174; graduate student Nick Sanko (Lenhartsville, Pa./Hamburg Area), who finished seventh at 165; and senior Derek Brenon (Watertown/Immaculate Heart Central), who took eighth at 157. Ithaca’s sixth entrant, senior heavyweight Matt Mahon (Rochester/Brighton)went 1-2 Friday and was eliminated.

As a team the Bombers placed fifth in the standings; following a fourth-place showing last year and sixth-place efforts in 2009 and 2010, Ithaca’s four straight top-1o finishes match the school record set from 1992-95. Ithaca’s five all-Americans are one short of the school record set by the 1988 team. Brenon, Doliscar and Sanko all earned all-America honor for the first time; Ecker andStierly are three-time all-Americans.

Ecker, the top seed, became the first Ithaca wrestler to win more than one individual NCAA championship. He recorded an 8-0 major decision over seventh-seeded Jordan Westfall of Coe in the title bout (Coe upset the second and third seeds in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds). He beat Wartburg’s Thomas Mirocha 4-0 then beat eighth-seeded Timothy Wunnicke of Wisconsin-Platteville 5-2 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Ecker recorded his ninth fall of the season, planting unseeded Joe Mileski of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (who had upset the fourth and fifth seeds) in 4:25. The pin in the semifinals was the 34th of Ecker’s career; he went 30-4 this season with a career record of 108-20. He’s ninth all-time in wins as a Bomber.

Stierly finished the 2010 and 2011 season as NCAA runner-up at 141 pounds; he moved up a class for his final season and ended the year with his hand raised as the national champion.Stierly, who was seeded fourth, edged second-seeded Anthony Dattolo of Wilkes 3-1 to win the title. Stierly earned two points with a first-period takedown and the two wrestlers each picked up an escape (Dattolo in the second and Stierly in the third). He posted a 10-2 major decision over Wartburg’s Drew Wagenhoffer to open competition Friday, then defeated fifth-seeded James Locke of Coe 7-4 in the next round. Stierly’s semifinal win came by a 6-4 count on a takedown in the second overtime period against eighth-seeded Joe Wood of Coe (who was coming off an overtime win against the top seed). Stierly joined John Gemmell as the only Bombers to reach the finals three times (Gemmell also finished second twice, then moved up a weight class and won the title in his final season) and posted a record of 12-1 this season. Stierly’s career mark is 91-18.

Ecker and Stierly are the 11th and 12th Bomber wrestlers to earn all-America honors three times (joining Bart Morrow, 1983-84-85; Bob Panariello, 1983-84-87; Mike Fusilli, 1988-89-90; Bomber head coach Marty Nichols, 1988-89-90; Mike Murtha, 1992-93-94; Kent Maslin, 1992-93-94; Chris Matteotti, 1992-93-95; John Gemmell, 1996-97-98; Ryan Ciotoli, 2000-01-02; and Blaine Woszczak (Manasquan, N.J./Wall), 2009-10-11;

Doliscar was a 7-1 winner over Augustana’s Jordan Richardson in the seventh/eighth-place match. Seeded first, Doliscar opened competition Friday by defeating Josh Kohler of Augsburg, 9-4 before being upset by eighth-seeded Matthew Pfarr of St. John’s in the quarterfinal round.Doliscar outscored his consolation quarterfinal opponent 14-10, beating seventh-seeded Trevor Tyler of Olivet, then lost 8-6 to fifth-seeded Scott King of Coe in the next round. Doliscar finishes the season with a record of 36-4 (only four Bombers have ever won more bouts in a season).

Sanko won his seventh/eighth-place bout 11-4 over Quint Eno of Elizabethtown. He was seeded third and dropped a 3-2 decision to Kevin O’Brien of Wisconsin-LaCrosse in his first match. Sankodefeated Colin Crowell of Roger Williams (4-3) and Matt Burns of Augustana (8-2) in elimination matches. Sanko lost to eighth-seeded James Myers of Olivet in the consolation semifinal round. He posted a record of 19-5 on the year and finishes his career with mark of 55-24.

Brenon, the eighth seed, was a 7-3 winner over John Carroll’s Terner Gott before losing to the top seed, Augsburg’s Orlando Ponce. Brenon pinned Michael Letcher of Ohio Northern in 1:24 in the consolation quarterfinals to clinch all-America honors for the first time in his career, then lost 13-2 to fifth-seeded Dale Handley of Coe and was pinned by sixth-seeded Isaac Dukes of Case Western Reserve in the seventh/eighth-place match. Brenon went 15-7 this year and is 60-16 as a Bomber.

Mahon lost 9-3 to fourth-seeded Corey Anderson of Wisconsin-Whitewater in the opening round.  He picked up a late takedown to beat Gettysburg’s Kevin Poplaski 11-9 in the consolation bracket before being eliminated. Mahon finishes his career 91-35 (he was 26-9 this winter) with a school-record 55 pins.

Ecker and Stierly were the second and third Bombers to win an NCAA title this weekend; senior Emma Dewart successfully defended her pentathlon title Friday at the NCAA Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championships.

–Ithaca College Sports Information

Unseeded to Champion: The Uncommon Journey of Brown's Dave Foxen

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By Betsy Veysman

Very few people were surprised to see top seeds Kyle Dake of Cornell and Brandon Hatchett of Lehigh stand on top of the podium at 157 and 165 pounds at the 2012 EIWA Championships on Sunday afternoon.

The same could not be said in the 174-pound class.  Brown’s Dave Foxen, who came into the weekend with a 13-12 record, earned the championship by a 3-2 margin with a takedown late in the third period against Navy’s Oscar Huntley.  The senior, one of three native New Yorkers to capture titles, along with Dake and American’s Matt Mariacher, became the first unseeded grappler to take the conference crown since 1963.

“It was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders,” Foxen said.  “It‘s hard to describe. I guess sometimes I still can’t believe it happened.  It’s really cool.  Winning EIWAs was a huge goal of mine since I got to college and there were many points during this year and my career I didn’t think it would ever happen.”

The Long Island product compiled a 138-21 record at Garden City High with a school record 90 pins, but never qualified for the New York State tournament after taking fourth, second and third at the Sectionals.   In his final season, he finished on a heartbreaking note when he gave up a takedown with three seconds to go in the Section 8 semifinals to lose a match he had been winning.

“I had a very good high school career,” he said. “But in the end, it was unfulfilled.  I wanted to win the Section and get to states.  I think those shortcomings motivated me to work harder to have success at the next level.”

Foxen found out soon, as most freshmen do, that collegiate success is a completely different animal.  He spent much of the campaign as a backup at 141 pounds.

“I was pretty much a boy wrestling a bunch of men at that time,” he said.  “There’s definitely a steep learning curve to say the least.  I took my share of beatings.  The transition wasn’t easy, that’s for sure.”

He broke into the starting lineup as a sophomore and compiled a 10-17 record at 149 pounds for the Bears, including an 0-2 EIWA appearance.

“I spent a lot of time in the weight room and spent the whole summer at Brown, training as much as I could before my second year,” he said. “I definitely made overall improvements, but I wasn’t happy with my results at Easterns.”

To get to the next level, he felt that he needed time to focus on improving all aspects of his wrestling.  Since Ivy League athletes cannot take official redshirt years, Foxen decided to withdraw from school and move to a place he could eat, drink and sleep the sport.  What better place than Iowa?

“I didn’t have any prior connections there,” he said. “But they were the defending NCAA champions and I was looking for the best training environment possible.  I was looking for the toughest guys who would push me everyday.  It was a shot in the dark, but I got in touch with Terry Brands and trained with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club for a year.”

Foxen felt that the time spent in the Midwest was extremely worthwhile.

“It’s just a different type of place,” he said. “The intensity of that room was so high.  There were so many high caliber wrestlers who were so accomplished.  I had to change what I did just to survive.  I got beat on day after day but I became much better on my feet and became much more physical. I got a lot of personal help from Terry Brands, Randy Lewis and other club members and coaches.  It was a great experience.”

When he returned to Providence, he felt that he was a new and improved wrestler. He came into the campaign looking to win EIWAs and earn All-American honors at nationals in Philadelphia. However, he had trouble with weight, competing at 157 pounds, where the cut was too much.  He felt he gained momentum when he bumped up to 165, but then sustained a severe ankle injury, which sidelined him for an extended time.  When he returned toward the end of the season, he won just a single bout at EIWAs.

“After Iowa, I felt my level of wrestling had gone up substantially,” he said.  “My goals were very high and I fell very short of those goals.  It was disappointing that I didn’t accomplish anything I set out to do.  I knew I had to make the most of my last year.”

As a senior, Foxen moved up to 174 pounds and got off to a slow start, beginning 3-7.  However, things began to turn around after the Christmas break.

“One of my biggest problems has always been getting out on bottom,” he said. “In the first part of the year, I couldn’t get out to save my life.  But the coaches worked with me every single day to tweak little things here and there.  Some technical changes helped me turn things around.  I also got more confident in my shots.”

Foxen pointed to a victory over Cornell’s Billy George in Ithaca as a big confidence builder going into the stretch run of the season.   Still, he suffered a pair of tight conference losses just a few weeks prior to the EIWAs.  On February 11, he lost to Lehigh’s Nathaniel Brown 3-1 in sudden victory and a week later, he dropped a 4-0 decision to Columbia’s Stephen West.

Fast forward to March 3 inside Jadwin Gym in Princeton.  After defeating Stephen McPeek of Bucknell in the first round of EIWAs, Foxen faced third-seeded West for the second time in a month.  This time, he came out on top, 5-2.

“When the brackets came out, Coach [John] Clark said that for an unseeded wrestler, I got the best draw I possibly could have,” Foxen said. “I relished the opportunity to avenge those losses [to West and Brown].”

In their previous meeting, Foxen recalled giving up an early takedown to West and being ridden out for the rest of the first period.  He knew in the rematch, being effective off bottom was key.

“This time, at the beginning of the second period I got out in less than 10 seconds,” he said.  “I also was able to get to my underhook much better.  He won the handfighting the first time but I was able to get to much better positions this time around.”

Foxen next met another familiar challenge in number two seed Brown of the Mountain Hawks.  Once again, he got revenge for an earlier setback, winning on a takedown in sudden victory to earn a spot in the finals.

“Against Brown, I just executed much better this time,” he said.  “The match was almost the exact same match as the first time, but with a different outcome.  Both matches were basically seven minutes of handfighting on feet with a few shots but no one close to scoring in regulation.  The first time, he got me on the edge in overtime for a takedown.  This time in overtime, I got an ankle pick to win.”

Besides putting him in the title match, the victory ensured an NCAA slot for Foxen, a dream he had been chasing.

“That was a really big win for me,” he said. “Making NCAAs had been a goal of mine for so long.  When you’re in the semis, you don’t want to lose, especially when there are four qualifying spots.  Because if you lose, you’re stuck in an all-or-nothing match.  It was great to win that one and not have to worry about NCAAs. I just had to worry about getting ready for the finals.”

But the win meant more than a chance to participate in college wrestling’s biggest event in St. Louis next week.  It demonstrated that Brown wrestling is still alive and kicking.  After all, the Bears won four total matches as a team at last year’s EIWA tournament, finishing last.  This year, the squad boasted four placers and two NCAA bids. (184 pound freshman Ophir Bernstein will join Foxen in Missouri).

That didn’t seem possible not too long ago.  Foxen remembers being in line for weigh-ins at the University Nationals in Akron, Ohio with teammate Zach Kulczycki in April when they received a call that changed everything.  Clark revealed the news that the recommendation had been made to eliminate the Bears program.

“All of a sudden, we didn’t have a team anymore,” he said.  “Our hearts sunk. But Zach and I told each other to try to block it out and wrestle the tournament.  We would come back to Brown afterwards and reconvene with everyone to figure out what to do next.”

Foxen was part of a collaborative effort among wrestlers, coaches, alumni and others to save the program.  The group put on a pep rally on the main campus green along with the skiing and fencing teams.  They scheduled a number of meetings with University President Ruth Simmons to talk about what the sport meant to them, the school and their families.  They sat down with the Athletic Recommendation committee and were thrilled when Governor Lincoln Chafee appeared to support them.

“It was a team effort,” he said. “I was really proud that everyone came together and stepped up.  When we got the news that we could continue this year, it was a huge relief.  I was thrilled to get my senior year back, but at the same time, we’re not done, not by a longshot.  The main goal is to preserve the program for many years to come.  There’s still a big fight ahead but it was nice to win a small battle.  I think we’re in a good spot, though. We have an alumni base that loves our team and will do everything they can to make sure we keep moving forward.”

The events of the past year made the title especially significant.

“It really means a lot after all our program went through,” he said. “I hope it paves the way for a lot more EIWA champions and national qualifiers here because we have a lot of young talent on the team. I hope it pushes and motivates my teammates to pursue those kinds of goals.”

Foxen isn’t done pursuing his own objectives yet.

“My goals haven’t changed despite where I’ve come from and what I’ve been through,” he said.  “My goal has always been to make the podium.  I definitely think I have the ability and so do my coaches.  It’s about putting together enough matches in a row.”

For the second time this month, Dave Foxen will enter a tournament unseeded.  He looks to put his stamp on NCAAs the same way he did at Easterns.

A Shot at Redemption: Ithaca's Doliscar Seeks National Title

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By Betsy Veysman

According to Vougar Oroudjov, Jules Doliscar was just too nice.

The Holy Trinity High School graduate went 0-2 in his only New York State tournament appearance as a senior and came to Nassau Community College to continue his wrestling career.  Before suiting up for the Lions, Doliscar took a redshirt year during which he spent time training with Oroudjov, the two-time freestyle World Champion and Olympic bronze medalist, at his club in Syosset.

“Jules had some skills but truthfully wasn’t that good at first,” Oroudjov said. “In high school he didn’t see that many tough kids and he wasn’t mean on the mat.  He didn’t want to hurt anyone; he didn’t want to do things like crossface. I had to make him more aggressive with his technique. I told him ‘pretend they’re hurting your family.’ But he’s such a nice kid, always smiling, always laughing. It was hard for him.”

What Doliscar did already have, according to Orodujov, was a commitment to hard work and a desire to succeed in the sport.

“He told me he wanted to win and he showed it,” Orodujov said. “We held practices at 6 a.m. and only one kid showed up. It was Jules. He never missed any practice at any time.”

“Out of high school, I really wasn’t what you would call a great wrestler,” Doliscar added. “But Coach [Paul] Schmidt believed in me at Nassau. Vougar believed in me. Working out with him sharpened my technique, gave me great competition and most important, taught me to really believe in myself.”

The efforts Doliscar put in over that first year out of high school were apparent on the mat.  He stepped into the lineup for the 2009-10 campaign for Nassau and proved that he could compete at the next level, placing fifth in the NJCAA championships while hampered by a hamstring injury.

The Dix Hills native came into his second season at Nassau as the top ranked 174-pounder in the country, expecting to take home a national title.

“I wound up putting way too much pressure on myself,” he said.  “At the [NJCAAs], I lost in the semis to the eventual champ and gave up on myself.”  He placed sixth in what he called a “debacle” and took some time to reevaluate his future.

“I was so crushed at the results,” he said. “I considered not wrestling anymore. But I realized that I could feel sorry for myself or I could do something about it.  I remembered how badly I wanted to wrestle after high school and I didn’t have a shot at it then.  How could I give up when I was so close and had so many opportunities?”

One of those opportunities was with Division III power Ithaca College.

“Jules had all the things that we look for in a recruit,” said Bomber head coach Marty Nichols. “His coaches talked about his commitment, his coachability, his hard work. Everyone said what a great person he was to be around. It didn’t matter to us whether he won [at NJCAAs] or didn’t place, things happen.  We knew who he was and how good he could be as a wrestler and we knew he was still hungry.”

In addition to the wrestling program in upstate New York, Doliscar was attracted to the academic program in occupational therapy.

“I came to Ithaca College to get my college degree and win two national titles,” Doliscar said. “I think I’m on track to do those things.”

Doliscar, who his current coach calls both “entertaining” and “a born leader” proved that he was a Division III title threat at the National Duals in January.  He went undefeated during Ithaca’s run to fourth place, beating former national champion Mike Schmitz of UW-La Crosse to take over the #1 ranking in the country at 174, which he has kept ever since.

For the season, he has compiled a 33-2 record, with his only losses to Division I wrestlers. He has recorded 19 falls, tied for the most in a season in the Bomber record books.

“He’s really good at taking guys from feet to back,” Nichols said of Doliscar’s prolific pinning this season. “He’s been getting guys out of position and capitalizing.”

Doliscar picked up two falls during the Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference championships on February 25 on his way to the title and an automatic bid to NCAAs beginning March 9.  He is the top seed at his weight.

“I know I should have won titles at Nassau, but I didn’t,” he said. “I know what I’m capable of and I’m going to take what I deserve this year.”

Part of that confidence comes from the smooth transition he has made to Division III.

“Vougar taught me so much about the mental part of wrestling and believing in myself and it has continued here,” Doliscar said. “I’ve learned to stay calm and relax and just be who I am on the mat. Being on campus makes things so much easier.  I’m on the meal plan so eating right isn’t a problem.  Getting my workouts is easy since everything is so close. I have my weight under control.  I feel ready. I feel like seven minutes is a long time to be wrestling me.”

Nichols agrees.

“We’re expecting him to win this weekend,” the coach said. “He needs to go out and earn it and the intensity level is up at the national tournament.  But we know what he’s capable of and he is very tuned in to what he needs to do.”

Oroudjov is eagerly awaiting Doliscar’s results in La Crosse, Wisconsin on March 10th as well.  He said he may have felt worse than Doliscar after last year’s postseason ending.

“I was really upset because I thought he was the best wrestler,” he said. “Some kids party and get distracted with things but Jules lived wrestling, kept his mind on wrestling and came up short.”

Back in 2008, Oroudjov may not have believed Doliscar would make it at the college level, but he’s a believer now.

“You don’t have to be the greatest in high school to have success in college,” Doliscar said. “So much of wrestling is mental and so much is about sacrifice.  You can be hanging out with your friends or you could be working towards your goals. You have decide if you want to be great.”

Oroudjov couldn’t agree more, and he sees a great future ahead.

“Wrestling is a few years, then there’s the rest of your life,” he said. “I consider Jules a part of my family. My wife likes him, my kids like him.  He’s an honest kid with a great personality.  He gives back. I consider him a winner and in my years of coaching, I can say that about only a few guys. He will be successful in whatever he does, I am 100% sure of that.”

Vision, Progress and Challenges: NYWAY's First Year

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Dave Dean remembers back to the early days of the Michigan Youth Wrestling Association (MYWA).   He recalls numerous challenges, in areas ranging from recruiting participants and leaders to coexisting with other wrestling organizations. One memory that is hard to shake is of one of the first tournaments, which he said was a “total nightmare.”

“People were calling me everything in the book,” Dean said. “The negativity was intense and I felt at that time that the people there would never have anything to do with me or MYWA again.  But what was amazing is that people did come back.  They believed in our mission of growing the sport within our state and we have seen our vision come alive.”

Today, over a decade later, MYWA is over 10,000 members strong and has stayed true to building and growing wrestling in Michigan from the grassroots level by investing in programs at the youth, high school and college levels.  Dean, the State President of MYWA, is proud that the organization was instrumental in saving a college program and creating another while providing assistance to nearly all of the state’s collegiate teams.  In addition, the organization sends hundreds of youth and high school wrestlers to national events and also offers a novice division that allows beginners to get their start in the sport.   On the other end of the spectrum, MYWA began supporting the state’s Olympic hopefuls this year to allow them to train at the highest level. The key, according to Dean, is that the financial resources are kept within the state.

MYWA’s success served as the model for the NUWAY organization, which has started similar programs in 18 states over the past several years, including in the Empire State (NYWAY).

As NYWAY moves toward its first anniversary this summer, State President Clint Wattenberg finds Dean’s experiences instructive. When talking about objectives, he reiterates the messages of growing and developing wrestling in New York by investing in and providing competitive opportunities for wrestlers at all levels.

In about nine months, NYWAY membership has grown to over 3300.  (Registration is $15/year for individuals and $100/year for clubs). A regional model has taken shape, with tournaments being held in each of the regions.  In fact, over the next few weekends, the four top finishers in each of the four regional tournaments (and the Last Chance Qualifier) will advance to the first NYWAY state championships on March 25 on the campus of Cornell University.

“To be honest, New York has had a fantastic first year,” Dean said.  “They’ve done quite a number of things.  They have a regional base structure that connects at a state level.  They also have sent groups of kids into other states, such as California and Michigan, to get exposure to great competition.  And they have brought kids in from other states to compete in New York.”

Wattenberg is the first to admit, however, that there have been some growing pains and some legitimate criticism over the past few months.

A recent tournament in Whitney Point provided him with an experience similar to the one Dean had years ago.

“Logistics have been a challenge at times, and that was an example,” Wattenberg said.  “We tried to run a tournament operating system that NUWAY uses across the country and although I was trained on it, things didn’t work out as planned.  I didn’t understand the contingency plan so it was like I jumped in without a lifejacket and nearly drowned.”

Wattenberg said that there were issues with the registration system, which was supposed to shut off at 350 entrants but didn’t, contributing to the confusion.

“The frustration was justified,” he said. “What people should know is that we’re working to address all the issues.  For the regional qualifiers and state championships we will be using established methods that people on the ground have used frequently in the past while we fully work out the issues we faced.”

In addition to logistics, Wattenberg mentioned some other areas of focus for improvement.  Putting together a consistent set of policies and procedures that best meet the needs of the state is one priority.

“We have a lot of really excited and passionate people – and all of us are volunteers,” he said. “Sometimes we haven’t had everyone seeing things the same way.  I know there have been some people frustrated when there isn’t a single voice about issues such as whether seventh or eighth graders with varsity experience can participate or whether graduating seniors can compete in our high school division.  We are working to form a more uniform message for our public, and hope to use our website and Facebook to disseminate these messages.”

Additionally, Wattenberg is excited about implementing a novice division for next season.

“A lot of the focus in the sport is always on the top kids and getting them experiences to compete within the state but also regionally and nationally,” he said. “But to build a base in this sport we want to make sure there are good opportunities for new wrestlers too.  Increasing the numbers of youth wrestlers is so important to the survival of the sport at the middle school and high school level.  Take local Lansing High School as an example.  They are competing at such a high level, finishing second in the state this year, but they are not able to field a full team.   They even had their modified program dropped last year.  In my view, the way you make a program like that successful and sustainable over the years is by increasing the numbers in the wrestling room.”

Wattenberg also mentioned wanting to increase the organization’s footprint in the downstate portions of New York.

As the end of the first NYWAY season approaches, Wattenberg tried to put the organization’s current status in perspective.

“This year we’ve worked on trying to build a good foundation,” Wattenberg said. “We know we have a lot of work to do but we have some amazing people to help do it.  Others have had ideas on how to best serve New York State Wrestling, but this organization has a different perspective on what it means to support the sport and how to go about it.  A big point of emphasis for us is trying to support struggling programs and develop new ones. We are focused on keeping any profits from our events and membership in state to support the growth of New York State wrestling.”

In order to do this, he asks for those passionate about the sport of wrestling to take part.

“For those who are reluctant, I ask that you just take a look and give us a try,” he said.  “For those who have great ideas and enthusiasm in creating something special, please get more involved.  For those who are critical, please reach out, voice your concerns and help contribute to building New York wrestling.”

“The mission for NYWAY is to be a support system for the entire state,” Dean added.  “It’s about investing in and empowering New York people and programs. We made it happen in Michigan and New York has the leadership and the love of the sport. I think they’re off to a good start.”

 

NYWAY Regional Qualifier Information:

 

Capital Region: March 3, Hoosick Falls High School, 9 a.m. 

http://www.nyway.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/Documents/NYWAYCapitalRegionQualifier.pdf

 

Central Region: March 11, Canastota High School, 9 a.m.

http://www.nyway.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/Documents/NYWAYCentralRegionQualifier.pdf

 

Northern Region: March 11, Indian River Middle School, 9 a.m.

http://www.nyway.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/Documents/2012NORTH_REGIONAL.pdf

 

Western Region: March 11, Lockport High School, 9 a.m.

http://uploads.matburn.com/7/7494/4655478044f237925c7191.pdf

 

Last Chance Qualifier: Owego Free Academy

http://www.nyway.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/Documents/NYWAYLastChance.pdf


Hofstra Wins CAA Title With Four Champions

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Binghamton, NY – Hofstra crowned four individual champions  and captured its 10th CAA team title in its 11 years in the league at the 2012 Colonial Athletic Association Wrestling Championships at the Binghamton University Events Center Saturday night.

Seven-teams and 70 wrestlers competed for the CAA team crown and 23 individual berths to the 2012 NCAA Championships at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri on March 15-17.

Pride seniors P.J. Gillespie at 165 and Ben Clymer at 184, junior Steve Bonanno at 125 and sophomore Luke Vaith at 141 captured CAA individual titles. It was Gillespie’s second conference title after winning at 149 pounds in 2009. It was Clymer’s second CAA title after winning at 184 in 2011. Bonanno and Vaith recorded their first conference titles.

Those four individuals plus Hofstra’s two second-place finishers, sophomore Jamie Franco at 133 and junior Justin Accordino at 149, have all qualified for the NCAA Championships.

In the final team standings, the Pride edged the host Bearcats of Binghamton by two points, 80.5-78.5. It was Hofstra’s second consecutive CAA championship since Binghamton broke the Pride’s streak of eight straight CAA conference titles from 2002 through 2009. Hofstra also won the final conference title in the East Coast Wrestling Association (ECWA) in 2001.

The CAA Championship is Hofstra mentor Rob Anspach‘s first as head coach of the Pride after taking over for Tom Shifflet last spring.

Following Hofstra and Binghamton in the team standings were Old Dominion (68.5 pts.), Boston University (34), Drexel (33.5), George Mason (30.5) and Rider.

2012 CAA Championship Results 

125 Pounds 
Jerome Robinson (ODU) dec. #4 Derek Steeley (Bing), 5-2
Chris McGinley (Boston) dec. #3 Chuck Zeisloft (Rider), 1-0
#2 Vince Rodriguez (GMU) tech fall Franco Faeraina (Drexel), 17-2, 0:00

Consolations
Chuck Zeisloft (Rider) major dec. Franco Ferraina (Drexel), 8-0

Semifinals
#1 Steve Bonanno (Hofstra) major dec. Jerome Robinson (ODU), 8-0
#2 Vince Rodriguez (GMU) WBF Chris McGinley (Boston), 5:35

Second Round Consolations
Chris McGinley (Boston) dec. #4 Derek Steeley (BU), 8-5
Jerome Robinson (ODU) dec. #3 Chuck Zeifloft (Rider), 6-1

Championship
#1 Steve Bonanno (Hofstra) major dec. #2 Vince Rodriguez (GMU), 9-0
3rd Place
Jerome Robinson (ODU) dec. Chris McGinley (Boston), 3-0

133 Pounds 
#1 Jimmy Morris (Rider) dec. Zachary Isenhour (GMU), 4-2
#3 Jamie Franco (Hofstra) dec. Patrick Hunter (Bing), 6-4 tb1
#2 Fred Santaite (Boston) dec. Josh Yurasits (Drexel), 8-3

Consolations
Patrick Hunter (Bing) WBF Josh Yurasits (Drexel), 1:40

Semifinals
#4 Scott Festejo (ODU) WBF #1 Jimmy Morris (Rider), 3:04
#3 Jamie Franco (Hofstra) dec. #2 Fred Santaite (Boston), 2-0

Second Round Consolations
#2 Fred Santaite (Boston) dec. Zachary Isenhour (GMU), 9-4
Patrick Hunter (Bing) dec. #1 Jimmy Morris (Rider), 8-7

Championship 
#4 Scott Festejo (ODU) dec. #3 Jamie Franco (Hofstra), 4-3
3rd Place
Patrick Hunter (Bing) dec. #2 Fred Santaite (Boston), 6-3

141 Pounds 
#1 Luke Vaith (Hofstra) dec. Dennis Herndon (GMU), 6-3
#4 Joe Bonaldi (Bing) dec. Tyler Scotton (Boston), 5-4 tb2
#2 Frank Cimato (Drexel) dec. Vinny Fava (Rider), 10-4

Consolations
Dennis Herndon (GMU) dec. Tyler Scotton (Boston), 4-0

Semifinals
#1 Luke Vaith (Hofstra) dec. #4 Joe Bonaldi (Bing), 8-3
#3 Justin LaValle (ODU) dec. #2 Frank Cimato (Drexel), 6-5

Second Round Consolations
Dennis Herndon (GMU) dec. #2 Frank Cimato (Drexel), 11-9 tb1
Vinny Fava (Rider) dec. #4 Joe Bonaldi (Bing), 8-6

Championship 
#1 Luke Vaith (Hofstra) dec. #3 Justin LaValle (ODU), 3-1
3rd Place
Dennis Herndon (GMU) dec. Vinny Fava (Rider), 6-4
True Second
#3 Justin LaValle (ODU) dec. Dennis Herndon (GMU), 5-3

149 Pounds 
#1 Donnie Vinson (Bing) WBF B.J. Suitor (Boston), 1:19
#3 Zac Cibula (Rider) dec. Shane Fenningham (Drexel), 4-1
#2 Justin Accordino (Hofstra) major dec. Kevin Timothy (GMU), 10-2

Consolations
Shane Fenningham (Drexel) dec. Kevin Timothy (GMU), 7-4

Semifinals
#1 Donnie Vinson (Bing) tech fall #4 Brennan Brumley (ODU), 15-0, 4:00
#2 Justin Accordino (Hofstra) dec. #3 Zac Cibula (Rider), 7-2

Second Round Consolations
#3 Zac Cibula (Rider) WBF B.J. Suitor (Boston), 1:55
#4 Brennan Brumley (ODU) dec. Shane Fenningham (Drexel), 2-1

Championship 
#1 Donnie Vinson (Bing) major dec. #2 Justin Accordino (Hofstra), 12-3
3rd Place
#3 Zac Cibula (Rider) dec. #4 Brennan Brumley (ODU), 8-3

157 Pounds 
#1 Justin Lister (Bing) WBF Jaaziah Bethea (GMU) , 0:43
#3 Austin Sommer (Drexel) WBF Ramon Santiago (Rider), 4:30
#2 John Nicholson (ODU) dec. Nick Tourville (Boston), 13-8

Consolations
Ramon Santiago (Rider) dec. Nick Tourville (Boston), 1-0

Semifinals
#1 Justin Lister (Bing) dec. #4 Tyler Banks (Hofstra), 7-2
#2 John Nicholson (ODU) major dec. #3 Austin Sommer (Drexel), 14-5

Second Round Consolations
#3 Austin Sommer (Drexel) med. forfeit Jaaziah Bethea (GMU)
Ramon Santiago (Rider) dec. #4 Tyler Banks (Hofstra), 6-5 tb2

Championship 
#1 Justin Lister (Bing) WBF #2 John Nicholson (OSU), 1:32
3rd Place
Ramon Santiago (Rider) dec. #3 Austin Sommer (Drexel), 10-5
True Second
#2 John Nicholson (ODU) dec. Ramon Santiago (Rider), 5-3

165 Pounds 
#1 Joe Booth (Drexel) dec. James Brundage (Rider), 6-3
#4 Tristan Warner (ODU) dec. Ty Knepp (GMU), 5-1
#3 Matt Kaylor (Bing) major dec. Mitchell Wightman (Boston), 13-4

Consolations
James Brundage (Rider) major dec. Ty Knepp (GMU), 12-3

Semifinals
#4 Tristan Warner (ODU) dec. #1 Joe Booth (Drexel), 3-1 tb2
#2 P.J. Gillespie (Hofstra) dec. #3 Matt Kaylor (Bing), 6-4 tb1

Second Round Consolations
James Brundage (Rider) dec. #3 Matt Kaylor (Bing), 9-5
#1 Joe Booth (Drexel) dec. Mitchell Wightman (Boston), 3-1

Championship 
#2 P.J. Gillespie (Hofstra) dec. #4 Tristan Warner (ODU), 4-1
3rd Place
#1 Joe Booth (Drexel) major dec.James Brundage (Rider), 12-3
5th Place
#3 Matt Kaylor (Bing) dec. Mitchell Wightman (Boston), 4-2

174 Pounds 
Alex Rinaldi (Drexel) dec. #4 Caleb Wallace (Bing), 4-0
#3 Jim Resnick (Rider) tech fall Seth Robertson (GMU), 17-1, 4:52
#2 Kyle Czarneck (Boston) dec. Jermaine John (Hofstra), 3-1

Consolations
Jermaine John (Hofstra) major dec. Seth Robertson (GMU), 12-0

Semifinals
#1 Te Edwards (ODU) dec. Alex Rinaldi (Drexel), 10-7
#2 Kyle Czarnecki (Boston) injury def. #3 Jim Resnick (Rider), 6:52

Second Round Consolation
#4 Caleb Wallace (Bing) med. forfeit #3 Jim Resnick (Rider)
Jermaine John (Hofstra) major dec. Alex Rinaldi (Drexel), 12-3

Championship 
#1 Te Edwards (ODU) dec. #2 Kyle Czarnecki (Boston), 6-2
3rd Place
#4 Caleb Wallace (Bing) WBF Jermaine John (Hofstra), 0:55
True Second
#2 Kyle Czarnecki (Boston) dec. #4 Caleb Wallace (Bing), 7-3

184 Pounds 
#1 Ben Clymer (Hofstra) major dec. Niccolo Becattini (Drexel), 10-2
Hunter Meys (Boston) WBF #3 Clint Morrison (Rider), 3:51
#2 Nate Schiedel (Bing) WBF Ryan Hembury (GMU) 3:13

Consolations
Clint Morrison (Rider) tech. fall Ryan Hembury (GMU), 17-2, 0:00

Semifinals
#1 Ben Clymer (Hofstra) dec. #4 Billy Curling (ODU), 4-0
#2 Nate Schiedel (Bing) dec. Hunter Meys (Boston), 4-2

Second Round Consolations
Hunter Meys (Boston) WBF Niccolo Becattini (Drexel), 4:20
#4 Billy Curling (ODU) dec. #3 Clint Morrison (Rider), 2-0

Championship 
#1 Ben Clymer (Hofstra) dec. #2 Nate Schiedel (Bing), 6-0
3rd Place
Hunter Meys (Boston) dec. #4 Billy Curling (ODU), 3-2

197 Pounds 
#1 Bagna Tovuujav (GMU) major dec. Cody Reed (Bing), 15-4
#3 Brandon Palik (Drexel) dec. Donald McNeil (Rider), 3-1
#2 John Hall (Boston) dec. Tim Murphy (Hofstra), 10-4

Consolations
Donald McNeil (Rider) major dec. Tim Murphy (Hofstra), 16-6

Semifinals
#1 Bagna Tovuujav (GMU) dec. #4 Joe Budi (ODU), 3-1 tb1
#3 Brandon Palik (Drexel) dec. #2 John Hall (Boston), 8-1

Second Round Consolations
Cody Reed (Bing) dec. #2 John Hall (Boston), 9-5
#4 Joe Budi (ODU) dec. Donald McNeil (Rider), 5-3

Championship 
#1 Bagna Tovuujav (GMU) dec. #3 Brandon Palik (Drexel), 3-1 tb1
3rd Place
#4 Joe Budi (ODU) dec. Cody Reed (Bing), 7-5 tb1

285 Pounds
#1 Kyle Frey (Drexel) dec. Matt Tourdot (ODU), 3-2
#4 Paul Snyder (Hofstra) dec. Evan Craig (Rider), 2-1
#3 Kevin Innis (Boston) dec. Adam Barnette (GMU), 8-2

Consolations
Matt Tourdot (ODU) dec. Evan Craig (Rider), 6-3

Semifinals
#1 Kyle Frey (Drexel) dec. #4 Paul Snyder (Hofstra), 2-1
#2 Nick Gwiazdowski (Bing) major dec. #3 Kevin Ennis (Boston), 13-3

Second Round Consolations
#3 Kevin Innis (Boston) dec. Matt Tourdot (ODU), 10-6
#4 Paul Snyder (Hofstra) WBF Adam Barnette (GMU), 6:42

Championship 
#2 Nick Gwiazdowski (Bing) dec. #1 Kyle Frey (Drexel), 3-1
3rd Place
#3 Kevin Innis (Boston) dec. #4 Paul Snyder (Hofstra), 3-2

For final brackets, see:

Click to access 829847.pdf

— Hofstra Athletic Communications

Army Finishes Ninth at EIWA Championships

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PRINCETON, N.J. – Freshman Cole Gracey placed third at 165 pounds, and senior Derek Stanley took fifth at 197 pounds as the Army wrestling team finished ninth at the 108th EIWA Championships on Sunday inside Jadwin Gym on the campus of Princeton University.

Senior Michael Gorman (184 pounds), junior Jordan Thome (133) and freshman Scott Filbert (125) turned in seventh-place finishes to help the Black Knights rack up 57.5 points and finish near the middle of the 14-team field.

Cornell won its sixth straight EIWA title, accumulating 151.5 points and edging runner-up Lehigh (149 points) for the team crown in the final bout of the tournament. American (103) finished a distant third with Pennsylvania (94.5) and Navy (85) rounding out the top five.

Gracey began the second day of competition by slipping past eighth-seeded Mason Bailey of Navy, 1-0. The talented plebe then knocked off Cornell’s third-seeded Marshall Peppelman in sudden victory, 9-4, in the third-place bout.

Stanley fell to fifth-seeded Daniel Rinaldi of Rutgers, 7-4, in the consolation semifinals, before edging fourth-seeded Daniel Mitchell of American, 4-3, in the fifth-place bout.

Filbert posted a 10-0 major decision opposite Lehigh’s Alexander Abreu in the seventh-place match. Thome and Gorman were both credited with wins via medical forfeit en route to seventh-place finishes in their respective weight classes.

Daniel Mills, meanwhile, lost a 3-1 decision to seventh-seeded Daniel Hopkins of Rutgers and settled for eighth place in the heavyweight bracket.

Army will return to action in a couple of weeks (March 15-17) when the Black Knights travel to St. Louis, Mo., for the NCAA Championships.

Scott Filbert (125 Pounds)
Defeated Alexander Abreu (Lehigh), 10-0 (MD)

Jordan Thome (133 Pounds)
Defeated #8 Christopher Perez (Princeton), medical forfeit

Cole Gracey (165 Pounds)
Defeated #8 Mason Bailey (Navy), 1-0
Defeated #3 Marshall Peppelman (Cornell), 9-4 (sv1)

Michael Gorman (184 Pounds)
Defeated Zachary Moran (Sacred Heart), medical forfeit

Derek Stanley (197 Pounds)
Lost to #5 Daniel Rinaldi (Rutgers), 7-4
Defeated #4 Daniel Mitchell (American), 4-3

Daniel Mills (285 Pounds)
Lost to #7 Daniel Hopkins (Rutgers), 3-1

 –goarmysports.com

Three Bearcats Win CAA Championships, Team Takes Second

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Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)

VESTAL, N.Y.—Hofstra crowned four individual champions and added two runnersup to edge host Binghamton by two points (80.5-78.5) and capture the program’s second straight CAA Wrestling Championship and 10th in the last 11 years. The seven-team event was held at Binghamton’s Events Center with seven teams and 70 wrestlers competing for the team crown and 23 NCAA individual berths.

After Hofstra and Binghamton in the team standings were Old Dominion (68.5 pts.), Boston University (34), Drexel (33.5), George Mason (30.5) and Rider.

Three Bearcats won titles: junior 149-pound Donnie Vinson, senior 157-pound Justin Lister and freshman heavyweightNick Gwiazdowski. Vinson, ranked No. 4 in the country, racked up a pin, technical fall and major decision and earned Most Outstanding Wrestler honors. In the finals against second-seeded Justin Accordino, Vinson rolled to a 12-3 major decision. Lister posted two pins en route to his title at 157. he put a stamp on his third straight CAA crown with a pin in 1:32 over second-seeded John Nicholson of ODU. Gwiazdowski won twice to capture the heavyweight title. In the final, he earned a 3-1 decision over top-seeded Kyle Frey of Drexel.

Junior 184-pound Nate Schiedel won twice to place second, junior 133-pound Patrick Hunter went 3-1 to place third and freshman 174-pound Caleb Wallace won twice to take third. Hunter’s only loss was a tiebreaking 6-4 decision at the hands of eventual runnerup Jamie Franco of Hofstra and he knocked off the top two seeds in his weight class. Wallace won twice, including a dramatic pin of Hofstra’s Jermaine John in the third-place bout, before losing to Boston’s Kyle Czarnecki 7-3 for “true” second with an NCAA spot on the line. Also suffering a heartbreaking defeat was sophomore 197-pound Cody Reed, who was ahead 5-3 with 11 seconds left in his third-place match with Joe Budi of ODU. Budi, however, took advantage of a false whistle and grabbed an uncontested takedown to force overtime. In the one-minute tiebreaker, Budi shot in and ended the match, leaving Reed to await a possible NCAA at-large bid next week.

“Our top-level guys wrestled extremely well,” head coach Pat Popolizio said. “They are wrestling their best at the right time. I thought Patrick (Hunter) had a great tournament. I don’t know what happened in Cody’s match. Now he’s on the bubble for NCAAs.”

Four Bearcats secured NCAA Championship berths: Vinson, Lister, Schiedel and Gwiazdowski. Reed and senior 165-pound Matt Kaylor will hope for NCAA at-large selections next week. Kaylor went 2-2, suffering a 6-4 tiebreaker loss to eventual champion Paul Gillespie of Hofstra in the semifinals.