Bucknell University Athletics
2000-01 Wrestling Team Concludes Season
3/9/2001 7:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 9, 2001
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The 2001 wrestling season has come to a close. The Bison grapplers posted a 7-11 overall dual meet record while going 2-2 in their second year of competition in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association. In addition, the Orange and Blue participated in the Mat Town USA Tournament at Lock Haven, the Penn State Open and the Wilkes Open.
Junior Ben Chunko (Hellertown, Pa./Saucon Valley) had an impressive season for the Bison, recording a team-high 24 wins while losing only nine matches. Chunko entered the EIWA Championship tournament with only six losses, three of them coming to nationally ranked opponents. Over half of Chunko's victories were for extra points as the 174-pounder posted a team- and career-high 10 major decisions, two falls and one technical fall. Chunko went 15-3 in dual meet competition, giving him the second-highest dual meet win total in school history. Chunko ended the season with a sixth place finish at the conference championship.
Junior Brian Falciglia (New Fairfield, Conn./New Fairfield) had his best season with the Orange and Blue, wrestling primarily at 197 pounds. Falciglia became the second Bison to post 20 wins this season, going 20-17 overall. The junior recorded a 10-8 mark in dual meet competition, going 2-2 in the EIWA. Like Chunko, Falciglia earned extra points for the Bison in over have of his wins. He was second on the team with eight major decisions, and shared the team lead with three falls and two technical falls. Falciglia made his first appearance at the EIWA Championship, placing sixth with a 3-3 record on the weekend.
Senior Ryan Fasnacht (Tremont, Pa./Pine Grove) finished his career strong, entering the EIWA Championship with a five-match win streak at 165 pounds. The co-captain went 2-2 at the tournament to end his season with an overall record of 15-10. He posted a 12-3 mark in dual meet competition and was a perfect 3-0 in EIWA action. Fasnacht ends his career at Bucknell with an overall record of 51-67, placing him in the top-25 on Bucknell's all-time career wins list.
BU's 125-pounder, Josh Perrin (Boswell, Pa./Somerset), had an impressive sophomore campaign, posting a 16-12 overall record and a 10-5 mark in dual meet competition. Perrin went 3-1 in EIWA action in his first full season with the Orange and Blue. He joined Falciglia as the team leader with two technical falls.
Also reaching double figures in the win column this season were junior Brian Neuman (Eighty Four, Pa./Canon McMillian), sophomore Brandn Green (Port Matilda, Pa./State College) and freshman Jeremy Weller (Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola).
Neuman, a co-captain for the 2000-01 season, recorded a career-high 14 wins, going 9-9 in dual meet competition and 5-8 in tournament action. Wrestling at 184 pounds, Neuman posted a 3-1 mark against EIWA opponents and ended the year with three major decisions.
Green saw action for the first time in his career, wrestling at 141 pounds throughout the season. The sophomore posted a 10-9 overall record with three wins by fall. He went 6-5 in dual meet competition before missing the remainder of the season with reoccurring migraines.
Weller, who spot started at 133 pounds, finished the season on a strong note, going 2-3 at the EIWA Championship Tournament on his way to a sixth place finish. On the season, Weller went 10-18 with a 1-1 record in conference action.
The other wrestler to spend time at 133 pounds was junior Andrew Bernstein (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown). Bernstein rotated between 133 and 141 pounds, going 5-17 overall on the year. Of his five victories, one was by fall and one was a major decision. He was an even 2-2 in EIWA action.
Sophomore heavyweight Carl Perrone (Flanders, N.J./Roxbury) did not make the trip to the EIWA Championship with the team after suffering a season-ending concussion in the final dual meet of the season at Navy. Perrone battled injuries all season, finishing the year with a 7-6 overall record with two falls and one major decision.
Along with Fasnacht, two other seniors ended their Bucknell careers this season. Chris Alvino (Glen Rock, N.J./Glen Rock) and Adam Webb (Trevose, Pa./Bensalem) both closed out their four-year careers in 2000-01.
A two-year letterwinner, Alvino has been used primarily as a tournament wrestler. He saw action in his first dual meets this season, wrestling in all three of Bucknell's final home matches of the season (Lock Haven, Seton Hall and Millersville). A 184-pounder,
Alvino completes his Bison career having competed in 16 matches for the Orange and Blue.
Webb closes out a five-year stint at Bucknell. He came in as a freshman to post a 2-7 overall record. After sitting out his sophomore season with a knee injury, Webb came back to post a 15-14 overall mark in 1998-99 at the 133 pound weight class, including a 3-1 record in Eastern Collegiate Wrestling Association competition and a third place finish at the conference tournament. Despite suffering through an injury-plagued season this year at 149 pounds, Webb has wrestled in a total of 72 career matches, winning 27 of them. He has five career falls and two career major decisions.
Junior 141-pounder Tommy Doerr (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) wrestled to a 6-11 overall record this season before suffering a season-ending injury against Bloomsburg on February 1. Doerr posted a 2-1 mark in EIWA competition and also recorded one technical fall and one major decision on the season.
Another regular in the Bison starting lineup was sophomore Mike Saunders (Port Matilda, Pa./State College). Saunders was Bucknell's primary wrestler at 157 pounds, wrestling in 26 matches for the Orange and Blue. Saunders picked up one win by fall in 2000-01, posting a 2-24 overall record.
Other members of the 2000-01 Bucknell wrestling team were freshmen Michael Dubbs (Dallastown, Pa./Dallastown), Andrew Herbert (San Francisco, Calif./Lick Wilmerding), Justin Wallentin (Hicksville, N.Y./Bethpage) and Matthew Waller (Warminster, Pa./Germantown Academy).
Dubbs saw action in three matches for Bucknell at 184 pounds, while Herbert wrestled to a 1-3 record at 174 pounds. Wallentin did not wrestle competitively in his first season and Waller was a backup at 165 pounds.
