Bucknell University
NCAA Championships
Bucknell Wrestlers Conclude Successful Season on Day Two of NCAA Championships
3/16/2007 8:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 16, 2007
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - The Bucknell wrestling squad wrapped up a successful 2006-07 campaign on day two of the NCAA Championships at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Thursday as freshmen David Marble (Harpursville, N.Y./Harpursville Central), Andy Rendos (Brockway, Pa./Brockway Area) and Eric Lapotsky (Mount Carmel, Pa./Mount Carmel Area) all were eliminated in round three of the consolation bracket. The competition concluded a season that saw the Bison enjoy unprecedented success in their first season back on the mat since the program was reinstated.
In round three of the consolation bracket, Marble started off the day's action for the Orange and Blue with his match against Eric Albright of Virginia at 133 pounds. Marble trailed from the outset, 5-0, then escaped following a three-point near fall by Albright. In the second period, Marble scored four points on two escapes and a takedown, but could not overcome the deficit, ending his NCAA Championship run with a 16-6 major decision loss to Albright.
Rendos followed as the 165-pounder went up against No. 3-seed Steve Anceravage of Cornell. Rendos led 1-0 after a first period escape, but Anceravage held the riding time advantage at 1:01. After a scoreless second period, Anceravage chose down, escaped with 1:40 remaining in the bout and added a takedown to bring the score to 3-1. Rendos escaped with 15 seconds remaining, but was unable to score in the final moments. Anceravage picked up the riding time point to bring the final to 4-2 in his favor.
In his match in the 197-pound consolation bracket, Lapotsky, who upset No. 1-seeded Maxwell Askren of Missouri on day one, faced Jared Villers of West Virginia. Lapotsky scored first, but Villers responded with a reversal and a two-point near fall to end the opening period. Villers chose down in the third and scored again on a reversal. Lapotsky logged a point on an escape, but Villers took riding time and came away with the 7-3 decision.
The Bison began the season with an improbable 27-14 come-from behind win over ACC-power Maryland and also posted a 17-16 victory over nationally-ranked Columbia on the way to a school-record 12 dual-meet wins in 2006-07. Two individuals, Rendos and Lapotsky, broke the program's record for dual-meet victories in a season and Rendos was a fixture among the national rankings throughout the year. The duo, along with Marble, helped the Orange and Blue to a ninth-place showing at the EIWA Championships and brought Bucknell's all-time NCAA qualifiers total to 51.
After two sessions, Bucknell was 30th of 74 squads in the team standings at the NCAA Championships with eight points, in front of several EIWA opponents, including Lehigh, Harvard, Columbia and Army.
