Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Wrestling Faces No. 10 Oklahoma Friday to Open Virginia Duals
1/7/2010 7:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Jan. 7, 2010
LEWISBURG, Pa. – It has been nearly three weeks since the Bucknell wrestling team last competed in a dual, but that will change Friday when the Bison open competition at the Virginia Duals at 11 a.m. against No. 10 Oklahoma. Bucknell will wrestle no fewer than three matches at the highly regarded event, which takes place Friday and Saturday at the Hampton Coliseum.
The 30th annual Virginia Duals features five brackets, including the 16-team National College bracket Bucknell is part of. One half of the field appears in the latest Intermat national rankings, while fellow EIWA member Lehigh is a potential semifinal matchup for the Bison.
Bucknell Wrestling Notebook
• Bucknell will be wrestling at the Virginia Duals for the third consecutive year. The Bison went 0-2-1 at the event in 2008, losing to Kent State (26-9) and Lehigh (16-15), while tying Oregon State (17-17). Last year Bucknell went 1-2, losing to Kent State (22-10) and Navy (18-12), but defeating Ohio (22-13).
• Bucknell vs. First and Possible Second-Round Opponents:
Bucknell vs. No. 10 Oklahoma: 0-0 (first meeting)
Bucknell vs. No. 18 Virginia: 2-4 (Bison lost last year's meeting 30-11 at Northeast Duals)
Bucknell vs. Michigan: 0-1 (Bison lost only other meeting 33-6 in 2007-08)
• Bucknell is 1-1 against teams in the Virginia Duals field this year. The Bison defeated Drexel 35-6 last month and lost to No. 24 Virginia Tech 20-13 in the season opener at the ACC Challenge. They still have fellow Virginia Duals participants Liberty and Old Dominion on their upcoming schedule.
• Bucknell (5-3, 3-0 EIWA) brings a three-match winning streak into the Virginia Duals. It is the longest positive streak for the Bison since they won four in a row entering the 2009 Virginia Duals.
• Oklahoma will be the third ranked opponent the Bison have faced this year. Bucknell is 0-2 in those matches and have lost 14 in a row overall to ranked foes. The last time the Bison defeated a ranked opponent was Feb. 17, 2007 when they upended then-No. 25 Columbia.
• David Marble (No. 18 at 133), Kevin LeValley (No. 7 at 149), Andy Rendos (No. 10 at 165) and Shane Riccio (No. 17 at 174) continue to give Bucknell a quartet of wrestlers in the national rankings.
• Bucknell has 13 grapplers that have already reached double figures in victories this year, matching the total from 2008-09. LeValley (26-4), Riccio (22-6) and Rendos (20-4) have piled up at least 20 wins.
• LeValley (3rd) and Riccio (7th) were Bucknell's two placewinners at last week's Midlands Championships. They were the first Bison placewinners at the event since Brian Pitzer finished fifth in 1997. Dating back to 1990-91, Bucknell has not had another placewinner at Midlands.
• LeValley has been strong this year against ranked opponents. He is a team-best 6-3 opposite ranked foes with seven of those being top-15 opponents.
• Freshman Corey Lear is expected to make his first career start at 165 pounds this weekend. The rookie will likely take the place of All-American Andy Rendos, who is expected to miss a couple weeks with a knee injury. Lear is 13-8 overall this season, including 1-0 in duals, defeating Princeton's 157-pounder Danny Scotton by major decision (15-7). He finished sixth at the Binghamton Open and eighth at the Nittany Lion Open in the 157-pound weight class.
• Marble and Riccio both enter the Virginia duals with 97 career wins. Only three other wrestlers in the history of the program have reached the century mark, including Rendos, who ranks second all-time with a 108-29 record.
• Sophomore John Regan has been strong with bonus-point victories this season. He is 14-8 overall, equaling his win total from all of 2008-09, and is a combined 6-0 in major decisions and falls. All eight of his losses have come via decision.
• Bucknell's Probable Virginia Duals Lineup (record)
125: Derrik Russell (10-12)
133: No. 18 David Marble (16-7)
141: John Regan (14-8)
149: No. 7 Kevin LeValley (26-4)
157: Brantley Hooks (15-11) or Scott Sechler (11-11)
165: Corey Lear (13-8)
174: No. 17 Shane Riccio (22-6)
184: Rob Waltko (13-10)
197: Jay Hahn (10-5)
Hwt: Joe McMullan (6-3) or Conor Sweeney (3-12)
• Bucknell will have nearly two weeks off before it begins a stretch where it will wrestle four times in an 11-day span to end the month. The Bison will host Brown on Thursday, Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. The match will be broadcast live on Bison Vision.
