Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Navy Classic
John Regan Wins 157-Pound Title to Lead Bucknell Wrestling to Third-Place Finish at Navy Classic
11/19/2011 7:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Nov. 19, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Senior co-captain John Regan won the 157-pound bracket and six other Bison were placewinners as the Bucknell wrestling team finished third in the Navy Classic team standings Saturday at Wesley Brown Field House. This is the fourth straight year the Bison finished in the top three of the team standings as they accumulated 88.5 team points to finish behind only host Navy (147.5) and West Virginia (96).
While Regan's 4-0 record en route to his individual title was impressive, over half of Bucknell's 12 entries earned places on Saturday. Austin Miller (second at 125 pounds) also advanced to the finals of his weight class, while four other Bison finished in the top four of their brackets.
Regan earned his first career Navy Classic title thanks to two decisions, an overtime win and a pin of top-seeded Alex Medved of George Washington in the final. Regan is now an impressive 5-0 on the young season and his 41 career victories are the most among current Bison.
Miller also earned a berth in the finals, but needed just two victories to get there thanks to a first-round bye. He defeated West Virginia's Mike Bolash by tech fall in the second round and then edged second-seeded Richard Alarcon of The Citadel by a 4-3 margin. In the finals Shane Young edged Miller, 3-2, to win the title.
Regan (third seed) and Miller (third seed) were two of five Bucknell placewinners that outperformed their seeds. Fourth-seeded Alex Pellicciotti ( third at 141 pounds) as well as unseeded Stephen McPeek (fourth at 174 pounds) and Jamie Westwood (third at 184 pounds) also bettered pre-tournament predictions.
Pellicciotti had an impressive day, posting two bonus-point victories and a 6-0 shutout. His lone loss came in an overtime semifinal bout against top-seeded and eventual champion Nathan Pennesi of West Virginia.
Bucknell (0-1) will return to dual action next Saturday, Nov. 26, when it wrestles three matches at the Northeast Duals in Troy, N.Y.
Final Team Scores
1. Navy, 147.5
2. West Virginia, 96
3. Bucknell, 88.5
4. The Citadel, 77.5
5. Gardner-Webb, 62.0
6. George Mason, 50.5
7. Franklin & Marshall, 29.0
Bucknell Placewinners
125: Austin Miller (2nd)
141: Alex Pellicciotti (3rd)
149: Derrik Russell (6th)
157: John Regan (1st)
174: Stephen McPeek (4th)
184: Jamie Westwood (3rd)
285: Joe Stolfi (3rd)
