Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Wrestling Heads to Brown, American on Final Weekend of Regular Season
2/18/2011 7:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Feb. 18, 2011
About Bucknell
Bucknell enters the final weekend of the regular season coming off its longest idle stretch since the end of December and beginning of January. The Bison have won two matches in a row for the first time this year and are now 6-10 overall and 1-4 against EIWA competition. Fourth-ranked Kevin LeValley (149 pounds) remains Bucknell's only nationally ranked wrestler this week.
About Brown
Brown brings a 1-11 record into Saturday's match. The Bears' lone victory came against EIWA opponent Harvard last weekend. Brown will be hosting four matches this weekend, starting Friday when Sacred Heart and Cornell come to town for afternoon matches. The Bears will host Columbia Saturday afternoon following their competition with Bucknell.
About American
American (13-7, 2-2 EIWA) is in the midst of one of the best years in program history. The Eagles are tied for eighth in the national rankings with perennial power Oklahoma. American has five nationally ranked grapplers in its projected lineup for Sunday evening's match.
Bucknell vs. Brown (Saturday, 11:30 a.m.)
• Bucknell is 4-2 all-time in the series.
• Bucknell has won each of the last three meetings.
• The two teams have met every year since the reinstatement of the Bison program.
• Brown holds a 2-1 edge in Providence.
Bucknell-Brown Series
Jan. 20, 1988 - Bucknell 23, Brown 11 (Lewisburg, Pa.) (W)
Jan. 20, 2001 - Brown 34, Bucknell 14 (Providence, R.I.) (L)
Jan. 13, 2007 - Brown 22, Bucknell 12 (Providence, R.I.) (L)
Jan. 18, 2008 - Bucknell 21, Brown 12 (Lewisburg, Pa.) (W)
Jan. 17, 2009 - Bucknell 20, Brown 12 (Providence, R.I.) (W)
Jan. 21, 2010 - Bucknell 28, Brown 13 (Lewisburg, Pa.) (W)
Last Bucknell-Brown Meeting:
Bucknell 28, Brown 13 (Jan. 21, 2010)
125: Greg Einfrank (Br) maj. dec. Derrik Russell (Bu), 8-0
133: Nick Mazza (Br) wins by forfeit
141: John Regan (Bu) pinned T.J. Popolizio (Br), 0:20
149: No. 7 Kevin LeValley (Bu) maj. dec. Philip Marano (Br), 10-2
157: Brantley Hooks (Bu) dec Gabriel Brotzman (Br), 9-2
165: Jeff Lemmer (Br) dec. Corey Lear (Bu), 9-6
174: No. 17 Shane Riccio (Bu) pinned Ziad Kharbush (Br), 2:59
184: Rob Waltko (Bu) dec. Bran Crudden (Br), 3-2
197: Jay Hahn (Bu) dec. Branden Stearns (Br), 6-1
Hwt: Joe McMullan (Bu) dec. Larry Otsuka (Br), 7-3
Bucknell vs. American (Sunday, 7:30 p.m.)
• Bucknell leads the all-time series 18-1-1.
• Bucknell owns a three-match winning streak and has not lost to the Eagles since 1983.
Bucknell-American Series
Dec. 11, 1965 - Bucknell 34, American 8 (Lewisburg, Pa.) (W)
Dec. 10, 1966 - Bucknell 26, American 11 (Washington, D.C.) (W)
Dec. 8, 1967 - Bucknell 30, American 3 (Lewisburg, Pa.) (W)
Dec. 6, 1968 - Bucknell 34, American 8 (Washington, D.C.) (W)
Feb. 16, 1970 - Bucknell 36, American 4 (Lewisburg, Pa.) (W)
Dec. 12, 1970 - Bucknell 35, American 3 (Washington, D.C.) (W)
Dec. 11, 1971 - Bucknell 40, American 5 (Lewisburg, Pa.) (W)
Dec. 9, 1972 - Bucknell 24, American 12 (Washington, D.C.) (W)
Dec. 8, 1973 - Bucknell 35, American 11 (Lewisburg, Pa.) (W)
Dec. 4, 1974 - Bucknell 34, American 3 (Washington, D.C.) (W)
Feb. 14, 1981 - Bucknell 36, American 6 (Lewisburg, Pa.) (W)
Jan. 30, 1982 - Bucknell 43, American 2 (Lewisburg, Pa.) (W)
Jan. 29, 1983 - American 21, Bucknell 20 (Easton, Pa.) (L)
Jan. 14, 1984 - Bucknell 24, American 15 (Washington, D.C.) (W)
Dec. 20, 1998 - Bucknell 33, American 18 (Clarion, Pa.) (W)
Jan. 29, 2000 - Bucknell 24, American 23 (Lewisburg, Pa.) (W)
Feb. 24, 2002 - Bucknell 26, American 26 (Washington, D.C.) (T)
Feb. 17, 2008 - Bucknell 30, American 14 (Lewisburg, Pa.) (W)
Feb. 15, 2009 - Bucknell 19, American 17 (Washington, D.C.) (W)
Feb. 20, 2010 - Bucknell 23, American 16 (Lewisburg, Pa.) (W)
Last Bucknell-American Meeting:
Bucknell 23, American 16 (Feb. 20, 2010)
125: #18 Jasen Borshoff (A) wins by forfeit
133: #17 David Marble (B) maj. dec. Thomas Williams (A), 17-8
141: John Regan (B) dec. Jordan Lipp (A), 7-3
149: #7 Kevin LeValley (B) dec. #10 Kyle Borshoff (A), 2-1
157: Brantley Hooks (B) dec. Sean McCarty (A), 11-4
165: #10 Andy Rendos (B) maj. dec. Tanner Shaffer (A), 13-1
174: #15 Shane Riccio (B) pinned Phillip Barreiro (A), 1:21
184: #4 Mike Cannon (A) maj. dec. Rob Waltko (B), 12-2
197: Daniel Mitchell (A) dec. Jay Hahn (B), 6-5
Hwt: Mingo Grant (A) dec. Joe McMullan (B), 7-6
Sunday Night Start Time
Bucknell and American will square off Sunday evening at 7:30 p.m. The unusual start time was necessitated because American will be hosting a men's basketball game in Bender Arena at 2 p.m. That basketball game had the potential to be televised and the start time could not be adjusted.
Short Rest
Bucknell has fared better this season when it is well rested. When it has at least one day to prepare for a match, it is 5-5. Without at least one idle day preceeding a match, the Bison are just 1-5.
EIWA Record
With two wins this weekend, Bucknell would finish the 2010-11 regular season with an 8-10 overall mark, including 3-4 against EIWA opponents. The Bison were 18-10-1 against EIWA foes since the program was reinstated (2006-07) entering this year. Bucknell has posted at least three EIWA victories each of the last four years.
First Win Streak
Bucknell enters Saturday's match at Brown with a two-match winning streak. It is the first winning streak of the year for the Bison, who piled up four winning streaks last winter when they posted a 12-6 record. Bucknell's last winning streak of longer than two matches was last year, when it concluded the campaign on a four-match hot streak.
February Success
Bucknell has won seven consecutive February dual matches dating back to the 2008-09 season. The Bison have won 10 February duals in a row against unranked opponents, a streak that started in February 2008.
Starting Lineups
Bucknell has used 11 different starting lineups in its 16 dual matches this year, including 10 different lineups in its last 12 competitions.
Consistent Starters
While Bucknell has used 11 different starting lineups, four Bison have been in the lineup in all 16 duals. Derek Reber (125), Kevin LeValley (149), Corey Lear (165) and Jay Hahn (197) have started every match. That quartet has combined to go 45-19 in duals. The rest of the team is a combined 31-61.
Bucknell vs. Ranked Opponents
Bison head coach Dan Wirnsberger has certainly challenged his team this year. Bucknell has already faced six ranked opponents and it still has No. 8 American on the horizon this weekend. The Bison have faced 25 ranked opponents since the beginning of the 2006-07 campaign and their only win in those matches was a 17-16 victory over Columbia on the final day of the 2006-07 regular season.
Senior Class Leads the Way
Bucknell's five-person senior class (Jay Hahn, Brantley Hooks, Kevin LeValley, Scott Sechler, Rob Waltko) has been strong this year. The five veterans have combined for an 87-42 mark with four of them already in double figures in victories. The rest of the team is a combined 128-159.
Deceiving Record
Bucknell has won at least five bouts in nine of its 16 duals this year. The Bison, however, have just 29 wins for bonus points in duals, compared to 35 for their opponents.
Next Up: Ferraro
Kevin LeValley enters the weekend with a 117-38 career record. His next win will tie him with two-time All-American Bobby Ferraro for second place on the program's career victories list. LeValley is just four wins behind Andy Rendos' year-old program standard of 121.
Hooks 10th in Wins
Senior 157-pounder Brantley Hooks has won five bouts in a row for the first time this year and is now 83-64 in his career. He is now in sole possession of 10th place on Bucknell's career wins list. Next up is ninth-place Ken Herceg, who accumulated 88 victories in his career from 1988-92.
50 Wins for Wirnsberger
Bucknell head coach Dan Wirnsberger earned his 50th win at the helm of the Bison last week against Army. He ranks second on the Bison career wins list (50-45-2), trailing only longtime Bison mentor Bobby Ferraro, who posted a 169-175-6 mark from 1974-97. On a career level, Wirnsberger reached 75 wins with the victory over Lock Haven earlier this month and is now 76-67-2.
2011 EIWA Championships
Bucknell's Sojka Pavilion will host the 107th EIWA Championships March 5-6. It is the first time the Bison will be the host school for the prestigious event. It will be the second wrestling competition to ever be held in the eight-year-old Sojka Pavilion, Bucknell's primary basketball venue. The Bison hosted 23-time NCAA champion Iowa and Rutgers in the facility in November 2009. (Buy Tickets)
Up Next
The EIWA Championships, which will take place March 5-6 in Sojka Pavilion. The Bison have finished fourth (2010), tied for third (2009), eighth (2008) and ninth (2007) the last four years.
Bucknell Probable Lineup
125: Derek Reber (14-11)
133: Alex Pellicciotti (6-10)
141: Adam Healey (4-5)
149: No. 4 Kevin LeValley (24-1)
157: Brantley Hooks (17-9)
165: Corey Lear (20-10)
174: Stephen McPeek (12-9)/David Thompson (11-11)
184: Rob Waltko (13-13)
197: Jay Hahn (23-7)
HWT: Joe McMullan (6-15)
Brown Probable Lineup
125: Billy Watterson/TJ Popolizio
133: Cort Choate
141: Grant Overcashier
149: Giuseppi Lanzi/Zack Kulczycki/CJ Howard
157: Patrick Labuz
165: David Foxen/Max Lewin
174: Jeff Lemmer/Seth Nolan
184: Ziad Kharbush
197: Brandon Shull
HWT: Tyler Cowman
No. 8 American Probable Lineup
125: Nick Arujau (23-7)
133: Kevin Tao (17-12)
141: No. 14 Matt Mariacher (26-7)
149: No. 8 Ganbayar Sanjaa (20-3)
157: No. 1 Steve Fittery (23-0)
165: Patrick Graham (18-15)
174: Tanner Shaffer (10-13)
184: Thomas Barreiro (9-22)
197: No. 18 Daniel Mitchell (24-6)
HWT: No. 3 Ryan Flores (17-5)
