Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Wrestlers Jay Hahn and Kevin LeValley Head to NCAA Championships
3/15/2011 8:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 15, 2011
About the NCAA Championships
This year's NCAA Championships will take place March 17-19 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa. Bucknell will bring two qualifiers to the event, giving it 18 over the last five years. The top eight finishers in each weight class earn All-America honors. Last year, 2010 graduate Andy Rendos (6th at 165) and current senior Kevin LeValley (7th at 149) became the first pair of Bison teammates to be named All-Americans in the same season. LeValley is seeded third in his 149-pound weight class this year.
Tournament Schedule
Thursday, March 17
Session 1 (ESPN3.com): 11 a.m. (First Round)
Session 2 (ESPN3.com): 6:30 p.m. (Second Round)
Friday, March 18
Session 3 (ESPNU/ESPN3.com): 10:30 a.m. (Quarterfinals)
Session 4 (ESNPU): 7 p.m. (Semifinals)
Saturday, March 19
Session 5 (ESPNU): 11 a.m. (Place Finals)
Parade of All-Americans: 7:05-7:20 p.m.
Session 6 (ESPN/ESPN3.com): 7:30 p.m. (Finals)
NCAA Experience/Results
Of Bucknell's two NCAA qualifiers, only Kevin LeValley has wrestled at the NCAA Championships before. It is his third consecutive berth into the field. A 2010 All-American, LeValley owns a 6-4 career mark at the NCAA Championships.
Bucknell Individuals at NCAA Championships
• Kevin LeValley (Career at NCAAs: 6-4)
- 2009: 1-2 (149 pounds)
#1 Brent Metcalf (Iowa), L, Fall (6:01)
Robert Saunders (Nebraska), W, MD 10-1
#11 Steve Brown (Central Michigan), L, 4-1
- 2010: 5-2 (7th place at 149 pounds)
Andrew Nadhir (Northwestern), W, 6-3
#8 Jason Chamberlain (Boise State), L, 5-2
Cesar Grajales (Penn), W, 2-0
Nicholas Bertucci (Purdue), W, 5-1
#7 Mitch Mueller (Iowa State), W, 7-6 (tb)
#4 Kyle Ruschell (Wisconsin), L, 3-1 (sv)
Kyle Borshoff (American), W, 5-0
• Jay Hahn (Career at NCAAs: 0-0)
NCAA Qualifiers
Thanks to its two NCAA qualifiers this year, Bucknell has now had 66 individuals qualify for the NCAA Championships. Eighteen of those berths have come in the last five years by eight different wrestlers. Kevin LeValley will be making his third consecutive NCAA appearance, while Jay Hahn qualified for the first time.
Three-Time NCAA Qualifiers
Kevin LeValley has joined a select group of Bison wrestlers who have competed in at least three NCAA Championships. He is just the 10th Bucknell wrestler to earn at least three appearances in the NCAA Championships.
Bucknell's Three-Time NCAA Qualifiers
Tom Scotton (1976, 1977, 1978)
Ed Curran (1986, 1987, 1988)
Tom Marchetti (1989, 1990, 1991)
Bryan Burns (1989, 1990, 1991)
Mike Van Doren (1991, 1992, 1993)
Bobby Ferraro (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995)
David Marble (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
Andy Rendos (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
Shane Riccio (2008, 2009, 2010)
Kevin LeValley (2009, 2010, 2011)
LeValley Seeded Third
Kevin LeValley is seeded third in the 149-pound bracket, behind only North Carolina State's Darrion Caldwell, who has not lost since the 2008 NCAA Championships, and Penn State's Frank Molinaro, who owns a 28-2 record this year and recently claimed a Big Ten title. No Bison has been seeded as high as third since the program was reinstated prior to the 2006-07 campaign. Andy Rendos (165) and LeValley (149) were both seeded ninth a year ago.
EIWA Champion
Kevin LeValley became the second Bison to ever win an individual EIWA title when he upended Cornell's top-seeded Kyle Dake in the 149-pound championship match March 6 at Bucknell's Sojka Pavilion. The second-seeded LeValley won by a 4-2 score in the second sudden-victory overtime period. LeValley joined former teammate Andy Rendos, who claimed the 165-pound trophy a year ago, as the only Bison to claim EIWA titles.
Bucknell's EIWA Championships History
Bucknell first joined the EIWA in 1999-2000 and has wrestled at the EIWA Championships eight times. The first year the Bison competed they were not awarded team points. Since then, they have finished 10th, 12th, ninth, eighth, tied for third, fourth and finally, eighth earlier this month.
Bucknell's EIWA Team Finishes
2000: no team points awarded
2001: 10th (30 points)
2002: 12th (12.5)
2007: 9th (40)
2008: 8th (43.5)
2009: t-3rd (79)
2010: 4th (103.5)
2011: 8th (59)
2011 EIWA Championships Team Scores
1. Cornell, 173.5
2. Lehigh, 119
3. Rutgers, 116.5
4. American, 106
5. Penn, 98
6. Navy, 81.5
7. Columbia, 63
8. Bucknell, 59
9. Army, 56
10. Harvard, 47.5
11. Princeton, 42.5
12. Franklin & Marshall, 20
13. Brown, 3.5
How They Earned Spots
Kevin LeValley and Jay Hahn earned automatic berths to the NCAA Championships based on their showings at the EIWA Championships, which Bucknell hosted for the first time this year. LeValley won the 149-pound title, guaranteeing him of a spot in the NCAA field. Hahn finished a career-best fourth at 197 pounds. The top five finishers in that weight class received automatic berths.
First Opponents
• Kevin LeValley's first opponent is Old Dominion's Joey Metzler, a senior. Metzler owns a 19-16 record this year and is coming off a third-place finish at the Colonial Athletic Association Championships. He was an at-large selection to the NCAA Championships.
• Jay Hahn will take on Chattanooga's sophomore Niko Brown in the first round. One of six qualifiers from the Mocs, Brown is 19-9 this year and finished second at the Southern Conference Championships.
Records vs. First Opponents
• Kevin LeValley has faced his first-round opponent, Joey Metzler, twice in his career and is 2-0 in those matches. LeValley won by an 11-2 major decision earlier this year in a dual and he also claimed a 4-1 overtime win in a 2009 dual.
• Jay Hahn and first-round opponent Niko Brown have never wrestled before.
Records vs. the Field
• Kevin LeValley is 11-1 against the 149-pound field at the NCAA Championships. His only loss was to Rutgers' seventh-seeded Mario Mason in overtime.
• Jay Hahn is a combined 4-8 against the other 32 wrestlers in the NCAA Championships 197-pound bracket.
Seniors Shine
Five of Bucknell's six NCAA qualifiers over the last two years have been seniors. Both of this year's qualifiers - Jay Hahn and Kevin LeValley - are seniors, while three of last year's four qualifiers - David Marble, Andy Rendos and Shane Riccio - were seniors.
LeValley Ranked
Kevin LeValley enters the NCAA Championships ranked No. 2 nationally in the 149-pound weight class by Intermat. It is his highest ranking of the season.
30-Win Seasons
Kevin LeValley joined an exclusive club with his win in the EIWA Championships final. The 149-pounder became the fifth Bison to post two 30-win seasons. He is already the program's single-season wins record-holder with 42 last year as a junior.
All-Americans
Bucknell has had seven All-Americans in its history, with Bobby Ferraro (1994, 1995) and Andy Rendos (2009, 2010) earning the honor twice. Last year, Rendos and Kevin LeValley became the first pair of Bison to become All-Americans in the same season.
Bucknell All-Americans
1989: Tom Marchetti (4th place, 167 pounds)
1991: Bryan Burns (8th place, 190 pounds)
1994: Bobby Ferraro (8th place, 177 pounds)
1995: Bobby Ferraro (7th place, 177 pounds)
2009: Andy Rendos (5th place, 165 pounds)
2010: Andy Rendos (6th place, 165 pounds), Kevin LeValley (7th place, 149 pounds)
LeValley All-Time Wins Leader
With a semifinal victory over American's Ganbayar Sanjaa at the EIWA Championships, Kevin LeValley became Bucknell's all-time wins leader, surpassing Andy Rendos' year-old record. LeValley, who is an impressive 30-1 this year, is now 123-38 (.764) in his career, two wins better than Rendos.
Difficult Schedule
Bucknell faced seven ranked opponents in 2010-11. The Bison have now wrestled 26 ranked foes since the program was reinstated prior to the 2006-07 campaign.
Streaking
Kevin LeValley enters the NCAA Championships on a 12-match winning streak. Jay Hahn has not lost two bouts in a row since Nov. 28 and Dec. 3, a stretch of 23 matches.
Return of Bucknell Wrestling
The Bucknell wrestling program was discontinued following the 2001-02 season, but was brought back in 2005 thanks in large part to a generous donation from EIWA Hall of Famer Bill Graham '62. The Bison's first season of competition after reinstatement was 2006-07 and they are 51-46-2 (.525) since then. Eight different wrestlers have combined for 18 NCAA appearances and three All-America certificates over that span.
Bucknell's Year-by-Year Records Since Reinstatement
2006-07: 12-9-1, 3-3-1 EIWA
2007-08: 9-11-1, 4-4 EIWA
2008-09: 11-9, 5-3 EIWA
2009-10: 12-6, 6-0 EIWA
2010-11: 7-11, 2-5 EIWA
Wirnsberger Second on Wins List
Bucknell head coach Dan Wirnsberger already ranks second on the Bison career wins list with 51. He has guided the Bison to a 51-46-2 mark over the last five years and trails only longtime Bison mentor Bobby Ferraro, who posted a 169-175-6 mark from 1974-97. On a career level, Wirnsberger owns a solid 77-68-2 mark.
