Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Wrestling Ready for EIWA Championships
3/7/2013 7:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 7, 2013
About the EIWA Championships
The 109th EIWA Championships will take place this Friday and Saturday at the Rutgers Athletic Center in Piscataway, N.J. A total of 14 teams will be competing in the historic event. Cornell has won the team championship each of the last six years, while Lehigh won it the previous five years. Tournament seeds and brackets will be released Thursday evening, March 7.
Tournament Schedule
Friday, March 8
Session 1 - 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Session 2 - 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m. (Semifinals and wrestle-backs)
Saturday, March 9
Session 3 - 10 a.m.-Noon (Wrestle-back semifinals and seventh-place final)
EIWA Hall of Fame Introductions - 2:45 p.m.
Finals - 3 p.m.-5:30 p.m. (Three mats - First, third and fifth place finals)
Tickets
Tickets are on sale for $22 per session ($25 for the finals) or $70 for the tournament. Student tickets can be purchased for $12 per session ($14 for the finals). Orders can be made online or by calling the ticket office at 1-866-445-GORU (4678).
NCAA Qualifiers from EIWA Championships
The EIWA will have 45 automatic qualifiers for the NCAA Championships, which will take place March 21-23 in Des Moines, Iowa. Forty additional at-large qualifiers who do not earn automatic berths will be selected at the conclusion of all conference tournaments. The at-large qualifiers will be announced March 13.
EIWA Automatic NCAA Qualifiers by Weight Class (45)
125: 4
133: 2
141: 7
149: 4
157: 5
165: 5
174: 4
184: 5
197: 5
285: 4
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 Bill Graham '62. The Bison's first season of competition after reinstatement was 2006-07 and they are 61-76-2 (.446) since then. Ten different wrestlers have combined for 20 NCAA appearances and four 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
2011-12: 4-16, 2-4 EIWA
2012-13: 6-14, 2-5 EIWA
Bucknell's EIWA Championships History
Bucknell first joined the EIWA in 1999-2000 and has wrestled at the EIWA Championships nine times. The first year the Bison competed they were not awarded team points. Since then, they have five top-10 finishes.
Bucknell's EIWA Team Finishes
2000: no team points awarded
2001: 10th of 14 (30 points)
2002: 12th of 13 (12.5)
2007: 9th of 14 (40)
2008: 8th of 14 (43.5)
2009: t-3rd of 14 (79)
2010: 4th of 13 (103.5)
2011: 8th of 13 (59)
2012: 13th of 14 (28.5)
EIWA Individual Titles
Bucknell wrestlers have claimed an EIWA individual title on two occassions. Andy Rendos won the 165-pound crown in 2010 and Kevin LeValley captured the 149-pound title in 2011.
Bucknell Individuals at EIWA Championships
Four of Bucknell's nine projected wrestlers at the EIWA Championships have previous postseason experience. The four grapplers have combined for a 7-12 career mark at the EIWA Championships.
Bucknell Individuals at EIWA Championships
• Derrik Russell (Career at EIWAs: 0-2)
- 2012: 0-2 (141 pounds)
Shay Warren (Harvard), L, 4-3
Richard Durso (Franklin & Marshall), L, 6-0
• Adam Healey (Career at EIWAs: 1-4)
- 2009: 1-2 (141 pounds)
Seth Ciasulli (Lehigh), L, Fall (4:31)
Matt Michaels (East Stroudsburg), W, Fall (2:28)
Corey Manson (Cornell), L, 7-4
- 2011: 0-2 (141 pounds)
Hicks Mason (Cornell), L, Fall (2:00)
Trevor Melde (Rutgers), L, MD 10-1
• Corey Lear (Career at EIWAs: 6-4)
- 2011: 3-2 (7th place at 165)
Erik Gobbo (Harvard), W, MD 16-5
Justin Kerber (Cornell), L, 8-2
Alex Smith (Army), W, Fall (3:56)
Patrick Graham (American), L, 6-3
Mason Bailey (Navy), W, 3-1 (tb1)
- 2012: 3-2 (5th place at 165)
Richard Eva (Princeton), W, 8-1
Lorenzo Thomas (Penn), W, 5-2
Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh), L, 4-1
Marshall Peppelman (Cornell), L, 3-1
Mason Bailey (Navy), W, 6-2
• Tyler Lyster (Career at EIWAs: 0-2)
- 2012: 0-2 (197 pounds)
Joe Kennedy (Lehigh), L, MD 11-3
Daniel Mitchell (American), L, 8-2
• Paul Petrov, Vincent Favia, Robert Schlitt, Robert Marchese, Joe Stolfi
- Career: 0-0
Starting Lineups
Bucknell used six different starting lineups in its 20 dual matches this year.
Difficult Schedule
Bucknell faced seven ranked opponents in 2012-13, equaling the most it has wrestled since the program was reinstated in 2006-07. The Bison have now wrestled 38 ranked foes over the last seven campaigns.
Individual Ranked Opponents
Bucknell wrestlers will see plenty of ranked opponents at the EIWA Championships since 25 EIWA grapplers show up in the latest Amateur Wrestling News rankings. The nine Bison entrants in the EIWAs combined to go 3-37 when facing a ranked individual this season.
Bucknell's EIWA Entrants vs. Ranked Opponents (AWN)
133: Paul Petrov (0-3)
141: Derrik Russell (0-7)
149: Adam Healey (0-4)
157: Vincent Favia (0-7)
165: Corey Lear (3-1)
174: Robert Schlitt (0-3)
184: Robert Marchese (0-4)
197: Tyler Lyster (0-2)
285: Joe Stolfi (0-6)
Streaking
Corey Lear (+3) and Joe Stolfi (+1) enter the EIWA Championships coming off victories.
Wirnsberger Second on Wins List
Bucknell head coach Dan Wirnsberger ranks second on the Bison career wins list with 61. He has guided Bucknell to a 61-76-2 mark over the last seven years and trails only longtime Bison mentor Bob Ferraro, who posted a 169-175-6 mark from 1974-97. On a career level, Wirnsberger owns a solid 88-98-2 mark.
Bison Headlines
• Bucknell is wrestling without a 125-pounder due to Austin Miller suffering a season-ending arm injury in February.
• Austin Miller (125) and Corey Lear (165) are Bucknell's only current wrestlers with NCAA Championships experience. Lear and Miller both advanced to the 2012 NCAAs. Lear posted a 2-2 record, while Miller was 0-2.
• Bucknell's EIWA lineup includes three freshmen (Petrov, Favia, Marchese), three sophomores (Schlitt, Lyster, Stolfi) and three seniors (Russell, Healey, Lear).
• Nine Bison reached double figures in victories during the regular season, led by Corey Lear's 23 wins.
• Corey Lear is one victory shy of tying his career high.
• Corey Lear has not lost two bouts in a row all season. His last two-match losing streak came at last year's EIWA Championships.
• Joe Stolfi put together an eight-bout winning streak this winter, the longest by a Bison other than Lear.
• Bucknell had the same starter in every dual at seven of 10 weight classes. Only 157, 165 and 174 saw multiple starters.
• Jack Ingram, Corey Lear, Tyler Lyster, Austin Miller and Derrik Russell are Bucknell's team captains.
Up Next
Bucknell's NCAA qualifiers will participate in the NCAA Championships March 21-23 in Des Moines, Iowa. Last year, two Bison (Corey Lear, Austin Miller) earned berths in the NCAA Championships.
