Bucknell University Athletics
Petrov & Stolfi Ready to Head to Oklahoma City for NCAAs
3/17/2014 2:13:00 PM | Wrestling
About the NCAA Championships
This year's NCAA Championships take place March 20-22 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla. Bucknell qualified two wrestlers for the event. Sophomore 125-pounder Paul Petrov and junior 285-pounder Joe Stolfi will represent the Bison. The top eight finishers in each weight class earn All-America honors. Kevin LeValley (7th at 149 in 2011) was the last Bison to be named an All-American.
ESPN to Air NCAA Championships
The entire NCAA Championships will air on the ESPN family of networks.
ESPN Broadcasts
Thursday, March 20
First Session, 12 p.m. (ESPNU/ESPN3)
Second Session, 7 p.m. (ESPNU/ESPN3)
Friday, March 21
Quarterfinals, 11 a.m. (ESPNU/ESPN3)
Semifinals, 8 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN3)
Saturday, March 22
Medal Round, 11 a.m. (ESPNU/ESPN3)
Finals, 8 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN3)
NCAA Qualifiers
Thanks for its two NCAA qualifiers this year, Bucknell has now had 72 individual NCAA berths. Twenty-four of those berths have come in the last eight years by 12 different wrestlers. Joe Stolfi is making his second NCAA appearance, while Paul Petrov will be competing at NCAAs for the first time.
How Petrov and Stolfi Qualified
• Paul Petrov earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships based on his sixth-place finish in the 125-pound bracket at the EIWA Championships. The top six wrestlers in the weight class earned automatic berths.
• Joe Stolfi earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships based on winning the 285-pound weight class at the EIWA Championships. The top four wrestlers in the bracket earned automatic berths.
First Opponents
• Paul Petrov's first opponent at NCAAs is 16th-seeded Joey Dance (23-8) of Virginia Tech. Petrov and Dance have never met. The winner will face the winner of No. 1 Jesse Delgado (Illinois) and unseeded Jade Rauser (Utah Valley).
• Joe Stolfi's first opponent is 16th-seeded Amarveer Dhesi (26-7) of Oregon State. Stolfi and Dhesi have never faced each other. The winner will take on the winner of No. 1 Anthony Nelson (Minnesota) and Blaize Babell (Northern Iowa).
Bison vs. the Field
• Paul Petrov is a combined 6-4 this year against the other 32 wrestlers in the NCAA Championships 125-pound bracket: vs. Darian Cruz (Lehigh) - 2-0; vs. Nick Herrmann (Virginia) - 2-0; vs. Eddie Klimara (Oklahoma State) - 0-1; vs. Josh Martinez (Air Force) - 0-1; vs. Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma) - 0-1; vs. David Terao (American) - 0-1; vs. David White (Binghamton) - 1-0; vs. Anthony Zanetta (Pittsburgh) - 1-0.
• Joe Stolfi is a combined 5-6 against the other 32 wresstlers in the NCAA Championships 285-pound bracket: vs. Justin Grant (Bloomsburg) - 0-1; vs. Blake Herrin (American) - 1-0; Jeremy Johnson (Ohio) - 0-1; vs. Ross Larson (Oklahoma) - 0-1; vs. Austin Marsden (Oklahoma State) - 0-2; vs. Devin Mellon (Missouri) - 0-1; Billy Smith (Rutgers) - 1-0; vs. Anthony Vizcarrondo (West Virginia) - 1-0; Max Wessell (Lehigh) - 2-0.
Petrov Notes
• Advanced to semifinals at EIWA Championships before injury forced medical forfeit in final three bouts to finish sixth.
• Wrestled at 133 pounds as a freshman in 2012-13.
• Nine-bout winning streak
• 16-1 in last 17 bouts
• 29-3 vs. unranked foes this season
• 18-3 in bonus-point bouts
• Has not lost back-to-back bouts since Jan. 2
• Along with Stolfi, became 10th and 11th different Bison to reach 30 wins in a season (30-7 record)
• Three different winning streaks of at least seven bouts this year
• Two-time EIWA placewinner (6th at 133 in 2013, 6th at 125 in 2014)
• Finished in 1st place at Mat Town Open and 5th place at Navy Classic this year
• 13-4 in tournament competition
Stolfi Notes
• Finished in the top 12 at 2013 NCAA Championships, coming one win short of All-America honors
• Third Bison to win an individual EIWA title
• 3-2 career record at NCAA Championships
• Tied for first in nation in pins
• Bucknell's single-season leader in pins (22)
• Ranks fifth on program's career list with 31 pins
• 18-bout winning streak
• Along with Petrov, became 10th and 11th different Bison to reach 30 wins in a season (33-6 record)
• 28-0 in bonus-point matches (5-6 in bouts decided by decision)
• Did not record first win by decision until Jan. 19 vs. Penn
• 61 career victories leads all current Bison
• Missed most of freshman campaign (2011-12) with an injury
• Two-time EIWA placewinner (3rd at 285 in 2013, 1st at 285 in 2014)
• Finished in 1st place at Mat Town Open and 3rd place at Navy Classic this year
• 15-3 in tournament competition
• One of two Bison, along with classmate Tyler Lyster, to start all 21 duals this season.
• Named Bison Athlete of the Week March 10 after winning EIWA title
Stolfi at 2013 NCAA Championships
• First Round: L, #6 Bobby Telford (Iowa), 8-1
• Consolation First Round: W, Just Grant (Bloomsburg), 8-4
• Consolation Second Round: W, #12 Adam Chalfant (Indiana), fall (6:38)
• Consolation Third Round: W, Benjamin Apland (Michigan), 6-2
• Consolation Fourth Round: L, #10 Jarod Trice (Central Michigan), 7-3.
Stolfi finishes in top 12 at 2013 NCAA Championships
Bucknell Notes
• Paul Petrov and Joe Stolfi are team captains along with junior Tyler Lyster.
• Bucknell finished with a 10-11, 5-4 EIWA dual mark in 2013-14. It marked the most overall and conference wins for the Bison since posting a 12-6, 6-0 EIWA mark in 2009-10.
• Bucknell outscored its opponents 404-381 in its 21 duals this season.
• Bucknell defeated EIWA rival No. 22 Lehigh by an 18-17 score in Bethlehem in November. It marked the first win over the Mountain Hawks in 10 all-time meetings and it was Bucknell's first victory over a ranked foe since February 2007.
• Bucknell has had at least two NCAA qualifiers each of the last eight years.
• Five Bison - Tom Marchetti (1989), Bryan Burns (1991), Bobby Ferraro (1994, 1995), Andy Rendos (2009, 2010) and Kevin LeValley (2010, 2011) - have earned All-America honors.
• Chesapeake Energy Arena is the site of perhaps the most famous win in Bucknell Athletics history. The 14th-seeded Bison men's basketball team upset third-seeded Kansas in the 2005 NCAA Tournament at the facility, which was then known as the Ford Center.
Bucknell's EIWA Championships History
Bucknell first joined the EIWA in 1999-2000 and has wrestled at the EIWA Championships 11 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)
2013: 10th of 14 (47)
2014: 15th of 18 (42.5)
All-Americans
Bucknell has had eight All-Americans in its history, with Bobby Ferraro (1994, 1995), Andy Rendos (2009, 2010) and Kevin LeValley (2010, 2011) earning the honor twice. At least one Bison earned All-America honors three straight years from 2009 to 2011.
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)
2011: Kevin LeValley (7th place, 149 pounds)
Wirnsberger Second on Wins List
Bucknell head coach Dan Wirnsberger ranks second on the Bison career wins list with 71. He has guided Bucknell to a 71-87-2 mark over the last eight years. On a career level, Wirnsberger owns a solid 98-109-2 mark.
