Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
EIWA Championships
Petrov, Stolfi Advance to Semifinals at EIWA Championships
3/8/2014 6:43:00 PM | Wrestling
PHILADELPHIA, PA. – Strong performances by Paul Petrov and Joe Stolfi highlighted the first day of the EIWA Championships for the Bucknell wrestling team Saturday at The Palestra. Petrov, a sophomore who made it to the 133-pound semifinals in 2013, advanced to the semifinals of the 125-pound bracket, while two pins by Stolfi helped him advance to the semis of the 285-pound bracket. Freshman Victor Lopez is also alive in the consolation bouts of the 149-pound bracket and has guaranteed himself at least an eighth-place finish.
In addition to keeping a chance at a finals berth alive, the fourth-seeded Petrov earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships, which will be held in two weeks in Oklahoma City, Okla. The top six placewinners in the 125-pound bracket earns berths to NCAAs and Petrov can finish no lower than sixth. This will be the first career NCAA appearance for Petrov, who is now 30-7 on the year and has won nine consecutive bouts.
Stolfi, who placed third at last year's EIWA Championships, is in the semifinals for the first time in his career. The second-seeded heavyweight pinned opponents from Columbia and Princeton, breaking a tie atop Bucknell's single-season falls list with Brian Pitzer. Stolfi now has 22 pins this year and 31 in his career, placing him fifth on that ledger.
The top four grapplers at 285 pounds earn NCAA berths, meaning Stolfi needs just one victory Sunday to earn his second consecutive automatic NCAA invitation.
The sixth-seeded Lopez was 2-1 Saturday with his lone loss to the third-seeded wrestler in his bracket. He ended up posting decisions against American's Cole Mosely and Army's Mark Marchetti. Lopez, who is 23-17 this year, needs victories in his first two bouts Sunday to guarantee a top-four finish in his weight class and an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships.
Bucknell had seven other wrestlers in action on Saturday. Grim Gonzalez (133), Ray Schlitt (157), Rustin Barrick (165), Robert Schlitt (174) and Tyler Lyster (197) each posted at least one win and advanced to round four in the consolation brackets of their respective weight classes. Round four is one spot from guaranteeing a top-eight finish and becoming a placewinner. Lyster had the most victories of any Bison, going 3-2 on the day.
Petrov and Stolfi still have a chance to join Andy Rendos (2010 – 165 pounds) and Kevin LeValley (2011 – 149 pounds) as Bison to win individual EIWA titles.
Bucknell is listed 15th in the 18-team standings with 35.0 points. Seven-time champion Cornell is in first with 92.0 points and seven wrestlers alive in the championship brackets, while Lehigh is in second with 62.5 points. The Bison defeated Lehigh in a dual match this past November.
The EIWA Championships will continue Sunday. Championship semifinals, consolation round five, consolation semifinals and consolation finals will take place 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. The championship finals are slated for 4 p.m.
Team Scores
1. Cornell - 92
2. Lehigh - 62.5
3. Rutgers - 62
4. Hofstra - 52
5. Columbia - 50.5
6. Army - 45
7. Navy - 42.5
7. Penn - 42.5
9. Princeton - 42
10. American - 41
10. Binghamton - 41
12. Harvard - 40
13. Boston U. - 38.5
14. Drexel - 37.5
15. Bucknell - 35
16. Brown - 19
17. Franklin & Marshall - 11
18. Sacred Heart - 0
Bucknell Results
125: Paul Petrov, So. (#4 seed)
First Round: Bye
Second Round: W, maj. dec. Max Mejia (Harvard), 12-2
Quarterfinals: W, dec. #5 Darian Cruz (Lehigh), 4-3.
133: Grim Gonzalez, Fr.
First Round: Bye
Second Round: L, dec. #8 Dane Harlowe (Boston U.), 6-0.
Consolation Round 2: Bye
Consolation Round 3: W, dec. Mike Sardo (Binghamton), 4-2.
Consolation Round 4: L, dec. Esteban Gomez-Rivera (American), 7-5 (sv1)
Gonzalez Eliminated
141: Connor Lapresi, Fr.
Round 1: L, dec. #10 Tyler Rauenzahn (Army), 7-2.
Consolation Round 1: Bye
Consolation Round 2: L, maj. dec. #8 Joe Locksmith (Navy), 16-6.
Lapresi Eliminated
149: Victor Lopez, Fr. (#6 seed)
Round 1: Bye
Round 2: W, dec. Cole Mosely (American), 6-2.
Quarterfinal: L, fall #3 Cody Ruggirello (Hofstra), 1:44.
Consolation Round 4: W, dec. Mark Marchetti (Army), 8-4.
157: Ray Schlitt, Jr.
Round 1: Bye
Round 2: L, maj. dec. #8 Anthony Perrotti (Rutgers), 12-3.
Consolation Round 2: W, dec. Dylan Caruana (Binghamton), 8-2.
Consolation Round 3: W, dec. Justin Staudenmayer (Brown), 4-3.
Consolation Round 4: L, dec. #6 Kevin Moylan (Princeton), 4-2.
Schlitt Eliminated
165: Rustin Barrick, So.
Round 1: Bye
Round 2: L, dec. #7 Devon Gobbo (Harvard), 7-5.
Consolation Round 2: Bye
Consolation Round 3: W, dec. Theodore King (Franklin & Marshall), 7-3.
Consolation Round 4: L, dec. Vincent Grella (Binghamton), 3-2.
Barrick Eliminated
174: Robert Schlitt, So.
Round 1: Bye
Round 2: L, dec. #2 Shane Hughes (Columbia), 6-4.
Consolation Round 2: Bye
Consolation Round 3: W, dec. Ian Roy (Harvard), 8-4.
Consolation Round 4: L, dec. #4 George Pickett (Cornell), 10-7.
Schlitt Eliminated
184: Rory Bonner, Fr.
Round 1: L, dec. Victor Pozsonyi (Harvard), 8-2.
Consolation Round 1: Bye
Consolation Round 2: L, maj. dec. Dan Seidenberg (Rutgers), 9-0.
Bonner Eliminated
197: Tyler Lyster, Jr.
Round 1: W, dec. Alex Najjar (Boston U.), 8-4.
Round 2: L, dec. #4 James Fox (Harvard), 12-5.
Consolation Round 2: W, tech. fall Sam Morison (Sacred Heart), 15-0 (6:42).
Consolation Round 3: W, dec. Augustus Marker (Brown), 5-1.
Consolation Round 4: L, dec. #10 Francis Mattiace (Penn), 5-3.
Lyster Eliminated
285: Joe Stolfi, Jr. (#2 seed)
Round 1: Bye
Round 2: W, fall Michael Fetchet (Columbia), 6:14.
Quarterfinals: W, fall #7 Raymond O'Donnell (Princeton), 3:20.
Players Mentioned
