Bucknell University
NCAA Championships
Joe Stolfi Alive After First Day of NCAA Wrestling Championships
3/19/2015 10:47:00 PM | Wrestling
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Bucknell's 285-pound No. 14 seed Joe Stolfi went 1-1 with a pin on the first day of the NCAA Wrestling Championships Thursday and the Bison senior is still alive in the consolation brackets entering Friday morning competition at the Scottrade Center. Bucknell is tied for 41st in the team standings with three points.
Bucknell had four total wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Championships and the other three concluded their postseason runs on Thursday. Junior Paul Petrov (No. 16 seed at 125), freshman Tyler Smith (141) and freshman Tom Sleigh (184) each registered an 0-2 mark against tough competition.
Stolfi, who is making his third NCAA appearance, registered his 20th pin of the season in his first-round match against South Dakota State's J.J. Everard. The school's all-time pins leader trailed Everard 5-3 in the final minute of the bout, but was able to put his opponent on his back for the victory.
Stolfi, who now has 99 wins in his career and has a Bucknell-record 52 wins by fall, faced Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, native Spencer Myers of Maryland in the second round. The bout went to overtime, but Myers recorded a pin to knock Stolfi to the consolation bracket.
A winner of five career NCAA bouts, Stolfi can still finish as high as third in the 285-pound bracket. He will open Friday's competition against Pittsburgh's Ryan Solomon, a native of nearby Milton.
A two-time NCAA participant, Petrov opened his day against Michigan's Conor Youtsey and lost by a tight 5-4 score. Petrov scored an escape with just under a minute to go in the third period, but was unable to register a takedown. He then lost to Appalachian State's Dominic Parisi in the evening consolation bout.
Smith had a difficult first NCAA Championships as he was pinned by Old Dominion's 11th-seeded Chris Mecate and lost by an 11-4 score to Steven Rodrigues of Illinois.
Sleigh suffered a first-round 9-0 loss to No. 5 Taylor Meeks of Oregon State. In the wrestlebacks he went to overtime against Iowa State's Lelund Weatherspoon, but a reversal in the tiebreaker period was the difference in the 3-1 decision.
Friday's wrestling begins at 11 a.m. All matches will be broadcast on ESPN3.com.
Bucknell Results
125: Paul Petrov, Jr. (#16 seed)
First Round: L, dec. Conor Youtsey (Michigan), 5-4.
Consolation Pigtail: L, dec. Dominic Parisi (Appalachian State), 6-4.
Petrov Eliminated
141: Tyler Smith, Fr.
First Round: L, fall #11 Chris Mecate (Old Dominion), 1:16.
Consolation First Round: L, dec. Steven Rodrigues (Illinois), 11-4.
Smith Eliminated
184: Tom Sleigh, Fr.
First Round: L, maj. dec. #5 Taylor Meeks (Oregon State), 9-0.
Consolation First Round: L, dec. Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State), 3-1 (tb1)
Sleigh Eliminated
285: Joe Stolfi, Sr. (#14 seed)
First Round: W, fall J.J. Everard (South Dakota State), 6:29.
Second Round: L, fall Spencer Myers (Maryland), 8:30.
