Bucknell University Athletics
Wrestling Presents Team Awards at Postseason Banquet
4/27/2016 11:09:00 AM | Wrestling
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell wrestling program and its supporters gathered this past Saturday in Walls Lounge to celebrate the 2015-16 season at the team's postseason banquet. More than 100 people were in attendance at the event to see a number of awards presented, including the William A. Graham IV Most Outstanding Wrestler Award to Victor Lopez and Tom Sleigh.
Bucknell once again had an impressive season on the mats. The Bison went 12-6 to equal the second-most victories in program history, equaled their best-ever finish at the EIWA Championships (3rd), had six EIWA placewinners and saw a program-record-tying six student-athletes qualify for the NCAA Championships. Bucknell's senior class will graduate with 43 dual wins, the second-most in school history behind the Class of 2010's 44 victories.
In addition to Lopez and Sleigh sharing the Most Outstanding Wrestler honor, a number of other awards were presented, including the Class of 2010 Leadership Award (to Joe Stolfi), the Coach's Award (to Logan Kerin), the 11th Man Award (to Ben Bliss), the Most Improved Award (to Rustin Barrick), Freshman of the Year (to Zach Kelly) and the Lifestyle Achievement Award (to Paul Petrov). Additionally, 17 different individual victories by seven different wrestlers throughout the season were recognized as part of the Big Win Award. Those wins are listed below.
Also recognized at the banquet were Bucknell's six NCAA qualifiers: Barrick, Lopez, Petrov, Sleigh, Tyler Smith and Stolfi. Each member of the senior class – Barrick, Chuck Boddy, Brenan McAllister, Petrov, Robert Schlitt and Stolfi – had an opportunity to make a few comments at the podium.
The William A. Graham IV Most Outstanding Wrestler Award is given to the wrestler or wrestlers that perform the best at the NCAA Championships and this year Lopez and Sleigh each had two victories at the national tournament.
A junior 149-pounder, Lopez was 30-14 this year on his way to a fourth-place finish at the EIWA Championships. He earned his first career NCAA berth and posted a 2-2 record at Madison Square Garden. Lopez has registered three consecutive 20-win seasons and has seen his victory total increase every year. He is 80-44 in his three-year Bison career. Lopez previously was named the team's Freshman of the Year in 2013-14.
Like Lopez, Sleigh was 2-2 at the NCAA Championships. A sophomore who wrestles at 184 pounds, Sleigh earned his second consecutive NCAA berth thanks to a seventh-place finish in his difficult bracket at the EIWA Championships. Sleigh ranked fifth nationally in wins by tech fall (7) this year and he was an impressive 16-7 during a 17-bout stretch from Dec. 19 to Feb. 13. Sleigh shared Freshman of the Year honors with classmate Smith last year.
A three-time winner of the Most Outstanding Wrestler Award, Stolfi earned the Class of 2010 Leadership Award this year. The award is presented in honor of the first class of seniors following the reinstatement of the Bucknell wrestling program to the wrestler who is the best leader, both on and off the wrestling mat.
Just the third four-time NCAA qualifier in school history, Stolfi finished his outstanding Bison wrestling career third in program history with 120 victories. He was a four-time EIWA placewinner, capturing the 285-pound title in 2014. Stolfi crushed the Bison record for career pins with 65, including a career-best 23 in 2013-14. He was among the nation's leaders in pins three times.
Stolfi had a late start to his 2015-16 season due to injuries, but he made an immediate impact when he returned to the mat in late December going 21-4 with a team-high 13 wins by fall to rank fifth nationally. Stolfi finished in second place at the EIWA Championships and advanced to the NCAA Championships where he was slowed by an injury. He finished his career with six NCAA victories.
Kerin won the Coach's Award for the second straight season. The award is presented to the wrester that exemplifies what a coach looks for in a student-athlete: work ethic, dedication and a positive attitude. Kerin wrestled in 17 matches this year, posting wins in a dual vs. Franklin & Marshall and at the Navy Classic and Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. The junior now has 24 victories in his Bison career.
The 11th Man Award is given to the wrestler who may or may not be in the starting lineup, but works just as hard and contributes tremendously to the overall achievement of the team. Bliss, a freshman 125-pounder, competed at three different weights this year. The Underhill, Vermont, native wrestled in six duals and five tournaments at 125, 133 and 141.
First-time NCAA qualifier Rustin Barrick earned the Most Improved Award. The senior, who wrestled in a third different weight class in three years, won a career-high 27 matches, placed fourth in the 174-pound bracket at the EIWA Championships and earned his first career NCAA berth. Barrick, who wrestled at 165 as a sophomore and 157 as a junior, had four wins over nationally ranked opponents, was 15-2 in dual matches and had a season-high 13 straight victories from Dec. 5 to Feb. 13. This is the second time Barrick has earned the Most Improved Award, previously receiving it at the conclusion of the 2013-14 campaign.
Zach Kelly was presented the Freshman of the Year Award following a season in which he posted seven wins and wrestled at the EIWA Championships. He was one of the few rookies on the squad who were able to break into a veteran lineup that had regular starters returning at nine of the 10 weight classes. Kelly wrestled at 157 pounds.
A senior and a three-time NCAA qualifier at 125 pounds, Petrov is the second recipient of the Lifestyle Achievement Award, which is presented to the student-athlete that exemplifies excellence in the three key areas of the Bucknell wrestling program. The individual excels academically, athletically and socially.
Petrov will graduate ranked sixth in program history with 109 wins. A four-time EIWA placewinner, including a career-best second-place showing this past March, Petrov was 28-5 in his career in EIWA duals, including 24-2 the last three years. Patrov is a three-year team captain who is a two-time member of the NWCA All-Academic Team. His 31 wins this year tied his career high.
Petrov now has a full trophy case of team awards. He was named Freshman of the Year in 2013, shared the William A. Graham IV Most Outstanding Wrestler Award with Stolfi in 2014 and is a two-time winner of the Class of 2010 Leadership Award (2013, 2015).
Award Winners
William A. Graham IV Most Outstanding Wrestler: Victor Lopez, Tom Sleigh
Class of 2010 Leadership Award: Joe Stolfi
Coach's Award: Logan Kerin
11th Man Award: Ben Bliss
Most Improved Award: Rustin Barrick
Freshman of the Year: Zach Kelly
Lifestyle Achievement Award: Paul Petrov
Big Win Award:
- Paul Petrov for win vs. Darian Cruz (Lehigh) in Nov. 6 dual
- Grim Gonzalez for win vs. Mason Beckman (Lehigh) in Nov. 6 dual
- Tyler Smith for win vs. Rick Durso (Franklin & Marshall) in Nov. 13 dual
- Paul Petrov for win vs. Johnny Jimenez (Wisconsin) at Michigan State Open
- Paul Petrov for win vs. Zeke Moisey (West Virginia) at Cliff Keen Invitational
- Rustin Barrick for win vs. Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State) at Cliff Keen Invitational
- Joe Stolfi for win vs. Gary Miltenberger (George Mason) at Lock Haven Classic (100th career win)
- Tom Sleigh for win vs. Cole Baxter (Kent State) at Lock Haven Classic
- Victor Lopez for win vs. Michael DePalma (Kent State) at Virginia Duals
- Rustin Barrick for win vs. Matt Reed (Oklahoma) in Jan. 15 dual
- Joe Stolfi for win vs. Ross Larson (Oklahoma) in Jan. 15 dual
- Paul Petrov for win vs. Mike Russo (Brown) in Jan. 23 dual (100th career win)
- Victor Lopez for win vs. Laike Gardner (Lehigh) at EIWA Championships
- Victor Lopez for win vs. Steven Galiardo (Brown) at EIWA Championships
- Rustin Barrick for win vs. Casey Kent (Penn) at EIWA Championships
- Victor Lopez for win vs. Daniel Neff (Lock Haven) at NCAA Championships
- Tom Sleigh for win vs. Matt McCutcheon (Penn State) at NCAA Championships
Players Mentioned
