Chattanooga Places Eighth at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational
LAS VEGAS --- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestler Matt Keller edged University of Pennsylvania’s Matt Valenti 9-7 in overtime Saturday to claim first-place honors in the 133-pound bracket at the prestigious Las Vegas Invitational.
Keller, an All-America in 2006, went undefeated in five matches on the weekend. He defeated Buffalo’s Mark Budd 6-4 in the semifinals to advance to the title match.
Keller’s title enabled the Mocs to post an eighth-place finish with 65.5 team points, one-half point behind seventh-place Harvard. Missouri captured team honors with 147 points, and Michigan was second with 101 points.
“Matt did what he had to do to put himself in contention for a national title,” UTC Head Coach Chris Bono said. He has helped put Chattanooga on the map. Overall, I though our team performed real well. But what counts is March. We still have a lot we can improve on, but I am pleased with our performance.”
Also helping the Mocs’ cause were four other wrestlers who placed in the tournament. Javier Maldonado picked up an eighth-place finish at 125 pounds, Michael Keefe was fifth overall at 141, Aaron Martin took home sixth place at 149 and Seth Garvin was seventh at 165.
Martin won six consolation matches to advance, and Keefe defeated UNC Greensboro’s Chris Bencivenga in the fifth-place match after Bencivenga had beaten Keefe in the quarterfinals.
Jake Yost (157), Mike Marable (184), Nick Lorenzano (197) and Eric Rogers (285) also competed for the Mocs.
UTC’s Individual Results:
125 - Javier Maldonado (UTC) dec. Thomas Lorenzo (Rider), 5-3; Maldonado dec. Tyler Sim (Citadel), 10-4
Quarterfinals: Matt Eveleth (Penn) dec. Maldonado, 4-1
Maldonado maj. dec. Richard Byrd (Embry-Riddle), 12-2; Mark Moos (Michigan) dec. Maldonado, 7-3
Seventh-Place: John Olanowski (Missouri) def. Maldonado by forfeit (Maldonado eighth place)
133 ? Matt Keller (UTC) maj. dec. Matt Bradley (Rider), 19-5; Keller maj. dec. Cory Van Bauer (Wyoming), 10-1
Quarterfinals: Keller dec. Matt DeLorenzo (Columbia) 7-2
Semifinals: Keller dec. Mark Budd (Buffalo), 6-4
Finals: Keller dec. Matt Valenti (Penn), 9-7 OT
141 ? Michael Keefe (UTC) dec. Justin Morrill (Utah Valley State), 10-5; Keefe maj. dec. Virgil Lockett (San Francisco State), 13-5; Keefe dec. Rick Rappo (Penn), 4-2
Quarterfinals: Chris Bencivenga (UNCG) dec. Keefe, 11-10
Keefe dec. Rafael Chavez (Stanford), 8-3; Keefe pinned Charles Griffin (Hofstra), 3:02
Fifth-Place: Keefe maj. dec. Bencivenga, 17-4 (Keefe fifth place)
149 ? JP O’Conner (Harvard) dec. Aaron Martin (UTC), 1-0; Martin dec. Joseph Cornejo (Northern Illinois), 7-1
Martin dec. Justin Rawle (Utah Valley State), 6-0; Martin dec. Andrew Krieger (UNCG), 6-3; Martin dec. Rob Hitschler (Penn), 3-0; Martin dec. Tyler Turner (Wisconsin), 3-2 OT; Jordan Leen (Cornell) dec. Martin, 2-0
Fifth-Place: Jermaine Thompson (Eastern Michigan) dec. Martin, 4-2 OT (Martin sixth place)
157 ? Zac Fryling (West Virginia) maj. dec. Jake Yost (UTC), 11-3; Drake Hovis (Cornell) dec. Yost, 9-3
165 ? Seth Garvin (UTC) dec. Nick Conklin (Eastern Michigan), 6-5; Garvin dec. Sean Richmond (Pittsburgh), 7-5
Quarterfinals: Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan) dec. Garvin, 6-2
Garvin dec. Dustin Noack (Cal-Davis), 5-2; Zach Shanaman (Penn) maj. dec. Garvin, 10-1
Seventh Place: Garvin def. Zachary Lee (Western State) by forfeit (Garvin seventh place)
174 ? Matt Maciag (Wisconsin) dec. Lloyd Rogers (UTC), 9-8; Rogers maj. dec. Nate Rock (Buffalo), 10-2
Rogers dec. Nate Lee (Boise State), 9-3; Rogers tech fall Marc Fenwick (Utah Valley State), 19-4; Joey Hooker (Cornell) pinned Rogers, 5:45
184 ? Mike Marable (UTC) dec. Matt Moyer (George Mason), 11-10; Raymond Jordan (Missouri) tech fall Marable, 18-2
197 ? Matt Monteiro (Cal Poly) tech fall Nick Lorenzano (UTC), 17-1; Ardian Ramadani (Kent State) dec. Lorenzano, 9-6
285 ? Jermail Porter (Kent State) pinned Eric Rogers (UTC), :48; Jeff Burdorf (Northern Illinois) pinned Rogers, :33
UNCG Tallied 36.0 Points to Finish 22nd at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational
LAS VEGAS, NV ? The UNC Greensboro wrestling team finished 22nd place at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational after collecting 36.0 points on Saturday.
Missouri took home the tournament title after collecting 157.0 total points. Michigan, Penn, Nebraska and Wisconsin round out the top five. Southern Conference rival Chattanooga claimed eighth place, while The Citadel finished in 36th place.
Junior Chris Bencivenga finished in sixth place in the 141 lbs. weight class after going 3-0 on Friday. The Davies, FL native reached the semifinals but was pinned by Dominick Moyer of Nebraska. Bencivenga then lost to Kyle Rushell of Wisconsin in the wrestlebacks and eventually lost to Mike Keefe of Chattanooga to finish 3-3 on the tournament.
Joe Sheffield, a junior from Killeen, TX, captured eighth place for the Spartans. He grabbed a 1-0 decision over Corey Morrison of Ohio State before dropping a 5-4 decision to Mark Ellis of Missouri. Sheffield finished the tournament with a 6-3 record at the 285 lbs. weight class.
UNCG begins dual matchups when it hosts Campbell on Dec. 14 in Fleming Gymnasium. Wrestling begins at 2 pm.
The Citadel Finishes 36th at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational
Las Vegas, Nev. ? Senior Travis Piccard and junior John Buck saw their chances for the podium ended by a pair of Missouri Tigers as The Citadel wrestling team finished 36th with 15 points at the 25th annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational at the Star of the Desert Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.
After going 4-1 on the first day of the event and advancing to the round of 16 before dropping into the wrestleback rounds, Piccard faced seventh seeded Mike Chandler of Missouri in the consolation bracket at 157 pounds on Saturday. Piccard came into this tournament ranked 18th in the USA Today/National Wrestling Coaches Association/InterMat polls while Chandler entered the event ranked 13th in the nation. Chandler moved on in the consolation bracket as he earned an 8-3 decision over Piccard. A native of Allendale, Mich., Piccard finished the tournament with a record of 4-2.
Buck also advanced to the round of 16 for the Bulldogs in the heavyweight bracket before he dropped into the wrestleback rounds. He finished the first day with a record of 3-1 and looked to advance further in the consolation bracket on Saturday as he faced seventh seeded Mark Ellis of Missouri. Ellis walked away with an 8-0 major decision and Buck finished the event with a mark of 3-2.
In addition to Piccard and Buck, freshman Tyler Sim at 125 pounds also advanced to the round of 16 for The Citadel on the first day of the event. Junior Michael Arias at 141 pounds, junior Levi Duyn at 149, and senior John Dickerson at 184 each notched victories as well for the Bulldogs in the tournament.
The Bulldogs will host Old Dominion in their second dual meet of the season on Dec. 16 at McAlister Field House before returning to the state of Nevada on Dec. 20 for the Reno Tournament of Champions in Reno, Nev. All of the latest news from The Citadel wrestling team is available at www.CitadelSports.com.
The Citadel Results at Las Vegas Invitational
36. The Citadel, 15
125 Pounds: Tyler Sim, 1-2
133 Pounds: Thomas Knapp, 0-2
141 Pounds: Michael Arias, 1-2
149 Pounds: Levi Duyn, 1-2
157 Pounds: Travis Piccard, 4-2
165 Pounds: Zachary Filter, 0-2
174 Pounds: Darius Caldwell, 0-2
184 Pounds: John Dickerson, 1-2
Heavyweight: John Buck, 3-2
ASU Competes at Nittany Lion Open
STATE COLLEGE, Pa.--Senior Terreyl Williams' win streak to begin the season was snapped, and the Mounatineers failed to place any wrestlers in the top 8 on a frustrating Sunday at the Nittany Lion Open.
Williams (Durham, N.C./Riverside), undefeated entering the weekend at 10-0 with one pin, won two matches before he lost in the 133 pound weight class quarterfinals to Michigan State’s Nick Simmons by a major decision, 15-0. Williams forfeited in the consolation bracket.
Neal Martin (Cobleskill, N.Y./Cobleskill-Richmondville) also advanced to the quarterfinals, losing a close 3-2 decision to Matt Palmer of UNA-Columbia. Martin lost his first match in the consolation bracket to be eliminated from the top 8.
Tommy Hutchinson (Brandon, Fla./Brandon) also came one match short of the top 8, dropping a 1-0 decision in the quarterfinals of the consolation bracket. Hutchinson lost in the second round after receiving a first-round bye before making his run in the losers bracket.
Check back at GoASU.com for complete results and brackets.
More Than a Dozen Teams Compete at First-Ever Davidson Open
DAVIDSON, N.C. -- In the first-ever Davidson Open, the host Wildcats had four wrestlers place second in their respective bracket as more than a dozen regional schools participated in the event. No team scores were kept, but only Gardner-Webb had more than one champion with a total of three.
At 125, Davidson freshman Ben Altman won his semifinal bout against Lance Long of VMI before Belmont Abbey's Chris Niedermeyer won the championship bout.
Wildcat senior Marcus Boyd won three matches to reach the championship round, But Joey Schrecknise of Limestone prevailed in a close bout.
Following a first-round bye, sophomore Sam O'Hair defeated wrestlers from Gardner-Webb and James Madison to earn a shot at the 184 crown. Brandon Beach of Gardner-Webb triumphed in the finals, however, by a 3-1 score.
Davidson's fourth finalist was freshman Mike Waters at 197. Like O'Hair, he scored a pair of victories to advance to the championship round. Unfortunately his run ended like O'Hair's as well, with a loss to a Gardner-Webb wrestler, Dustin Porter.
Senior Jim Avola also performed well for the Wildcats, placing third at 141.
125
Quarterfinals
Chris Neidermeyer (Belmont Abbey) def. Andy Wade (Anderson)
Willie Tarman (Newberry) bye
Ben Altman (Davidson) bye
Lance Long (VMI-un) def. Tony McCurry (Gardner-Webb)
Semifinals
Neidermeyer (Belmont Abbey) def. Tarman (Newberry)
Altman (Davidson) def. Long (VMI-un)
Consolation Semifinals
Jonathon Pope (VMI-un) def. Tarman (Newberry)
Wade (Anderson) def. Long (VMI-un)
Third place
Wade (Anderson) def. Pope (VMI-un)
Championship
Neidermeyer (Belmont Abbey) def. Altman (Davidson)
133
Quarterfinals
Rob Tate (Gardner-Webb) def. Ryan Tice (NC State)
Aaron Hollifield (UNC Pembroke-un) def. Chris Panfili (Davidson)
Matt Rosen (Virginia Tech) def. Jay Coman (NC State)
Chris Francis (Anderson) def. Corey Hulsey (Appalachian State)
Semifinals
Tate (GWU) def. Hollifield (UNCP-un)
Rosen (VT) def. Francis (Anderson)
Consolation Semifinals
Reimark Neidermeyer (Belmont Abbey) def. Francis (Anderson)
David Sledz (Belmont Abbey) def. Hollifield (UNCP-un)
Third place
Sledz (Belmont Abbey) def. Neidermeyer (Belmont Abbey)
Championship
Rosen (VT) def. Tate (GWU)
141
Quarterfinals
Andre Johnson (Virginia Tech) def. Anthony DiCarlo (Anderson)
Nick DiCarlo (Anderson) def. Joe Fiederspeiel (Limestone)
Jim Avola (Davidson) def. Kevin James (Belmont Abbey)
Chaz Franz (Gardner-Webb) def. Dwayne Tolleson (Newberry)
Semifinals
Johnson (VT) def. N. DiCarlo (Anderson)
Franz (GWU) def. Avola (Davidson)
Consolation Semifinals
Avola (Davidson) def. A. DiCarlo (Anderson)
N. DiCarlo (Anderson) def. Erik Luke (unattached)
Third place
Avola (Davidson) def. N. DiCarlo (Anderson)
Championship
Franz (GWU) def. Johnson (VT)
149
Quarterfinals
Carlos Baron (unattached) def. Michael Hoziig (VMI-un)
Mark Maya (Appalachian State-un) def. Justin Bates (Belmont Abbey)
Michael Degli Obizzi (Duke-un) def. Scott Matthews (Davidson)
David Meltzer (VMI-un) def. Zach Martin (Appalachian State)
Semifinals
Maya (ASU-un) def. Baron (unattached)
Meltzer (VMI-un) def. Obizzi (Duke-un)
Consolation Semifinals
Degli Obizzi (Duke-un) def. Randy Phillips (VMI-un)
Martin (ASU) def. Baron (unattached)
Third place
Degli Obizzi (Duke-un) def. Martin (ASU)
Championship
Meltzer (VMI-un) def. Maya (ASU-un)
157
Quarterfinals
Casey Bradley (Limestone) def. Forrest Garner (Anderson)
Derek Gallagher (Virginia Tech) def. David Pelsang (Gardner-Webb)
Chase Macer (Duke) def. Nick Raich (Gardner-Webb)
Byron Sigman (UNC Greensboro) def. Eric Hilgartner (Virginia Tech)
Semifinals
Bradley (Limestone) def. Gallagher (VT)
Sigman (UNCG) def. Macer (Duke)
Consolation Semifinals
Garner (Anderson) def. Macer (Duke)
Gallagher (VT) def. Raich (GWU)
Third place
Garner (Anderson) def. Gallagher (VT)
Championship
Sigman (UNCG) def. Bradley (Limestone)
165
Quarterfinals
Aiduzu Azumendi (Newberry) def. Matthew Koelling (Duke)
Phil Bliss (Belmont Abbey) def. Ken Kepley (Appalachian State)
Robert Buck (Virginia Tech) def. John Burton (VMI)
Erric Baughn (Virginia Tech) def. Alex Salabria (Belmont Abbey)
Semifinals
Azumendi (Newberry) def. Bliss (BA)
Buck (VT) def. Baughn (VT)
Consolation Semifinals
Matthias Piasecki (Gardner-Webb) def. Baughn (VT)
Bliss (BA) def. Burton (VMI)
Third place
Bliss (BA) def. Piasecki (GWU)
Championship
Azumendi (Newberry) def. Buck (VT)
174
Quarterfinals
Joey Schrecknise (Limestone) def. Mike Meagher (unattached)
Turner Rouney (Duke-un) def. Nick Niesielowsky (Anderson)
Marcus Boyd (Davidson) def. David Hoggard (Belmont Abbey)
Craig McIntosh (UNC Greensboro) def. Danny Carasco (Appalachian State)
Semifinals
Schrecknise (Limestone) def. Rouney (Duke-un)
Boyd (Davidson) def. McIntosh (UNCG)
Consolation Semifinals
Chad Davis (Gardner-Webb) def. Rouney (Duke-un)
Jordan Lowe (Gardner-Webb) def. McIntosh (UNCG)
Third place
Davis (GWU) def. Lowe (GWU)
Championship
Schrecknise (Limestone) def. Boyd (Davidson)
184
Quarterfinals
Brandon Beach (Gardner-Webb) def. Timmy Young (Virginia Tech)
Brandon Brothers (Appalachian State) def. Robert Holbrook (Duke-un)
Johnny Bauman (James Madison-un) def. Zach Zitsos (Virginia Tech)
Sam O'Hair (Davidson) def. Evan Rhodes (Gardner-Webb)
Semifinals
Beach (GWU) def. Brothers (ASU)
O'Hair (Davidson) def. Bauman (JMU-un)
Consolation Semifinals
Brothers (ASU) def. Zitsos (VT)
Bauman (JMU-un) def. Jared Skinner (Anderson)
Third place
Brothers (ASU) def. Skinner (Anderson)
Championship
Beach (GWU) def. O'Hair (Davidson)
197
Quarterfinals
Dustin Porter (Gardner-Webb) def. Rondale Truesdale (UME)
Tim Miller (Virginia Tech) def. Kyle Spar (Belmont Abbey)
Kevin O'Connor (Virginia Tech) def. David Bush (Limestone)
Mike Waters (Davidson) def. Tim Stanton (Belmont Abbey)
Semifinals
Porter (GWU) def. Miller (VT)
Waters (Davidson) def. O'Connor (VT)
Consolation Semifinals
Bush (Limestone) def. Miller (VT)
O'Connor (VT) def. Michael Toomey (Duke)
Third place
O'Connor (VT) def. Bush (Limestone)
Championship
Porter (GWU) def. Waters (Davidson)
HWT
Quarterfinals
Jim Powers (Virginia Tech) def. Travis Kizzar (Chattanooga-un)
Wade Van Sickle (Duke) def. Alonzo Henry (Newberry)
Trey Moss (Limestone) def. Aaron Lambert (Anderson)
Rowan Dzik (Duke-un) def. Ryan Hsu (UNCG-un)
Semifinals
Powers (VT) def. Van Sickle (Duke)
Dzik (Duke) def. Moss (Limestone)
Consolation Semifinals
Lambert (Anderson) def. Van Sickle (Duke)
Derek Callaway (Appalachian State) def. Moss (Limestone)
Third place
Lambert (Anderson) def. Callaway (ASU)
Championship
Dzik (Duke) def. Powers (VT)
Three VMI Wrestlers Place at Nittany Lion Open
STATE COLLEGE, Pa.- Senior Sam Alvarenga won seven consecutive matches to take the title at 149 lbs. while competing at the Nittany Lion Open on Sunday, hosted by Penn State. Alvarenga represented one of three placewinners for the Keydets on Sunday, as over 600 wrestlers competed in the ten weight classes at the event.
Alvarenga (Springfield, Va./Thomas Edison) improved his overall record to 17-2 on the season with his march to the title, as his 95 career wins place him eighth on the career wins list. His run on Sunday began with a forfeit victory against Michigan State’s Eddie Skowneski, while he advanced with a 3-0 decision over Braden Bair. Next up was an 11-6 decision over Liberty’s Aaron Kelley, followed by a closely contested 3-2 win against Navy’s Joel Ahern, giving Alvarenga a berth into the quarterfinals. In that match, extra time was needed before Alvarenga claimed a 3-1 win in sudden victory over Boston’s Mike Roberts. In the semifinals, Alvarenga again posted a sudden victory win over Indiana’s Kurt Kinser, this time by a 7-5 margin. The championship pitted Alvarenga against Penn State freshman Dan Vallimont, as the VMI senior took the title with a 10-5 victory.
“Sam has really wrestled well ever since dropping that second match at the Keystone Classic a couple of weeks ago,” said Trudgeon. “He has really turned it around since then. He’s wrestling hungry and has become a lot more aggressive.”
Meanwhile, fellow senior Scott Buhman was wrestling his way to seventh place in the heavyweight division, running up a 6-2 record on the day to improve to 14-5 overall. After dropping a second round match to eventual third-place finisher Spencer Nadolsky of UNC, Buhman won four straight matches, including a pin in 3:16 against Michigan State’s Alex Strachan and an 11-4 win against Columbia’s Kevin Lester, before falling by a 6-4 margin to Liberty’s Patrick Walker. Buhman then received a medical forfeit against Cleveland State’s Rashard Goff to secure the seventh place showing.
At 184 lbs., senior Corry Murray, competing in his first tournament of the season, posted a 4-2 first round decision over Duke’s Dan Fox, before falling to eventual second-place finisher Brent Chriswell of Purdue. In the consolation bracket, Murray posted four straight victories, including a pair of 3-2 decisions as well as a 3-1 victory, before dropping his final two matches of the day to fall to eighth place.
“Corry has probably practiced about a week or so of full matches, so he’s still getting up to speed,” said Trudgeon. “He’s been going at it hard, and he’s not quite back to 100% with that ankle, but we’re hoping he will be soon. He pulled out a lot of close, hard-fought matches up there, which is great to see. Scott wrestled well enough to place and showed the aggressiveness that he lacked Friday night. As a team, I think that we’re starting to put it together hopefully. I think that all of our guys will start feeding off of the success that our leaders had this weekend, as we look to have a big match this Friday (against Gardner-Webb). Hopefully we’ll get a few of our guys back healthy, and there will be a lot of good, tight matches in that one.”
Other competitors for the Keydets included Brandon Franklin at 141 (0-1 record on the day), Tommy Cunningham (1-2) at 157, and Dustin McCabe (3-2) and Kyle Elgert (0-1) at 174.
In other VMI wrestling action, senior David Metzler, wrestling unattached while redshirting the 2006-07 season, claimed the 149-lb. title at the Davidson Open. He joined freshman Jonathan Pope as VMI placewinners at the event on Sunday.
The Keydets return to action on Friday evening, as they compete in their second dual match of the season at Gardner-Webb at 7 p.m.