Weekend Review

This past weekend was a disappointing weekend to say the least.  We went 2-1 on the weekend but I thought we were more than capable of going 3-0.  We opened the weekend flat against Bloomsburg and rebounded to dominate Drexel and East Stroudsburg.

We lost close at 125 in a match that Walton needed to be more aggressive and get to his attacks against Bloomsburg.  Then, Walton won his next two matches by forfeit.  At 133 pounds, Smith was very sick all weekend and most of this week.  He pulled through and beat a tough opponent from Bloomsburg but took a loss against Drexel.  The wrestler he beat from Bloomsburg beat the Drexel wrestler and I believe Smith was the best 133 pound wrestler in the gym on Sunday.  Schutt lost a heart-breaker at 141 pounds against Bloomsburg, which was a bad loss for him.  Then, he dominate his Drexel opponent 13-2 (the Drexel wrestler beat the Bloomsburg wrestler that Schutt lost to earlier that day).  Against ESU, Schutt bumped up to 149 pounds and picked up a decision.  Conti wrestled at 141 pounds against ESU, but lost a 6-9 decision against a very tough opponent.  Green controlled the match at 149 pounds against Bloomsburg but I thought he was a little sluggish and should have been looking for bonus points.  In his match against Drexel, he looked much better with a major decision win.  At 157 pounds, Lewandowski controlled the Bloomsburg match early but had a terrible 3rd period and lost a very winnable match.  He beat his Drexel opponent easily and grabbed a forfeit against ESU.  At 165 pounds, Cannon did not open up enough to win and worked hard to address that problem this week.  He took losses to both Bloomsburg and Drexel.  In the ESU match, Cannon got back on track with a solid win.  Sheehan was winning the 174 pound match against Bloomsburg when he got pinned, which was a tough loss.  He lost a close match against the Drexel opponent (who Sheehan split with this year).  Sheehan scored a technical fall in his final match against ESU.  Hamel, much like Cannon, did not open up enough to win against Bloomsburg, but did enough to win against Drexel.  He looked very good against ESU, where he won by major decision.  The wrestler he majored from ESU beat two people this year that have beaten Hamel so that was nice to see him dominate the match.  Peters (197) and Correll (HWT) were the high-light performers of the weekend. Both were undefeated.  Peters beat a wrestler from Bloomsburg that had beat him during his redshirt year.  Then, he picked up a great win over his Drexel opponent that just placed at the Las Vegas Invite.  He followed that up with another solid win against ESU.  Correll beat his Bloomsburg opponent with solid wrestling and a high pace.  Then, he dominated a good opponent from Drexel.  Donner wrestled in the heavyweight match with ESU but lost a tight match by giving up an escape and a takedown in the 3rd period.

We are looking to bounce back Sunday at the Reno Tournament of Champions with a great team performance.

UB Press Release: Jimmy Hamel: A Dozen Reason To Respect Hard Work

Jimmy Hamel walked on to the University at Buffalo campus with his father and older brother in tow. A Massachusetts state champion in 2006, Hamel was asked to fill the shoes of outgoing All-American Kyle Cerminara. While at the time it might have seemed to be a daunting task, Hamel now will leave the program sitting side-by-side with Cerminara in the Buffalo record book and his consistent blue-collar work ethic has helped lead the team as much as any takedown or pin.

With three wins last Dec. 5 at the Penn State Open, Hamel joined a very select group of Buffalo wrestlers, winning match number 100. Reaching the triple-digit mark was an honor for the redshirt senior, but he has his sights set on bigger goals.

"It was definitely in the back of my mind coming into the season, I was hoping to accomplish it sooner rather than later to get it over with," Hamel said about the record win. "Obviously I'm proud to have accomplished it but realistically my goal is the MAC and national tournaments."

"Jimmy did a nice job immediately," said head coach Jim Beichner. "He's talented and he's a hard worker. In a lot of ways he's one of our favorites."

Assistant coach Frank Beasley, who joined the coaching staff midway through Hamel's second season, knew right away Hamel possessed a special work ethic.

"Right away Jimmy was one of the guys I enjoyed working with the most because he was a hard worker and a good kid," Beasley said. "We've developed a very good relationship but right away in my first week on the job I identified him as someone who I wanted to work with."

Beasley also echoed Hamel's view that the 100 wins are merely a numerical representation of his success and that postseason tournaments are his true goals.

"I was really excited for him," Beasley said. "We had been counting down since late last year. We're excited for him and it's a milestone but it's ultimately not his goal, it's a step along to his ultimate goal of becoming an All-American."

An emphasis on postseason tournaments has served Hamel well for the better part of his career as a Bull. With a potential third appearance in the NCAA tournament, Hamel would join an even more select group – he would become the second wrestler to be a three-time national qualifier in Beichner's 15 years in Buffalo and the first since his predecessor Cerminara in 2006. He represents just one of four returning national qualifiers on the 2010-11 squad, a quartet that led many to come in to the season with high expectations for the team.

"This is the first year ever we had four national qualifiers returning so that was exciting for the four of us but obviously coming into a season when you're a returning qualifier, you at least have to get back there and do what you did last year and hopefully more," Hamel said. "From a team standpoint we definitely know that we're up this year and it starts with you wanting to do well individually but hopefully we can all come together and make some strides as a team."

While Hamel has been the model of consistency in the past for the team, it has been at 197 pounds. Coming into the season, Hamel dropped down to a new class, 184 pounds. While he was considered to be smaller for his weight class at 197 pounds, dropping down to his new slot has posed new challenges that Hamel has ably adapted to.

"The biggest difference was my dieting. I wrestled at 197 for four years and I tried my hardest to bulk up and get bigger and I had trouble doing that. We just figured I'd have my best shot at the end of the year if I moved to 184 pounds," Hamel said. "I was very nervous (dropping down in weight) especially since our first dual meet was against Boston and I was picked to go first. We had wrestle-offs before the dual and it gave me confidence that I could wrestle at this weight."

While he might have been nervous going into it, it was the dual in Boston against the Terriers that makes Hamel light up with a smile. For the first time in his college career, Hamel was able to wrestle in front of a captive audience as he had family and friends pack Case Gymnasium at Boston University to root on their hometown product.

"It was closest I had ever wrestled to home since I've been here," Hamel said. "I had my high school wrestling coaches and football coaches, all my friends that go to school in Boston and all my family. There were more Buffalo fans there than Boston fans", he added with a grin.

After the win over the Terriers, Hamel and the Bulls had an even more memorable evening, as the team and the Hamel family welcomed the family of former UB wrestler Jeff Parker to a post-match celebration.

"It was an emotional time and it was a pretty special time," Hamel said as he remembered the night. The Bulls presented the family of Parker, who hail from nearby Foxborough, Massachusetts, with a commemorative hat that will help raise money for the Jeff Parker Foundation and cancer research.

Parker was more than just a teammate for Jimmy – he was a mentor and the impetus for Hamel's arrival to Buffalo in 2006. Parker helped Hamel adjust to the college level of wrestling and college in general. Though his untimely passing last spring affected Hamel, he recognizes just how much the team bonded over its common grief.

"We went through a couple big things with the passing of Jeff Parker. It was tough because he was from back home and he was one of the main reasons why I came to Buffalo. He helped me out more than just as a teammate," Hamel said. "It was tough but it really helped bring the team together and the coaching staff too. A wrestling team in general is closer than most, because we're so miserable together cutting weight and traveling. It's a tough sport and we're the only ones who know what each guy is going through. It has definitely helped us this year."

Beichner echoed Hamel's sentiments, adding, "I think all of us appreciate things a little bit more when you incur a loss. I know Jimmy has felt it and I have too as a coach."

Another thing that has helped has been the wealth of leadership on the team, along with the various types of leaders the team has. Hamel acknowledges that a wrestler like junior Desi Green leads vocally and with his performance on the mat, and Hamel sees himself as someone who keeps his head down and simply goes about his business.

"He's a silent leader," Beasley said. "He doesn't say a whole lot but when he does people listen. He's a natural-born leader and people will follow him because he's a likable guy and he works hard."

"I'm not so much vocal as much as I try to lead by example," Hamel said. "My dad always taught us to keep moving forward no matter what happens, and without that I might not have ever reached 100 wins. I learned it from my brothers too, working back home in landscaping 80 hours a week. It definitely got passed down."

This dogma comes from Hamel's upbringing as the youngest of 12 children, with six brothers and five sisters.

"It's why I chose the sport of wrestling because we always joked that you had to wrestle to get to the dinner table if you wanted to eat," Hamel said.

Having a wealth of older siblings paid dividends for him, as he leaned on them following the passing of his mother. One sibling even helped him hone his wrestling skills and achieve greatness on the highest level of Division I wrestling. His brother Dave wrestled at Division III Norwich University in Vermont from 1994 to 1998. He won 94 career matches and was an All-American after finishing third at the national championships. Dave coached Jimmy at Natick High School and pressed his younger brother to go the extra mile so he could excel in college.

"He was pretty much my partner. Without him I would've never had the success I had in high school," Jimmy said.

That success included a career record of 146-23 to go along with his state championship title. Even with that success, Hamel still admits that he had no idea how successful his time in Buffalo would be.

"Coming from Massachusetts where wrestling really isn't as competitive as it is in New York, Pennsylvania or Ohio, I had no idea. Especially since I was filling (Kyle) Cerminara's shoes, I never expected it at all but I'm happy with how things have gone."

Someone who is arguably happier with how Jimmy has done at Buffalo is his number one fan: his father Joe. From coming with Jimmy on his recruiting trip when first considering Buffalo to seeing him wrestle in his home state last month, Hamel's father has been another motivator to his success on the mat.

"He has meant everything to me. A major part of my success was just trying to make him proud and at times I felt like he was more excited about a win than I was," Hamel said with a smile. "He raised twelve kids which is no easy feat and he has always been my biggest fan and by far the one person I hope to make proud more than anyone else."

Beichner said he is thankful for the opportunity to mesh the Buffalo wrestling family with Jimmy's.

"It's a tremendous family and you would be hard-pressed to find a closer, better group of people than the Hamel family," Beichner said. "Every single Hamel we met was like a duplicate of Jimmy. They're all very gracious and good people and it's a family we're lucky to be a part of."

While the team approaches the midway point of the season, Hamel conveys the feeling that once his career as a Bull comes to a close, his home-away-from-home sickness may lead to an extended career at Buffalo. If – of course – he's asked.

"I'd like to stick around here and maybe become an assistant coach. I would like to help out the program since it's up and coming," Hamel said.

For Beichner, it's an intriguing thought.

"When somebody wants to stick around and stay, it means the community is nice, the school is great and your team is doing the right things," Beichner said. "We'd be lucky and would love to have Jimmy stay in Buffalo after this year because he's just one of those people you can just count on and he's a good person. You'd be crazy to not want him back here in Buffalo."

Weekend Preview Parts 2 & 3

***REMINDER: TOMORROW'S DUALS WILL BE BROADCAST FREE ON LIVESPORTSVIDEO.COM***


Weekend Preview Part 2

Drexel Preview

We beat Drexel 27-15 last year at East Stroudsburg.  Drexel leads the all-time series over UB 5-4 but we plan to make it an even 5-5 this weekend.  Here is a look at their young and solid team.

125 pounds – Michael Gomez (senior) has started both of the last two years and is hoping to finish his career with a bang.

133 pounds – Frank Cimato (redshirt sophomore) placed last month at the Body Bar Tournament.  Frank currently has the third most wins on the team with seven wins.  He went 17-5 as a redshirt, won a tournament and placed in the top three in four of the five tournaments that he competed in last year.  As a true freshman, he was named the CAA Rookie of the week and won 15 bouts on the year.

141 pounds – Josh Yurasits (sophomore) finished 3-2 at the 29^th Annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.  He has 6 wins so far this season, including four major decisions and a technical fall.  He is a returning starter.

149 pounds – Austin Sommer (freshman) is the reigning CAA Rookie of the Month and the Drexel University Athlete of the Week.  He won the Body Bar Tournament last month at Cornell.  He ranks second on the team with 8 wins so far this season.  Sommer is a very talented wrestler that placed three times at the Beast of the East, twice at the Pennsylvania State Championship, and was a Junior National All-American.

157 pounds – Charles Aungst (redshirt sophomore) is a two year starter.

165 pounds – Joe Booth (redshirt sophomore) took 4^th place at the prestigious 29^th Annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational last weekend, which included wins over top 20 ranked Nelson of Oklahoma and Civan of Columbia.  He leads the team in wins with nine so far this season.  Last year, Booth was the CAA Rookie of the Year, 2^nd at the Body Bar Invitational, 2^nd at the CAA Conference Tournament, qualified for the NCAA National Tournament, was named CAA Rookie of the Week four times, and finished the year with a 22-9 record.   Booth is ranked in the top 15 in the national rankings.  Intermatwrestle.com and d1collegewrestling.net both have him ranked in the #15 spot.  Theopenmat.com ranks him at #13.

174 pounds – Shawn Fausey (redshirt junior) and Justin Wieller (senior) have both been in the line-up for Drexel this year at both 174 and 184 pounds.  They have also co-started the last couple of years.  Fausey has five wins so far this season.  This is Fausey’s third season as a starter for Drexel.  He has started this year at both 174 and 184 pounds.  Wieller has won fourteen, seventeen, and seventeen matches in each of his first three seasons and placed 4^th in the CAA Championships.  In our dual with Drexel last year, Wieller picked up a win at 184 pounds.

184 pounds – Jamie Callender (freshman) was named to the CAA All-Rookie Team to start the season.  He is 2-1 so far this year with his wins coming by pin and a major decision.  He was a great recruit for Drexel last year and was ranked in the top ten in the country.  He was a two time Pennsylvania State Finalist, a Pennsylvania State Champion, a Super 32 Champion, and a Beast of the East Runner-Up.

197 pounds – Brandon Palik (redshirt freshman) is coming off a strong 8^th place finish at the 29^th Annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, which included a win over top 20 ranked Casperson of Boise State.  Palik is ranked as the #24 wrestler in the country at 197 pounds by d1collegewrestling.net.  He has six wins so far this year, including a team leading three pins.  Palik redshirted last year with a 17-6 record while winning a tournament and placing in four of the five tournaments that he wrestled. In high school, he was a Pennsylvania State Champion, 4^th at Fargo Junior Freestyle Nationals, and an NHSCA National Champion.

285 pounds – Kyle Frey (senior), Max Wright (freshman), and Jack Callander (redshirt sophomore) are the possible starters.  Frey has yet to compete this season but is very tough and has been in the national rankings during his career.  Frey finished last season with an impressive 29-2 record after racking up 27 victories the year before.  As a sophomore, he was a CAA Runner-Up but was injured and unable to compete at the conference tournament last year due to injury.  Frey also placed 3^rd at the Body Bar Tournament and 8^th at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational last year.  Wright currently sits at 1-6 on the young season. Wright was a New England Champion and two-time National Prep All-American in high school.  Callander won 13 matches last year, placed at the Body Bar invitational, named to the CAA All-Rookie Team, and placed in the CAA Championships.

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Weekend Preview Part 3

East Stroudsburg University Preview

East Stroudsburg is ranked 18^th in the country in NCAA Division II and have two individuals ranked in the top 8 in the NCAA Division II poll.  Also, they are ranked 3^rd as a team in Super Region One (their national qualifying tournament).  They return seven starters from last year’s squad.

125 pounds – Chris Carpenter (sophomore) has been their starter at 125 pounds this season.

133 pounds – Andrew Arnold (redshirt junior) and Jordan Toledo (freshman) are ESU’s two options here.  Arnold had 17 wins last year and lead the team with pins (8) and bonus point wins (14).  Last season he placed in the PSAC Championships and he is a former Pennsylvania State Champion.  Toledo is a local product for ESU that was a Pennsylvania State Place Winner last year.

141 pounds – Adam Hluschak is ESU’s highest ranked wrestler.  He is ranked 5^th in the country at the Division II level.  He finished in the top 12 at the NCAA Division II national Tournament last year, where he beat the 6^th seeded wrestler.  Also, he was the Super Region One runner-up last year and is currently ranked 1^st in the Super Region.  He finished 6^th at the Mat Town Open this season.  Last season he placed at the PSAC Championships, ESU Open, Wilkes Open, and the Super Region One Tournament.  He won 21 matches last year with 10 of those wins coming with bonus points.  This is his third season as a starter at ESU.  He is coming off a 4^th place finish at the PSAC Championships last weekend and is tied for the second most wins on the team with 8.  His has wrestling in his blood as his brother was a two-time  NCAA Division I All-American.

149 pounds – Eddie Stephenson (junior) and Tyler Wilton (sophomore) are ESU’s co-starters.  Stephenson is in his second year as a starter at ESU.  He won nine matches last year, including 6 dual meet wins.

157 pounds – ESU could go with either Brock Parker (redshirt sophomore) or Frank Baer (sophomore) in this weight class.  Parker transferred to East Stroudsburg from Lock Haven University this year.  Parker was arguably Lock Haven’s best grappler and the same can be said now at ESU.  Parker is incredibly talented and is ranked 8^th in Division II.  Last year, he won the PSAC Championships beating both NCAA Division I All-American Torsten Gillespie and top 20 ranked Josh Roosa of Bloomsburg.  He finished last season with an 11-4 record.  He is ranked 1^st in Super Region One.  He is coming off a 4^th place finish at the PSAC Championships last weekend.  He is a former Pennsylvania State Champion.  Baer placed 4^th at the Messiah Open last year, which was his best outing of the season.

165 pounds – Thad Frick (redshirt junior) and Jesse Dunn (senior) are two good options for ESU.  Frick is ranked 4^th in Super Region One.  He has been named the ESU Athlete of the Week this year and placed 2^nd in the tough East Stroudsburg Open earlier this year.  He ranked 2^nd on the team in wins last year with 25.  He is a captain for ESU and went 12-4 in dual meets last season.  He placed at both the Wilkes Open and the Super Region One Tournament last year.  Two years ago, he finished in the top 12 at the prestigious Southern Scuffle.  He comes from a family of wrestlers as his father and brother were both All-Americans at Lehigh.  This is his third season as a starter.  Dunn is ranked 6^th in Super Region One and took 5^th at the Mat Town Open this season.  Coming into his senior year, he had started in 26 duals during his career at ESU, highlighted by pinning 2X NACC Division I National Qualifier and top 20 ranked Matt Cathell of Kent State.

174 pounds – Jeff Jacobs (redshirt senior) is ranked 5^th in Super Region One.  Jacobs is now a three-year starter.  He won 22 matches last year and 15 the year before.  He is coming off a 6^th place finish at the PSAC Championships last weekend.  In past years, he has placed in the Wilkes Open, the PSAC Championships, and the ESU Open.  He leads the team in career wins.

184 pounds – Brendan McKeown (redshirt freshman) placed a solid 3^rd at the East Stroudsburg Open early this season with big wins over Kadeem Samuels of Lehigh (2010 UB Open Champion) and Fred Garcia of Lock Haven (PSU Open 3^rd place finisher).  He is coming off a 5^th place finish from the PSAC Championships last weekend.  He leads the team with 9 wins.  Last year he placed 2^nd at the Messiah Open.

197 pounds – Justin Gonzalez (junior) finished 3^rd at the Mat Town Open this season.  He also was the runner-up at the Messiah Open.

Ed Ebewo (redshirt junior) is ranked 4^th in Super Region One.  He won 18 matches last year and beat an NCAA Division II All-American (Scott Snyder of Kutztown) last year.  He is coming off a 6^th place finish at the PSAC Championships this past weekend.  He placed 3^rd at the ESU Open and 6^th at the PSAC Championships last season.

285 pounds – Will Weaver (sophomore) took 5^th at the ESU Open this season and is in his second year as a starter.  He won 11 matches last year and is a full-sized heavyweight.  He is tied for 2^nd on the team in wins with eight.

Weekend Dual Preview Part 1

The next three days I will preview line-ups for each of the three teams that we will wrestle on Sunday.  We wrestle Bloomsburg at 11:00 AM, Drexel immediately after at approximately 1:00 PM, and then East Stroudsburg at approximately 3:00 PM.  All three dual meet will be web-streamed for free on livesportsvideo.com.

Bloomsburg Preview

We lost a heart-breaking 16-21 match to Bloomsburg last year that we plan to avenge this year.  UB leads the all-time series with Bloomsburg 7-3-1.  Bloomsburg is coming off a solid showing at the PSAC Championships where they edged nationally ranked Edinboro for 2^nd place.  Bloomsburg is currently 5-2 on the year.

125 pounds – Sean Boylan (freshman) is a very talented freshman that was a top 100 recruit in the country, a three-time state champion, four-time Beast of the East place winner, FILA Cadet Champion, and Super 32 Champion.  So far this year, he has placed 4^th at the Navy Classic and 2^nd in the PSAC Championships with eight wins.

133 pounds – Nick Wilcox (freshman) was a three-time New York State Champion, four-time New York State Finalist, and a four-time Fargo Freestyle and Greco-Roman All-American.  Wilcox won the PSAC Championship and placed 4^th at the Navy Classic this year.  He currently has eleven wins this season.

141 pounds – Derek Shingara (freshman) is having a great freshman year with ten wins so far this year.  He won the PSAC Championship and finished 4^th at the Navy Classic.

149 pounds – Josh Roosa (redshirt sophomore) has been nationally ranked and placed 2^nd at the Navy Classic this year.  Last year, he took 3^rd at the Navy Classic, 5^th at the EWL Championships, and 1^st at the PSAC Championships with 20 wins.  Last year, he upset us in the dual and we will be looking to avenge that loss in the rematch.  He has also won the Michigan State Open and placed 5^th at the University National Championships.

157 pounds – Frank Hickman (redshirt sophomore) had a good year last year and was ranked in the top 25 in the country.    He won the PSAC Championships, placed 6^th at the Southern Scuffle, and went 17-4 on the year.   This year, he has placed 3^rd at both the Navy Classic and the PSAC Championships with 11 wins.

165 pounds – Josh Veltre (sophomore) is enjoying a breakout sophomore year.  He currently has nine wins on the year.  He placed 2^nd in the PSAC Championships beating NCAA Division II National Champion Shields and losing a tight 1-2 match in the finals to a nationally ranked wrestler from Clarion.  Last year he won the National Collegiate Open.

174 pounds – Mike Dessino (sophomore) has an 11-3 record so far this year.  He won the PSAC Championship and finished 3^rd at the Navy Classic this year.  Last year he won 20 matches.

184 pounds – Nate Graham (redshirt senior) is a nationally ranked wrestler.  He is ranked 21^st by d1collegewrestling.net and has been ranked in the top 20 by intermatwrestle.com, theopenmat.com, and WIN Magazine.  He was a national qualifier last year after finishing 2^nd in the EWL Tournament.  He is a four-time PSAC top three place winner (1^st, 2^nd, 2^nd, and 3^rd), Buffalo Open Runner-Up, Body Bar and Michigan State Open place winner.  He finished at 27-11 last year and the PSAC Wrestler of the Week currently has a 10-3 record on the year.

197 pounds – Rich Perry (redshirt freshman) finished 4^th at the Navy Classic and has seven wins so far this season.

285 pounds – Zach Walsh (redshirt senior) won 18 matches last year and placed in both the EWL and PSAC Championships.  This year he has nine wins and placed at both the PSAC Championships and the Navy Classic.

There should be a lot of great matches in the dual, highlighted by two top 20 wrestlers battling at both 149 and 184 pounds.

MAC Wrestler of the Week - Kevin Smith

BUFFALO, NY - Fresh off a second place finish at the Penn State Open Sunday, junior Kevin Smith was named the Mid American Conference wrestler of the week for the week of November 29 to December 5, the Mid-American Conference announced from its offices in Cleveland this morning. The award is the Mexico, NY native's second in his career and second in a month's time.
Smith had a terrific outing Sunday, starting the day with four straight wins before falling in the championship match at 133 pounds at the Penn State Open. The Exercise Science major took down wrestlers from Navy, Bloomsburg, Maryland and North Carolina en route to his runner-up finish. Smith's third win of the day gave him 70 for his career and he now has 13 wins of the season.
The team will get a shot to improve on its 1-1 dual meet record as it will take on Drexel, Bloomsburg and East Stroudsburg in an all-day dual meet round robin hosted by Bloomsburg. The quad-meet will kick off next Sunday at 9 am as Smith will look to continue his steady rise in the Buffalo record books.