UB Press Release: NYS Day 1 Recap

VESTAL, NY - Three Buffalo grapplers are still in contention for individual championships after the conclusion of day one at the New York State Intercollegiate Championships, hosted by Binghamton University.

Andrew Schutt had a busy first day as the sixth seed, having to win three straight matches just to make the semifinals of the 141-pound bracket. Schutt defeated Mike Nevinger of Cornell in the first round then pinned Tim Coughlin of Niagara County Community College in round two. To earn a spot in the semis, Schutt won a decision over number three seed Anwar Goeres of Binghamton. He'll face Casey Thome of Army in his first match tomorrow.

As the number one seed in the 133-pound bracket, junior Kevin Smith had a comparatively easier time making his way to the semifinals, winning a 6-2 decision over John Miller of Nassau County. Tomorrow he will face Seth Ecker of Ithaca tomorrow with the hopes of winning it all.

The final Bull still in championship contention is senior Jimmy Hamel, who has been the team's high scorer today as he has stomped his way in to the semifinals of the 184-pound bracket. He opened with a pin of Alex Meyers of Cornell and then a 14-3 major decision of Brian Kramer of Oneonta in the next round. His ticket to the semis was punched with yet another major decision, this time over Bobby Doyle of Army. With the top four seeds all still alive in his bracket, however, the road to the championship will be a stacked one for Hamel, who is looking to head in to conference action on a high note.

The tournament features wrestlers from schools all across the state, from Division I to Division III as well as junior colleges. After day one, Columbia leads the way with host Binghamton in second. Buffalo sits in fifth place and is resting many of its main starters in preparation for the Mid American Conference opener next weekend at Ohio. Day two of the NYS Championships will begin at 10 am tomorrow.

Second Annual Takedown Cancer Event Info Released

The University at Buffalo athletic department, in conjunction with the Bulls' wrestling program, are moving forward with its second annual Takedown Cancer event which will culminate in the Bulls facing rival Northern Illinois on Sunday, February 20 at 1 pm at Alumni Arena.

Last year's event exceeded all expectations by raising over $35,000 for former Bulls wrestler Jeff Parker, who was battling cancer, as well as Carly's Club in Buffalo, the pediatric cancer unit of Roswell Park. Parker, who hailed from Foxborough, MA, was a UB captain, vice-president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at UB and a scholar-athlete who won over 70 matches for the Bulls. He lost his courageous battle to cancer on May 22, 2010 at the age of 25. 

Sales are already underway for three major fundraising initiatives for this year's event: a New Era 5950 hat that honors the memory of Parker, raffle tickets that sell for $10 each and feature a grand prize of a 58" television set, and pledge forms that will allow people to donate for the number of takedowns the Bulls will compile in the match against Northern Illinois are all available at a website devoted to the event that can be found here. 

In addition, the Parker 5950 hats and the raffle tickets will be on sale in Alumni Arena at both the UB Ticket Office and the Recreation and Intramurals Office (Room 130) during regular business hours. Cash and checks will be accepted at both locations. 

The day of the event will feature a huge raffle with numerous autographed items from the world of sports as well as numerous gift certificates and prizes from local vendors as well as long-sleeve t-shirts commemorating the second annual event. 

"Last year's event went above and beyond my wildest expectations and showed us again how caring and giving Western New York and the wrestling community is," said UB head coach Jim Beichner. "With Jeff's tragic passing in the past year, our resolve is even greater to make this event bigger and better and raise even more to assist cancer research and make a difference in both the Buffalo and Boston communities. We hope that wrestling and non-wrestling fans alike will join us on Feb. 20 to salute Jeff's life and help us in our quest to Takedown Cancer for good."

UB Press Release: Eight Bulls Ranked in the MAC

CLEVELAND, Ohio- The Mid-American Conference wrestling coaches announced the first January weight class individual rankings in conjunction with the league office today.  The rankings will be released on the second Tuesday of each month throughout the season, with one additional ranking system (two total) in January and February. Eight total wrestlers from Buffalo earned top four ranks with three being recognized as the top in their divisions.

Desi Green comes in at number one at 149 pounds, with the junior holding a 22-5 overall record. John-Martin Cannonearns top billing at 165 pounds after he reached the 20-win plateau for the third straight season. Jimmy Hamel is the final UB wrestler to top their weight, as his 21 wins are third most on the team. 

Kevin Smith is number two at 133 pounds with his team-high 24 wins this season. Breakout sophomore Mark Lewandowskimoved in to third place at 157 pounds and will look to rise even higher in the closing months of the season.

Other wrestlers coming in ranked are Andrew Schutt (141 pounds), Brian Sheehan (174) and Josh Peters (197), who are all ranked fourth in their respective weight divisions.

In the team standings, it's getting crowded at the top, with the coaches separating teams two through four by only two points. Buffalo is currently holding steady with a projected third-place finish, but with many young wrestlers coming into their own it should prove to be an exciting finish in one of the nation's toughest wrestling conferences.

2010-11

125 – 1. Nic Bedelyon (KSU); 2. Gabe Ramos (OU); 3. Christian Cullinan (CMU); 4. Jared Germaine (EMU).

133 – 1. Scott Sentes (CMU); 2. Kevin Smith (UB); 3. Tyler Small (KSU); 4. Filiberto Colon (EMU).

141 – 1. Germane Lindsey (OU); 2. Tristan DeShazer (NIU); 3. Chase Skonieczny (KSU); 4. Andrew Schutt (UB).

149 – 1. Desi Green (UB); 2. Donnie Corby (CMU); 3. Brad Squire (OU); 4. Marcel Klopton (KSU).

157 – 1. Bryan Deutsch (NIU); 2. Matt Cathell (KSU); 3. Mark Lewandowski (UB); 4. Eric Cubberly (CMU).

165 – 1. John-Martin Cannon (UB); 2. Mike Miller (CMU); 3. Ross Tice (KSU); 4. Kyle Lang (OU).

174 – 1. Ben Bennett (CMU); 2. Nick Purdue (OU); 3. B.J. Johnson (KSU); 4. Brian Sheehan (UB).

184 – 1. Jimmy Hamel (UB); 2. Casey Newburg (KSU); 3. Brad Dieckhaus (NIU); 4. Ryan Garringer (OU).

197 –1. Dustin Kilgore (KSU); 2. Erik Schuth (OU); 3. Nick Whitenburg (EMU); 4. Josh Peters (UB).

HWT – 1. Jared Trice (CMU); 2. Brandon Barlow (KSU); 3. Jeremy Johnson (OU); 4. David Wade (EMU). 

The preseason team rankings were also decided in the same forum.  The six schools were ranked based on the number of first through fourth-place votes that were earned in the individual voting system.  A first-place vote was worth four team points; a second-place vote earned three team points; third-seeded votes were worth two team points, while a fourth-place tally earned that team one point in the team ranking system.  The preseason team rankings for the MAC are as follows:

2010-11 MAC January Rankings

1. Kent State (26)

2. Central Michigan (21)

3. Buffalo (20)

4. Ohio (19)

5. Northern Illinois (9)

6. Eastern Michigan (5)

UB Press Release - Virginia Duals Day 2

Bulls Finish Eighth at Virginia Duals

HAMPTON, VA - The Buffalo wrestling team finished eighth out of 16 teams after finishing the tournament with a 2-3 record. The team routed Rider in its first match 30-9 but fell to Wyoming and Edinboro.

The Bulls won seven of its 10 matches against the Brocs.Sean Walton opened with a decisive pin and the team won four of the first five matches in the meet. Along with Walton's pin, Mark Lewandowski soon after earned a dominating 15-0 technical fall over Rider's Ramon Santiago.Josh Peters won a major decision at 197 pounds and Brett Correll pinned his opponent in the heavyweight division to ice the match.

Next up was Wyoming, a team that had recently finished first at the Reno Tournament of Champions, where the Bulls finished tenth. Buffalo jumped out to an early lead thanks in part to a Kevin Smith pin and a decision for Andrew Schuttand Desi Green. The Cowboys rallied to take a 17-12 lead with two matches remaining and the Bulls still in position to win. Peters lost a bitter overtime match and Brett Correll was injured despite leading for most of the match and lost as well as Wyoming won 23-12.

In the seventh-place match, Buffalo faced Edinboro, a team it will face next Sunday at home. With the team's lineup being shuffled due to fatigue and injuries, it still managed to go up 21-9 thanks to pins from Walton at 125 pounds and Christ Conti at 141, along with a forfeit in the 149 pound match. The Scots won the final four matches to sneak out the win, including a decisive pin of fill in Tyler Peter in the 197 pound match.

The team will head home with a 6-5 overall record in dual meets and will look to rebound in its next match, a rematch with Edinboro Sunday at Alumni Arena. Match time is set for 5 pm, right after the men's basketball game versus Akron.

Match #3 Cons. Round 2: Buffalo defeated Rider 30-9

125 - Sean Walton (Buffalo) over Chuck Zeisloft (Rider) Pin 0:59
133 - Kevin Smith (Buffalo) over Jimmy Kirchner (Rider) Dec 10-5
141 - Andrew Schutt (Buffalo) over Aaron Nestor (Rider) Dec 9-6
149 - Zac Cibula (Rider) over Desi Green (Buffalo) Dec 8-7
157 - Mark Lewandowski (Buffalo) over Ramon Santiago (Rider) TF 15-0
165 - Jim Resnick (Rider) over John-Martin Cannon (Buffalo) Dec 1-0
174 - Rob Morrison (Rider) over Brian Sheehan (Buffalo) Dec 3-0
184 - Jimmy Hamel (Buffalo) over James Brundage (Rider) Dec 4-3
197 - Tyler Peter (Buffalo) over Chris Spagnola (Rider) Maj 12-4
HWT - Brett Correll (Buffalo) over Evan Craig (Rider) Pin 2:45

Match #4 Cons. Semi: Wyoming defeated Buffalo 23-12

125 - Michael Martinez (Wyoming) over Sean Walton (Buffalo) Maj 14-6
133 - Kevin Smith (Buffalo) over Jake Eitzen (Wyoming) Pin 5:36
141 - Andrew Schutt (Buffalo) over Chase Smith (Wyoming) Dec 8-5
149 - Desi Green (Buffalo) over Cole Dallaserra (Wyoming) Dec 5-3
157 - Jimmy Belleville (Wyoming) over Mark Lewandowski (Buffalo) Dec 8-2
165 - Shane Onufer (Wyoming) over John-Martin Cannon (Buffalo) Dec 4-0
174 - Patrick Martinez (Wyoming) over Brian Sheehan (Buffalo) Dec 5-0
184 - Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming) over Jimmy Hamel (Buffalo) Maj 10-0
197 - Lee Helbig (Wyoming) over Tyler Peter (Buffalo) Dec 9-7
HWT - Jack Tennant (Wyoming) over Brett Correll (Buffalo) Dec 12-10

Match #5 7th Place Match: Edinboro defeated Buffalo 24-21

125 - Sean Walton (Buffalo) over Bijan Banks (Edinboro) Pin 1:25
133 - Eric Morrill (Edinboro) over Kevin Smith (Buffalo) Dec 6-3
141 - Chris Conti (Buffalo) over CASEY dAVIS (Edinboro) Pin 2:40
149 - Desi Green (Buffalo) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf 
157 - Johnny Greisheimer (Edinboro) over Mark Lewandowski (Buffalo) Pin 5:46
165 - John-Martin Cannon (Buffalo) over Ethan Saylor (Edinboro) Dec 8-4
174 - Chris Hrunka (Edinboro) over Brian Sheehan (Buffalo) Dec 4-2
184 - Chris Honeycutt (Edinboro) over Jimmy Hamel (Buffalo) Dec 6-1
197 - Shawn Fendone (Edinboro) over Tyler Peter (Buffalo) Pin 2:44
HWT - Ernest James (Edinboro) over Josh Peters (Buffalo) Dec 8-1

UB Press Release - Virginia Duals Day 1 Recap

Bulls Score Early Upset, Earn Split on First Day of Virginia Duals

HAMPTON, VA - Though it faced some of the best teams in the nation, the Buffalo wrestling team came out with a purpose Friday morning and scored a convincing 24-12 upset over Virginia at the 31st Annual Virginia Duals. In the second dual of the day, the Bulls fell to fifteenth ranked Michigan.

The win over the Cavaliers was the second straight over teams receiving votes in the NWCA national top 25 after it beat Binghamton less than a week ago. Virginia came in to the day as the sixth seed in the sixteen-team tournament field and ended up being the only seeded team to be upset.

After the Cavs took an early lead, the Bulls woke up and struck back with a string of decisive wins. Kevin Smith took a 6-3 decision and sophomore Andrew Schutt had the most impressive win of the day by pinning nationally ranked Gus Sako in the 141 pound match to spark the Buffalo run.

Desi Green (5-3), Mark Lewandowski (3-1) and John-Martin Cannon (9-4) also earned decisions to extend Buffalo's lead, and Josh Peters iced it with a 4-2 win over Virginia's Mike Salopek in the 197 pound match. Salopek came in ranked eighteenth in the nation but could not slow down Peters, who is riding a hot streak as of late. Brett Correll had another ranked opponent in his heavyweight match but won 3-1 over Jack Danilkowicz, ranked 27th in the nation.

In its next match, the Bulls drew Michigan, a team ranked by most media outlets in the top 15 in the country and eleventh in the most recent InterMat rankings. The team fell behind early but pulled within striking distance before the Wolverines closed the door and finished Buffalo off for a 29-7 win. Green was the only wrestler for the team to win both of his dual meets as he took a dominating 18-7 major decision. Senior Brian Sheehan also won for the team, taking a 6-2 decision.

Despite the loss, Buffalo can still finish fifth if it can win out in the final two dual meets to be held tomorrow. First up will be a challenging Rider team that routed Chattanooga 33-10 after losing its first match of the day to Kent State. Day two will begin tomorrow morning with the losing team being eliminated and the winning team moving on to face the winner of the Old Dominion and Wyoming match.

Match #1 Champ. Round 1: Buffalo defeated Virginia 24-12

125 - Matt Snyder (Virginia) over Sean Walton (Buffalo) Pin 0:00
133 - Kevin Smith (Buffalo) over Joe Spisak (Virginia) Dec 6-3
141 - Andrew Schutt (Buffalo) over Gus Sako (Virginia) Pin 0:00
149 - Desi Green (Buffalo) over Derek Valenti (Virginia) Dec 5-3
157 - Mark Lewandowski (Buffalo) over Shawn Harris (Virginia) Dec 3-1
165 - John-Martin Cannon (Buffalo) over Conner Miller (Virginia) Dec 9-4
174 - Chris Henrich (Virginia) over Brian Sheehan (Buffalo) Dec 10-4
184 - Jon Fausey (Virginia) over Jimmy Hamel (Buffalo) Dec 8-1
197 - Josh Peters (Buffalo) over Mike Salopek (Virginia) Dec 4-2
HWT - Brett Correll (Buffalo) over Jack Danilkowicz (Virginia) Dec 3-1

Match #2 Quarterfinal: Michigan defeated Buffalo 29-7

125 - Sean Boyle (Michigan) over Sean Walton (Buffalo) Maj 11-0
133 - Zac Stevens (Michigan) over Kevin Smith (Buffalo) Dec 5-2
141 - Kellen Russell (Michigan) over Andrew Schutt (Buffalo) Dec 6-0
149 - Desi Green (Buffalo) over Eric Grajales (Michigan) Maj 18-7
157 - Aaron Hynes (Michigan) over Mark Lewandowski (Buffalo) Dec 6-1
165 - Dan Yates (Michigan) over John-Martin Cannon (Buffalo) Dec 5-2
174 - Brian Sheehan (Buffalo) over Mark Boyer (Michigan) Dec 6-2
184 - Hunter Collins (Michigan) over Jimmy Hamel (Buffalo) Dec 3-2
197 - Anthony Biondo (Michigan) over Josh Peters (Buffalo) Pin 4:49
HWT - Ben Apland (Michigan) over Brett Correll (Buffalo) Maj 14-5