Ohio Sneaks Past Buffalo With Late Decision

ATHENS, OH - The Buffalo wrestling team opened Mid American Conference play Saturday evening at Ohio. Despite a comeback from an early deficit, the Bulls could not hold off the host Bobcats, losing 16-15 on a decision in the final match.

It was a typical conference face-off, with each team earning five wins. The difference ended up being in the 141-pound match, with Germane Lindsey earning a four point major decision over Chris Conti. The Bulls came achingly close to winning the dual, falling just a point short at 133 (Kevin Smith won 11-4) and 149 (Desi Green won 10-3). If either or both wrestlers had earned just one more point, they would have earned a major decision and bonus points.

Aside from Smith and Green, Mark Lewandowski won his 157-pound bout 4-0, John-Martin Cannon won at 165 3-2 and Jimmy Hamel won 4-3 at 184 pounds. The Bulls led 15-10 following Hamel's win, but Ohio won the following two matches to overtake Buffalo.

The Bulls are now 7-6 overall and 0-1 in the MAC. The team will return home for a match next Sunday against Kent State, who are currently ranked seventeenth in the nation. Match time is set for 1 pm. 

Results

125-Gabe Ramos (Ohio) dec. Sean Walton (UB), 10-9 (Ohio leads 3-0)

133-Kevin Smith (UB) dec. Gavin Moore (Ohio), 11-4 (Meet tied 3-3)

141-#20 Germane Lindsey (Ohio) maj. dec. Chris Conti (UB), 15-5 (Ohio leads 7-3)

149-#16 Desi Green (UB) dec. Darrin Boing (Ohio), 10-3 (Ohio leads 7-6)

157-Mark Lewandowski (UB) dec. Chris Kline (Ohio), 4-0 (UB leads 9-7)

165-John-Martin Cannon (UB) dec. Steve Wilson (Ohio), 3-2 (UB leads 12-7)

174-Nick Purdue (Ohio) dec. Ron Majerus (UB), 10-5 (UB leads 12-10)

184-Jimmy Hamel (UB) dec. Ryan Garringer (Ohio), 4-3 (UB leads 15-10)

197-#16 Erik Schuth (Ohio) dec. Josh Peters (UB), 10-6 (UB leads 15-13)

HWT-#20 Jeremy Johnson (Ohio) dec. Brett Correll (UB), 4-2 (Ohio wins 16-15)

Coach Beasley's Pre-Match Notes

The match starts at 7pm tonight and will be web streamed live for free on livesportsvideo.com.

125 - Walton will battle Ramos. Ramos is a returning MAC runner-up and NCAA alternate last year.  He hasn't wrestled a lot this year but he is funky and capable of scoring a lot of points if he gets on a roll.  Ramos is 6-3 on the season.

133 - Smith will wrestle Moore.  Moore spots a 14-9 record with five of those victories coming at the Cleveland State Open.

141 - Conti will take on returning All-American Lindsey.  Lindsey placed 6th last year at the National Tournament and is very tough to score on.  He has been ranked in the top 20 all season long.  He is 20-5 so far this year.

149 - Green  will probably wrestle Boing.  Most of the season, Boing has been the back-up behind Lindsey at 141 but has successfully moved up to 149 and is competing well at the weight.  He is 12-9 currently.

157 - Lewandsowki either Kline or Gordon tonight. Gordon is 5-10 and Kline is 3-9.

165 - Cannon will take on Wilson.  Wilson has struggle a bit this year and is 6-10 currently.

174 - Majerus will have Purdue.  Purdue was a National Qualifier last season and has been ranked in the top 20 all season.  Purdue is very good when he's aggressive on his feet.  He is 20-6 on the season.

184 - Hamel will open the MAC season against Garringer.  Garringer won both of his matches last weekend and comes into tonight on a bit of a roll.  He's a redshirt freshman.  He is 12-9 and won the Michigan State Open.

197 - Peters will return to our line-up against reigning MAC Champion Schuth.  Schutt has been ranked in the top 10 in the country, is a couple of time national qualifier, and was a Reno finalist.  He sports a 14-2 record.  He is very tough on top.

Hwt - Correll will have Johnson.  Johnson leads OU in wins with 24.  He is ranked in the top 20 and was on the junior world team this past summer.  He is 24-7.

UB Takes On Ohio in Opening MAC Dual

Our match with Ohio University will be live tomorrow on livesportsvideo.com.  Ohio Univeristy is broadcasting the match for free on Live Sports Video.  Check out our first MAC Dual of the season.  We start at 7PM tomorrow evening.  Also, tomorrow, I will provide a preview of tomorrow’s match on the blog.


-Coach Beasley

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

UB Wrestlers Invade Virginia

The team will compete at the Virginia Duals tomorrow and Saturday.  We have the Virginia Cavaliers first round at 11AM.  Then, we will have either Michigan or Liberty at 3PM.  All of our dual meets this weekend will be web-cast for FREE on livesportsvideo.com.

Here is a look at Virginia...

125 pounds is Snyder, an ACC Runner-up that is ranked in the top 20 in the country with a 11-3 record, including 9-1 in dual meets.  Fun fact: he is also Coach Beasley's future brother-in-law.  At 133 pounds, UVA has Spisak.  He is a very talented freshman that was a Pennsylvania State Champion and four-time place winner that has a current record of 13-6.  The starter at 141 is Sako, who is ranked nationally.  He won two Ohio State Titles, was a three-time finalist, and holds a currently has 13 wins on the season.  The 149 pounder Valenti, has been ranked in the top 20, was a National Qualifier last year, and won matches at the national tournament.  He has 10 wins on the season and was 3rd at the ACC last season.  At 157 pounds, they have returning National Qualifier (he won a match at the national tournament) and top 20 ranked Harris. He has a current record of 13-6 and was 3rd in the ACC last year.  The starter at 165 pounds could either be Moore (who has yet to wrestle this season) or Miller.  Moore redshirted last season but had a great year the season before that.  He finished 3rd in the ACC, was nationally ranked, and qualified for nationals.  Miller is a freshman that was a two-time Virginia State Champion and four-time place winner that has 9 wins so far this season.  Leading their team is Henrich at 174 pounds.  He took 3rd at the National Tournament last season and 7th at nationals the previous year.  He has been ranked 2nd most of the season.  He is a three-time National Qualifier, three-time ACC finalist, and two-time ACC Champion.  UVA has Fausey at 184 pounds.  He has been ranked in the top 20 all season and currently has a record of 14-3 and a 9-1 dual meet mark.  They have two possible wrestlers that are looking to start at 197 pounds:  Salopek and Coggins.  Salopek is ranked in the top 20 in the country and is a returning ACC Champion.  He has seen limited action this season and has a 5-2 record.  Coggins is a true freshman from Long Island that won the New York State Championship last year.  Their heavyweight, Danilkowicz, is a returning National Qualifier that won matches at the national tournament.  He is nationally ranked and holds a 13-6 record.  He took 3rd in the ACC last season.  They have a well balanced team and it should make for an exciting dual meet.

Lewandowski and Hamel Honored

Mark Lewandowski was recognized at the UB Athlete of the week this week and Jimmy Hamel was recognized at the MAC Wrestler of the week after his performance at Reno.

Here are the notes on Mark's recognition...
Mark Lewandowski of the wrestling team scored a major decision over Binghamton's Matt Kaylor as UB defeated the Bearcats, 24-12. Lewandowski, a redshirt sophomore, defeated Kaylor, Binghamton's returning national qualifier, 11-2, as the Bulls scored wins in six of 10 matches. For the season, Lewandowski, wrestling at 157 pounds, is 20-10 overall and 4-1 in dual meets. 

Here are the notes on Jimmy's recognition...

Following a six-win effort at the Reno Tournament of Champions Sunday, senior Jimmy Hamel was named the conference's wrestler of the week for December 6-12, the Mid-American Conference announced from its offices in Cleveland this morning. This is Hamel's third weekly honor in his time with the team.

Hamel had an impressive day at Reno, finishing third overall after losing only one match and winning six others. The Natick, MA native opened the day with a wins over Ty Vinson of Oregon State and Spence Patrick of Stanford by decision before his first loss. He battled through the wrestle-backs, starting with a win over the third-seed in the tournament, Austin Trotman of Appalachian State. He then won a 3-2 decision over Mac Mancuso of West Virginia and a 5-3 decision over Taylor Meeks of North Carolina to set up a rematch with Jason McCroskey of Chattanooga, who had handed him his only loss of the tournament. Hamel took a 5-3 decision to end his day on a high note.

He is now 20-9 for the season and his 108 career wins moved him in to sole possession of third place in program history, passing Mark Budd. Hamel needs only six more wins to move to the number two position as Gary Cooper currently holds the spot with 113 wins.

The team will take a week off before facing Binghamton and the United States Merchant Marine Academy to ring in the New Year Jan. 2. Buffalo currently sits at 3-2 in dual meets and hopes to get an important win over the Bearcats who are receiving votes in the most recent NWCA/ USA Today wrestling top 25.

Bulls Down Binghamton, 24-12

VESTAL, NY - The Buffalo Bulls wrestling team opened the New Year in a big way Sunday afternoon, registering a 24-12 win over regional rival Binghamton. The team rode the effort of three wrestlers who earned major decisions to upset the Bearcats, who came into the dual meet receiving votes in the most recent NWCA/USA Today coaches poll.

After a forfeit at 125 pounds, junior Kevin Smith earned a major decision at 133 pounds with a 13-3 win over Dan Riggi. His 21-8 record this season is a team best for overall wins.

Teammate Andrew Schutt found equal success, earning an 8-0 major decision over Brian Guilfoyle in his match to extend the Bulls' lead. Mark Lewandowski had the team's other major decision after recording an 11-2 win in his 157-pound match, taking down Matt Kaylor.

"After Desi (Green) had a tough loss, Mark comes in and beats a wrestler who is a returning national qualifier by major decision and that really is where we got started," head coach Jim Beichner said about the Depew, NY native's big win.

In other action, sophomore Josh Peters won 9-5 at 197 pounds over Cody Reed.

"His attitude in training has increased significantly and he's starting to believe. He's big, he's strong and he knows how to wrestle, but he's now starting to believe in himself," Beichner said. "That's the biggest thing because we really need him and he's a significant part of the team thus far."

Classmate Brett Correll brought home the team's win with a 3-0 win in his heavyweight bout against Matt Berretta. Peters, Correll and Lewandowski all won their fourth dual match of the year Sunday afternoon, a mark that puts the sophomore trio as the team leaders in duals action.

"Today we looked 100 percent better than we have been and we hope to build off of that and get better," Beichner added.

The team now sits at 4-2 and has won three straight dual meets. It will now head South for the Virginia Duals, hosted by Hampton University. Buffalo will face the Cavaliers of Virginia in its first match, with the winner moving on to face either Liberty or Michigan. The duals tournament will begin at 11 am Friday, with each team having two dual meets on Friday and another two on Saturday.

Buffalo 24, Binghamton 12
125: Sean Walton (BUF) forfeit 
133: Kevin Smith (BUF) maj. dec. Dan Riggi (BU) 13-3
141: Andrew Schutt (BUF) maj. dec. Brian Guilfoyle (BU) 8-0
149: Donnie Vinson (BU) dec. #13 Desi Green (BUF) 3-2 
157: Mark Lewandowski (BUF) maj. dec. Matt Kaylor (BU) 11-2
165: Justin Lister (BU) dec. John-Martin Cannon (BUF) 4-2
174: Ryan McGarity (BU) dec. Brian Sheehan (BUF) 6-1
184: #9 Nate Schiedel (BU) dec. #19 James Hamel (BUF) 3-0
197: Josh Peters (BUF) dec. Cody Reed (BU) 9-5
285: Brett Correll (BUF) dec. Matt Berretta (BU) 3-0

Here is the link:  http://www.buffalobulls.com/sports/wrest/2010-11/releases/20110102f8c521.

UB Blasts Past Binghamton

Our team wrestled really well yesterday at Binghamton, in a match we dominated 24-12.  We beat them for the fourth time in the last five years.  Binghamton was receiving votes in the latest Intermatwrestle.com/NWCA National Team Rankings, which puts them in the top 30.  We moved to 4-2 as a team this season.

Here is the breakdown...
We started the match at 149 pounds, where Desi Green lost a heart-breaker to nationally ranked Vinson by a point.  Desi is looking to bounce-back to old form this weekend at the Virginia Duals.  I think we will all see a much better performance out of Desi this weekend.  At 157 pounds, Mark Lewandowski dominated nationally ranked Kaylor.  Kaylor has been ranked in the top 20 all season and Mark out-wrestled him from the opening whistle.  Mark got offensive right away and never looked back in a very solid 11-2 major decision victory.  At 165, John-Martin Cannon was again the aggressor (which was the case throughout the dual meet) and set a high pace in his match against returning All-American, Lister.  He was the aggressor and scored the only takedown in the match.  In the third overtime, Cannon got deep on a single, lifted, and threw Lister to his back but did not end up finishing the takedown.  Lister came-back to score on a double leg.  At 174 and 184, we dropped close, hard-fought bouts to two nationally ranked grapplers.  Josh Peters got us back on track at 197 pounds.  Josh controlled the match and we didn't look back as a team.  Brett Correll picked up a solid win at heavyweight.  Sean Walton was awarded a win by forfeit at 125 pounds.  We finished the match with major decision victories at 133 and 141 pounds.  Kevin Smith dominated his match at 133 pounds by scoring several takedowns.  Andrew Schutt finished off the match with a major decision and nearly a fall at 141 pounds.  Overall it was a solid outing by the Bulls.

Coach Beasley

Binghamton Dual Live Video

Today's dual meet at Binghamton University will be broadcast live on LiveSportsVideo  The dual meet can be watched FREE at www.livesportsvideo.com.  Although Binghamton is not currently ranked by Intermat, they are receiving votes.  Returning All-American Justin Lister leads the squad along with 4 other returning National Qualifiers.  The match begins at 4pm. Go Bulls!