Rutgers Wrestling Set For EIWAs In Philadelphia This Weekend
Mar 06 | Wrestling
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Rutgers wrestling team will head to Philadelphia for the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Championships this weekend. The two-day event will be held at the Palestra and hosted by the University of Pennsylvania.
The championship will kick-off with preliminary rounds from 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Saturday, followed by quarterfinal and consolation rounds until 3:00 p.m. Sunday's competition starts at 10:30 a.m. with semifinal rounds at 10:30 a.m. and the championship bouts in each class slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. later that evening.
The Scarlet Knights are looking to crown their first EIWA champion since Tom Tanis took the title at 184 pounds in 2000. Senior Lamar Brown (Red Bank, N.J.) is the lone returning Scarlet Knight to place in last year's tournament (finished second at 197 pounds), however Brown is redshirting the 2008-09 season and will not compete this year. Senior Mike Whalen (Lake Hiawatha, N.J.) is looking to place for the second time in three years after placing sixth at 174 pounds in the 2007 event.
Whalen is tied for 24th on the Rutgers career wins list with 71 career victories. He has been ranked for several weeks this season at 174 pounds and carries a 20-13 record on the year into the tournament. Whalen will be the No. 8 seed in this weekend's tournament.
Fellow senior Matt Pletcher (Eastampton, N.J.) is 23rd on the Scarlet Knights' all-time wins list with 74 career victories. He is 30-9 on the season at 165 pounds. He will be the No. 4 seed in his weight class in this weekend's tournament.
The Scarlet Knights will bring a young group to this year's EIWA Tournament with six Scarlet Knights in their first or second year of eligibility, including freshmen Matt Fusco (Belleville, N.J.) at 125 pounds, Trevor Melde (Hewitt, N.J.) at 141 pounds and Scott Winston (Jackson, N.J.) at 157 pounds. Sophomores Mike Demarco (Lyndhurst, N.J.), McPaul Ogbonna (East Hanover, N.J.) and D.J. Russo (Netcong, N.J.) will compete at 133, 184 and heavyweight, respectively.
Fusco will be the No. 7 seed at 125 pounds, Melde will be the No. 4 seed at 141 pounds and Russo will be the No. 8 seed in the heavyweight class.
Winston, who missed the last two dual meets of the regular season, comes into the weekend ranked 12th nationally at 157 pounds. He is 34-6 in his first season of collegiate competition. He will be the No. 4 seed in the tournament this weekend.
Junior Kellen Bradley (Newton, N.J.) and senior Karim Mahmoud (Wallington, N.J.) will compete at 149 and 197 pounds, respectively.
For live coverage of the event, log onto www.pennathletics.com.
