Carl Buchholz Leads Six RU Wrestlers at ASICS University Nationals
Apr 25 | Wrestling
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (April 25, 2011) – The Rutgers wrestling team saw a group of six wrestlers travel to Akron, Ohio, to compete in the 2011 ASICS University Nationals Freestyle event this past weekend.
Carl Buchholz (Malvern, Pa.) led the group of Scarlet Knights by placing eighth at 120 kg/264.5 pounds. After receiving a bye in the opening round of the championship bracket, Buchholz downed Conor Sweeney of the Bison Wrestling Club (4-0, 4-0) before falling to Kevin Lester, sending him to the consolation bracket. In the consolation bracket, the rising redshirt sophomore ran off three-straight wins over Patrick Durfee (Pin 0:57), Stryker Lane (2-1, 3-0) and Pat Walker (Pin 1:20) before dropping matches to Tony Nelson and Jacob Mitchell to finish the tournament in eighth place.
Dan Hopkins (Jackson, N.J.) and Dan Seidenberg (Red Bank, N.J.) showed strong for RU at 96 kg/211.5 pounds with both narrowly missing out on placing. Hopkins ran off victories over Dominique Walker (1-0, 3-0) and Levi Morgan (0-1, 1-0, 3-1) in his first two championship bracket matches before falling to eventual champ Chad Hanke in a tightly contested match. The loss to Hanke sent Hopkins to the consolation bracket where he downed Riley Orozes (1-0, 0-1, 3-2) before falling to Tyler Dickinson to end his tournament.
After earning a first round bye, Seidenberg tallied victories over Robert Prigmore (3-0, 1-0) and Matt Powless (Inj.) to advance to the quarterfinals where he would drop a tough match to eventual runner-up Sonny Yohn (1-0, 0-2, 0-2), sending him to the consolation round where he fell to Zac Thomussseit to conclude his run.
Greg Zannetti (Edison, N.J.) represented Rutgers in the 79 kg/174 pound weight class. After dropping a close match to Eric Cubberly in his first championship round bout, Zannetti earned a tech fall over Steve Conn (7-0, 7-0) before dropping a tight match with Purdue’s Luke Manuel (0-1, 0-1) to close out his University Nationals.
At 66kg/145.5 pounds, Billy Ashnault (South Plainfield, N.J.) had a strong run for the Scarlet Knights. Ashnault downed Ryan Hand (4-3, 6-0) in his opening match before losing a tightly contested match with Brennan Brumley, sending him to the consolation bracket. In the consolation bracket, the rising redshirt senior ran off four-consecutive victories over Eric Harris (2-3, 3-2, 6-0), Zach Bintliff (3-3, 4-0), Marcel Clopton (Pin 6-3, 0:14) and Raymond Borja (2-5, 5-5, 5-3) before being defeated by Nathan Hoffer to close out his tournament.
Rounding out competition for RU was Trevor Melde (Hewitt, N.J.) who wrestled at 63 kg/138.75 pounds. Melde started his tournament strong by winning his first three matches in the championship bracket over Joe Colon (4-3, 6-5), Evan Kolb (TF 6-0, 6-0) and Matt Ortega (4-1, 4-1) before falling to eventual tournament runner-up Nick Dardanes in the quarterfinals. The loss to Dardanes sent Melde to the consolation bracket where he would drop a tough match to Garrett Drucker to end his run at University Nationals.
Rutgers finished the 2010-11 season with a school-record 21 dual wins and No. 9 national ranking. The Scarlet Knights also saw a school-record nine wrestlers place at the 107th EIWA Championships, including a champion in Winston, and sent a school record tying eight wrestlers to the NCAA Championship. The future looks bright for RU as it will return seven starters and eight NCAA qualifiers for the 2011-12 season.
2011 ASICS Univ. Natl-Men FS Results for Rutgers
FS 63 KG / 138.75 lbs
Champ. Round 1 - Trevor Melde (Rutgers) won by decision over Joe Colon (Clear Lake) (Dec 4-3,6-5)
Champ. Round 2 - Trevor Melde (Rutgers) won by tech fall over Evan Kolb (Mat Town USA) (TF 6-0,6-0)
Champ. Round 3 - Trevor Melde (Rutgers) won by decision over Matt Ortega (Hoosier Wrestling Club) (Dec 4-1,4-1)
Quarterfinal - Nick Dardanes (Minnesota Storm) won by pin over Trevor Melde (Rutgers) (Pin 5-3,0:59)
Cons. Round 6 - Garrett Drucker (NWRTC) won by pin over Trevor Melde (Rutgers) (Pin 0-6,1:55)
FS 66 KG / 145.5 lbs
Champ. Round 1 - Billy Ashnault (Rutgers) won by decision over Ryan Hand (Viking Wrestling Club) (Dec 4-3,6-0)
Champ. Round 2 - Brennan Brumley (HRWA) won by decision over Billy Ashnault (Rutgers) (Dec 1-0,1-1)
Cons. Round 2 - Billy Ashnault (Rutgers) won by decision over Eric Harris (Bison Wrestling Club) (Dec 2-3,3-2,6-0)
Cons. Round 3 - Billy Ashnault (Rutgers) won by decision over Zach Bintliff (Princeton University) (Dec 3-3,4-0)
Cons. Round 4 - Billy Ashnault (Rutgers) won by pin over Marcel Clopton (Golden Pride Wrestling Club) (Pin 6-3,0:14)
Cons. Round 5 - Billy Ashnault (Rutgers) won by decision over Raymond Borja (Navy Mat Club) (Dec 2-5,5-5,5-3)
Cons. Round 6 - Nathan Hoffer (SUNKIST KIDS) won by pin over Billy Ashnault (Rutgers) (Pin 1-2,0:53)
FS 79 KG / 174 lbs
Champ. Round 1 - Eric Cubberly (Central Michigan Wrestling Clu) won by decision over Greg Zannetti (Rutgers) (Dec 0-1,2-0,2-1)
Cons. Round 1 - Greg Zannetti (Rutgers) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 - Greg Zannetti (Rutgers) won by tech fall over Steve Conn (Cougar WC) (TF 7-0,7-0)
Cons. Round 3 - Luke Manuel (Purdue Unattached) won by decision over Greg Zannetti (Rutgers) (Dec 1-0,1-0)
FS 96 KG / 211.5 lbs
Champ. Round 1 - Dan Seidenberg (Rutgers) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Dan Seidenberg (Rutgers) won by decision over Robert Prigmore (chattanooga wrestling club) (Dec 3-0,1-0)
Champ. Round 3 - Dan Seidenberg (Rutgers) won by injury default over Matt Powless (Hoosier Wrestling Club) (Inj.)
Quarterfinal - Sonny Yohn (Minnesota Storm) won by decision over Dan Seidenberg (Rutgers) (Dec 0-1,2-0,2-0)
Cons. Round 6 - Zac Thomusseit (Pittsburgh Wrestling Club) won by decision over Dan Seidenberg (Rutgers) (Dec 1-0,1-0)
FS 96 KG / 211.5 lbs
Champ. Round 1 - Daniel Hopkins (Rutgers) won by decision over Dominique Walker (Southeast Fire) (Dec 1-0,3-0)
Champ. Round 2 - Daniel Hopkins (Rutgers) won by decision over Levi Morgan (North Montana wrestling club) (Dec 0-1,1-0,3-1)
Champ. Round 3 - Chad Hanke (NWRTC) won by decision over Daniel Hopkins (Rutgers) (Dec 2-0,1-0)
Cons. Round 4 - Daniel Hopkins (Rutgers) won by decision over Riley Orozes (Dave Schultz-Titan Wrestling C) (Dec 1-0,0-1,3-2)
Cons. Round 5 - Tyler Dickenson (Michigan Wrestling Club) won by decision over Daniel Hopkins (Rutgers) (Dec 1-0,2-0)
FS 120 KG / 264.5 lbs
Champ. Round 1 - Carl Buchholz (Rutgers) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 - Carl Buchholz (Rutgers) won by decision over Conor Sweeney (Bison Wrestling Club) (Dec 4-0,4-0)
Champ. Round 3 - Kevin Lester (NYAC-Harlem) won by decision over Carl Buchholz (Rutgers) (Dec 7-0,3-1)
Cons. Round 4 - Carl Buchholz (Rutgers) won by pin over Patrick Durfee (App State Wrestling Club) (Pin 0:57)
Cons. Round 5 - Carl Buchholz (Rutgers) won by decision over Stryker Lane (Cornell) (Dec 2-1,3-0)
Cons. Round 6 - Carl Buchholz (Rutgers) won by pin over Pat Walker (University of Illinois) (Pin 1:20)
Cons. Round 7 - Tony Nelson (Minnesota Storm) won by decision over Carl Buchholz (Rutgers) (Dec 6-0,1-0)
7th Place Match - Jacob Mitchell (peninsula wrestling club) won by pin over Carl Buchholz (Rutgers) (Pin 6-0,0:44)
--RU--
