Hofstra places seven in finals and leads after day one at CAA Championships
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by Jim Sheehan
CHESAPEAKE, VA - Seven Hofstra wrestlers advanced to Saturday's championship matches and three others remain alive in the consolation bracket at the 2009 Colonial Athletic Association Wrestling Championship at Oscar Smith High School Friday night.
Hofstra, which has captured eight consecutive conference titles including seven in the CAA, is in first place after the first day with 82 points. Old Dominion is second with 55.5 points followed by Rider (39.5), Drexel (25) and George Mason (24). Binghamton (19.5), Boston University (17) and Sacred Heart (3) round out the standings. Day two of the CAA Championships begin at 10 a.m. Saturday.
At 125 pounds, freshman Steve Bonanno, the second-seed, advanced to Saturday's title match with an 18-2 tech fall over Michael Impellizeri from Sacred Heart and a 12-3 major decision over third-seed Brian Wright from George Mason. Bonanno (28-12) will face top-seeded and defending conference champion James Nicholson from Old Dominion. The two wrestlers met in January at the CAA duals with Nicholson posting a 5-2 victory.
At 133 pounds, junior Lou Ruggirello is off to a good start in defending his conference title with a 15-0 tech fall over Mike Kleeman from Binghamton and a pin of fifth-seeded Fran Cimato in 1:00. Ruggirello (27-2) will face Old Dominion's Kyle Hutter in the title match Saturday afternoon. The two wrestlers met earlier this season with Ruggirello pinning Hutter in 1:46.
At 141 pounds, red-shirt freshman Justin Accordino, the second-seed, advanced to the championship match with a pin of Abby Rush from Boston University in 4:03 and an 11-2 major decision over third-seed Chris Davis from Sacred Heart. Accordino (22-10), who has won seven straight matches, will face defending CAA champion Ryan Williams from Old Dominion in the title match. Williams defeated Accordino, 8-3, in January.
At 149 pounds, red-shirt freshman P.J. Gillespie, the sixth-seed, pulled off one of the bigger upsets of the tournament in the semifinals. Gillespie (18-13) defeated third-seed Anthony Priore from Sacred Heart, 4-3, and then beat second-seed Joey Metzler from Old Dominion, 5-3, in the semifinals. Gillespie will meet top-seed Mike Roberts from Boston University in the final. The two met in January with the Pride wrestler posting a 3-2 victory in the second tie-breaker.
Junior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman, the top-seed at 157 pounds, advanced to his third straight conference title match including his second in the CAA with a pin of Sacred Heart's Austin Alpaugh in 2:06 and a 17-10 victory over fifth-seeded Nate Patterson from Binghamton. Bonilla-Bowman (20-7), who returned to action for the first time in a month, will face second-seed Mike Kessler from Rider. The two wrestlers met in January with Bonilla-Bowman winning, 10-5.
At 165 pounds, second-seeded sophomore Ryan Patrovich advanced to the finals of the conference championships for the second straight year by pinning Michael Hartman from Sacred Heart in 2:57, and edging sixth-seeded C.J. Inglin from Boston University, 5-2. Patrovich (20-6) will have a rematch of the 2008 final, won by Old Dominion's top-seeded Chris Brown on Saturday. The two wrestlers met in January with Brown winning, 3-2.
Top-seeded senior Alton Lucas will get to defend his 174-pound title Saturday after pinning Binghamton's Anthony Esposito in 56 seconds and defeating fourth-seeded Eric Decker from Old Dominion, 6-3, in the semifinals. Lucas (24-5) will face second-seed Bagna Tovuujav from George Mason in the championship match.
The CAA will receive a minimum of 20 qualifying bids to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis, Missouri from March 19-21. The conference will have four wrestlers qualify at 174 pounds and 197 pounds, two at 125, 157, 165, and 184, and one in the other weight classes.
No./Pts./Team/Championship Bracket/Consolations
1 82 Hofstra 7 3
2 55.5 Old Dominion 4 6
3 39.5 Rider 3 7
4 25 Drexel 2 6
5 24 George Mason 2 5
6 19.5 Binghamton 1 6
7 17 Boston U 1 5
8 3 Sacred Heart - 2
Hofstra, which has captured eight consecutive conference titles including seven in the CAA, is in first place after the first day with 82 points. Old Dominion is second with 55.5 points followed by Rider (39.5), Drexel (25) and George Mason (24). Binghamton (19.5), Boston University (17) and Sacred Heart (3) round out the standings. Day two of the CAA Championships begin at 10 a.m. Saturday.
At 125 pounds, freshman Steve Bonanno, the second-seed, advanced to Saturday's title match with an 18-2 tech fall over Michael Impellizeri from Sacred Heart and a 12-3 major decision over third-seed Brian Wright from George Mason. Bonanno (28-12) will face top-seeded and defending conference champion James Nicholson from Old Dominion. The two wrestlers met in January at the CAA duals with Nicholson posting a 5-2 victory.
At 133 pounds, junior Lou Ruggirello is off to a good start in defending his conference title with a 15-0 tech fall over Mike Kleeman from Binghamton and a pin of fifth-seeded Fran Cimato in 1:00. Ruggirello (27-2) will face Old Dominion's Kyle Hutter in the title match Saturday afternoon. The two wrestlers met earlier this season with Ruggirello pinning Hutter in 1:46.
At 141 pounds, red-shirt freshman Justin Accordino, the second-seed, advanced to the championship match with a pin of Abby Rush from Boston University in 4:03 and an 11-2 major decision over third-seed Chris Davis from Sacred Heart. Accordino (22-10), who has won seven straight matches, will face defending CAA champion Ryan Williams from Old Dominion in the title match. Williams defeated Accordino, 8-3, in January.
At 149 pounds, red-shirt freshman P.J. Gillespie, the sixth-seed, pulled off one of the bigger upsets of the tournament in the semifinals. Gillespie (18-13) defeated third-seed Anthony Priore from Sacred Heart, 4-3, and then beat second-seed Joey Metzler from Old Dominion, 5-3, in the semifinals. Gillespie will meet top-seed Mike Roberts from Boston University in the final. The two met in January with the Pride wrestler posting a 3-2 victory in the second tie-breaker.
Junior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman, the top-seed at 157 pounds, advanced to his third straight conference title match including his second in the CAA with a pin of Sacred Heart's Austin Alpaugh in 2:06 and a 17-10 victory over fifth-seeded Nate Patterson from Binghamton. Bonilla-Bowman (20-7), who returned to action for the first time in a month, will face second-seed Mike Kessler from Rider. The two wrestlers met in January with Bonilla-Bowman winning, 10-5.
At 165 pounds, second-seeded sophomore Ryan Patrovich advanced to the finals of the conference championships for the second straight year by pinning Michael Hartman from Sacred Heart in 2:57, and edging sixth-seeded C.J. Inglin from Boston University, 5-2. Patrovich (20-6) will have a rematch of the 2008 final, won by Old Dominion's top-seeded Chris Brown on Saturday. The two wrestlers met in January with Brown winning, 3-2.
Top-seeded senior Alton Lucas will get to defend his 174-pound title Saturday after pinning Binghamton's Anthony Esposito in 56 seconds and defeating fourth-seeded Eric Decker from Old Dominion, 6-3, in the semifinals. Lucas (24-5) will face second-seed Bagna Tovuujav from George Mason in the championship match.
The CAA will receive a minimum of 20 qualifying bids to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis, Missouri from March 19-21. The conference will have four wrestlers qualify at 174 pounds and 197 pounds, two at 125, 157, 165, and 184, and one in the other weight classes.
No./Pts./Team/Championship Bracket/Consolations
1 82 Hofstra 7 3
2 55.5 Old Dominion 4 6
3 39.5 Rider 3 7
4 25 Drexel 2 6
5 24 George Mason 2 5
6 19.5 Binghamton 1 6
7 17 Boston U 1 5
8 3 Sacred Heart - 2
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