Wrestling News

QUEST FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP
Eight Aggies Aim For Individual Honors & The School's First National Title

DOYLESTOWN (PA) - The Delaware Valley College wrestling team will seek to make history as its eight wrestlers will not only look to become individual national champions but also capture the school's first NCAA title in any sport at the 2008 NCAA Division III Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (U.S. Cellular Center) on Friday and Saturday, March 7 and 8.

The Aggies' rich wrestling tradition includes 14 conference championships, four regional titles and a pair of national trophies for finishing as the runner-up at the 1989 NCAA Championships and placing fourth in 2004. The one item missing from the trophy case is a national championship.

Delaware Valley's eight national qualifiers have them tied with the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse for the second-highest total of competitors. Wartburg College (IA) has the most NCAA qualifiers for nine while defending champion Augsburg College (MN) qualified seven for the tournament.

The BRUTE-ADIDAS National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III ranking committee recently announced their NCAA Championship predictions and they have the Aggies finishing second. Wartburg is the favorite to win its fourth title in the last six years. Wisconsin-LaCrosse and Augsburg follow Delaware Valley in the pre-championship ranking.

Delaware Valley earned eight spots at the NCAA Championships thanks to a dominating performance at the Midwest Regionals on February 23. The Aggies successfully defended their team title as six wrestlers won individual crowns and the automatic berth to nationals that go with it. Two others placed second and were selected for two of the regional's five wild-card berths.

Of the eight national qualifiers, six are in the top 10 in their respective weight classes, including a trio of wrestlers that are ranked second: Dan Hall (141 pounds/Waretown, NJ/Southern Regional), Mike Wilcox (184 pounds/Buena, NJ/Buena) and Kyle Bilquist (Heavyweight/Toms River, NJ/Toms River).

Hall's trip to the NCAA Championships will be the fourth in the senior's standout career. After reaching nationals and bowing out early as a freshman in 2004, he was one win shy of All-Americans honors in both 2005 and 2006. Hall then missed all of last season with an injury.

Hall came back stronger than ever and has won 23 of 30 matches this season (six pins), including a pair of triumphs over ranked wrestlers in his weight class (No.5 David Manoogian of Case Western Reseve and No. 10 Jason Adams of Wartburg). He is one of 16 wrestlers in his weight class at nationals, including returning All-Americans Mike Bonora of Rhode Island (sixth) and Travis Grawin of Luther (seventh). Bonora is ranked first at 141 with a 40-2 record.

Wilcox transferred from Gloucester Community College prior to the season and the junior moved into the second spot in the 184-pound rankings in January after winning the Sunshine Open. He is 25-2 (six pins) on the year, including a pair of wins over sixth-ranked Robert Gotreau of Augsburg. One of his two setbacks was a 7-3 decision to No. 1 and undefeated Romeo Djoumessi of Wartburg (25-0).

Wilcox's weight class has 16 qualifiers for nationals. Djoumessi is one of two All-Americans back from last year as he placed fourth. Jay Figgins of Loras is the other as he was seventh at the 2007 championships and is currently eighth in the latest rankings.

After reaching nationals as a wild card last year, Bilquist captured the automatic berth with a regional crown. The four wins upped his record to 28-1 (11 pins) with the lone loss coming against a Division I wrestler (David Marone of Virginia Tech) in Bilquist's first match of the year. His victory total includes 3-2 decisions over No. 3 Brian Borchers of Wartburg and No. 9 Dan Laurent of Wisconsin-LaCrosse.

Bilquist's weight class will feature 13 competitors at the NCAA Championships and just one returning All-American. Trevor Hiffa of Oneonta State placed fourth a year ago and he is currently ranked first with a 26-1 mark.

Freshmen Chris Sheetz (Barto, PA/Upper Perkiomen) and Jesse Harrington (New Providence, NJ/Bound Brook) are each ranked sixth at 125 and 149 pounds respectively while sophomore Joe West (Washington, PA/Trinity) is ranked 10th at 197 pounds.

Sheetz moved up three spots in the national poll after knocking off the top-ranked wrestler at the time, Eracleo Vallejo of Manchester, to win the Midwest Regional title. Sheetz has won 32 of 37 matches (10 pins), including a 2-2 mark against ranked wrestlers. In addition to the win over Vallejo, Sheetz split a pair of matches with No. 4 Rob Struthers of Wartburg and has a loss to No. 8 Kyle Flickinger of York.

Sheetz's weight class will have the second-highest total of competitors at the NCAA Championships as 18 wrestlers are headed to Iowa. Three of the 18 were All-Americans last year in Vallejo (fifth), Flickinger (sixth) and Seth Flooden of Augsburg (second).

Harrington placed second at the Midwest Regional but was selected for nationals as a wild card. He will bring a 27-6 record (three pins) to the NCAA Championships with three of his losses coming to the top three of his weight class: Jacob Naig of Wartburg, Willie Holst of Elliot Spence of Mount St. Joseph.

Harrington will be one of 17 wrestlers in the 149-pound bracket. Spence is the lone returning All-American, but he competed in a higher weight class last year and placed eighth at 157 pounds.

West failed to place at the 2007 Midwest Regionals as a freshman, but came back to take top honors this year and earn his first trip to the NCAA Championships. He has a 22-9 record (five pins) with three of the setbacks coming against the top two wrestlers in his weight class: T.J. Miller of Wartburg and Alex Lonander of Luther.

The 197-pound weight class will feature 13 wrestlers at nationals. Miller is the defending champion while Lonander is the only other return All-American as he finished in third place a season ago.

Brandon Clemmer (Pottstown, PA/Upper Perkiomen) and Ryan Herwig (Baltimore, MD/Mt. St. Joseph's) are the remaining Delaware Valley qualifiers at 133 and 157 pounds respectively.

Clemmer, a junior, was a two-time Division II national qualifier with Kutztown before transferring to Delaware Valley this season. He won the regional crown to up his record to 26-7 (11 pins) and a trip to nationals. Three of his seven setbacks came against nationally-ranked wrestlers in No. 3 Jacob Helvey of Wartburg, No. 4 Travis Lang of Augsburg and No. 9 Mike Gummerson of Centenary.

Clemmer's bracket will feature 15 wrestlers, including four of the top six finishers from a season ago: defending national champion David Morgan of King, Adam Johnson of North Central (third), Helvey (fifth) and Jordan Kolinsky of Wisconsin-LaCrosse (sixth).

Herwig earned a second straight wild card berth for his third trip to the NCAA Championships. The senior has come within one victory of All-Americans honors in each of the last two seasons and has a 21-12 record this season, including a team-high 12 pins. Among his losses are a pair of setbacks to top-ranked Aaron Wernimont of Wartburg and one to No. 2 Jason Brew of Olivet in the regional finals.

Herwig is one of 16 wrestlers set to compete in the 157-pound bracket at the NCAA Championships. There are two returning All-Americans in Wernimont (sixth) and Pat McAuley of Cornell (seventh).

The first session of the NCAA Championships begins at 11:00 a.m. (CST) on Friday with the first two preliminary rounds as well as two sets of consolation rounds. The final session on Friday is scheduled for 6:00 p.m., and consists of the championship quarterfinals and the third and fourth round of consolations.

Saturday's action will begin with the championship semifinals at 10:00 a.m., followed by the consolation quarterfinals and semifinals and then the placement matches (third through eighth). The parade of All-Americans will take place at 6:30 p.m. with the championship finals to follow at 7:00 p.m.

To earn All-American accolades, a wrestler must place in the top eight of their respective weight class. If they are still alive in the tournament (championship or consolation bracket) at the conclusion of Friday's sessions, they have assured themselves of being an All-American. The Aggies have produced 51 All-Americans and eight individual national champions in their storied history.

Information on how the Delaware Valley wrestlers are faring at the NCAA Championships will be available in a number of ways. Fans can call the Aggie Sports Hotline at (215) 489-2398 or by logging onto the College's web site at www.delval.edu/athletics. The official web site of the championships is available at www.coe.edu/ncaawrestling.