The Citadel Charleston, SC

 Raleigh, N.C. – Seniors Travis Piccard at 157 pounds and John Dickerson at 184 pounds closed out their Bulldog careers by each finishing second in their respective weight classes as The Citadel wrestling team ended their season with a fourth-place finish at the Southern Conference Championships in Raleigh, N.C. on Saturday. Mat Jam 2007, held in conjunction with the Atlantic Coast Conference wrestling championships, was held at Reynolds Coliseum on the campus of N.C. State.

The Bulldogs finished fourth with 38.5 points, two ahead of fifth-place Appalachian State. Chattanooga, ranked 13^th in the country in the latest USA Today/InterMat/National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) poll, won the championship for the third consecutive season with 117.5 points. The Mocs took seven of the 10 individual championships handed out at the tournament. UNC-Greensboro finished second with 75 points while VMI placed third with 41. Davidson was sixth with 34.5 points.

At 125 pounds, freshman Tyler Sim came in to the tournament as the fifth seed in the 125-pound bracket. He faced fourth seed Jonathan Pope of VMI in the quarterfinals. Sim controlled the action from the beginning and advanced to the semifinals with a 6-1 decision.

Sim fell behind 4-1 in the first period of the semifinals after a two-point takedown by top seed Javier Maldonado of Chattanooga. Maldonado took a 10-2 lead into the third period, and earned a 13-3 major decision victory to send Sim to the consolation bracket.

Sim faced sixth seed Dustin Smith of Appalachian State in the first round of consolations. Sim earned two points for a takedown late in the first period and added two more for a reversal in the second to take a 4-0 lead. Smith earned a two-point reversal late in the bout, but Sim notched two points for a reversal of his own and won a 7-2 decision to advance to the third-place match.

In the consolation final, Sim squared off against third seed Ben Altman of Davidson. Altman led 7-2 going into the third period, and a two-point reversal by Altman gave him a 10-4 lead. Altman won the decision 11-4 to take third place in the 125-pound bracket.

Freshman Matthew Leach, seeded fifth at 133 pounds, faced fourth seed Frank Celorrio of Appalachian State in the quarterfinals. Celorrio earned a 7-3 decision against Leach to advance to the semifinals. In the first round of consolations, Leach squared off against second seed Tyler Anthony of VMI and came up short as Anthony ended Leach’s day with a 6-1 decision.

In the 141-pound bracket, sophomore Matt Bullwinkel was seeded sixth. He faced third seed Jarn Avola of Davidson in the quarterfinals. Avola sent Bullwinkel to the consolation bracket with an 8-3 decision against the Bulldog grappler. Bullwinkel wrestled fourth seed Brandon Franklin of VMI in the first round of consolations and Franklin won a 12-3 major decision to advance to the third-place match and end Bullwinkel’s tournament.

Junior Levi Duyn entered the tournament as the fourth seed in the 149-pound bracket and faced fifth seed Marcus Hannah of UNC Greensboro in the quarterfinals. Leading 8-1 in the second period, Duyn turned Hannah and notched his 21^st fall of the season in 4:24 to advance to the semifinals to face top seed and seventh-ranked Aaron Martin of Chattanooga.

After a scoreless first period, Martin took a 2-0 lead on a takedown in the second. Duyn picked up an escape point to make a 2-1 advantage for Martin heading into the third. Martin earned an escape point of his own to begin the final period. Duyn pulled to within one on an escape point late in the bout, but couldn’t tie the score as Martin escaped with a 3-2 decision.

In the first round of consolations, Duyn faced sixth seed Scott Matthews of Davidson. Duyn jumped out to the lead with a two-point takedown. Duyn took an 8-2 advantage in the second period with a takedown. Matthews cut it to 8-3 with an escape point, but Duyn quickly earned two more for a takedown and turned Matthews to earn his 22^nd fall of the season and second of the day in 3:56 to advance to the third-place match.

Duyn squared off against third seed Sam Alvarenga of VMI for third place. After a scoreless first period, an escape point by Alvarenga gave him a 1-0 lead in the second and he added two more on a takedown. Duyn earned an escape point to cut the lead to 3-1 going into the final period. Another escape point by Duyn made it 3-2 at the beginning of the third, but Alvarenga notched a two-point takedown in the closing seconds to take third place in the 149-pound bracket with a 5-2 decision. After the tournament, Duyn was named as the second alternate for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid from the SoCon.

In the 157-pound bracket, senior Travis Piccard was seeded second and received a first-round bye. He faced third seed Eddie Hutchinson of Appalachian State, who also received a first-round bye, in the semifinals.

Hutchinson jumped on top with a two-point takedown in the first period and added on three more points for a near fall. Piccard earned an escape point to make it 5-1, and cut the deficit to two with a takedown with under 30 seconds left in the first period. Piccard made it 5-4 with an escape point to begin the second, and took the lead on a two-point takedown. In the final period, Piccard picked up another escape point to take a 7-5 lead, and he advanced to his third career SoCon championship bout with the 7-5 decision

Piccard squared off against top seed Jacob Yost of Chattanooga in the 157-pound final. With the bout scoreless late in the first period, Yost earned a two-point takedown and turned Piccard for a fall in 2:40 to claim the championship. Piccard’s second-place finish was the fourth time in four tries that the Bulldog senior placed at the SoCon championships.

Seeded sixth in the 165-pound bracket, freshman Zachary Filter squared off against third seed Trebor Clavette of Davidson. Clavette came away with a 19-7 major decision to send Filter to the consolation bracket. Filter faced fourth seed Tommy Hutchinson of Appalachian State in the first round of consolations and Hutchinson ended Filter’s day with a 16-0 technical fall victory in 4:23.

The fourth seed in the 174-pound bracket, junior Darius Caldwell jumped out to a 2-0 lead on fifth seed Marcus Boyd of Davidson in the quarterfinals. Caldwell took a 7-1 lead into the third period and made it 9-1 with a two-point takedown early in the period. Caldwell advanced to the semifinals with a 12-2 major decision victory.

Caldwell faced top seed and defending conference champion Joe Lowe of UNC-Greensboro in the semifinals in a rematch of last year’s SoCon championship bout at 174 pounds. Lowe notched a two-point takedown and three points for a near fall in the third period to take a 12-2 advantage. Lowe advanced to the finals with a 15-3 major decision.

The first round of consolations saw Caldwell wrestle sixth seed Tyler Elgert of VMI. Caldwell took an 8-2 lead heading into the final period. Elgert picked up an escape point to trim the lead to 8-3 to begin the third, but he wouldn’t get any closer as Caldwell added a point for riding-time advantage and went on to the third-place match with the 9-3 decision.

It was Caldwell against second seed Neal Martin of Appalachian State in the consolation final, and Martin jumped on top with a two-point takedown in the first period and went into the third with a 3-2 lead. Martin clinched the bout with a two-point takedown and three near fall points in the closing seconds, and walked away with third place and a 9-2 decision.

In the 184-pound bracket, senior John Dickerson was named the second seed and received a first-round bye. He faced sixth seed Dustin McCabe of VMI in the semifinals.

Dickerson took an early lead on a two-point takedown in the first period. An escape point by McCabe made it 2-1 entering the second period. Another escape point by McCabe tied the bout at two to begin the second, but Dickerson took the advantage back on a two-point takedown. McCabe cut it to 4-3 with another escape point. In the final period, Dickerson picked up an escape point to take a 5-3 lead and extended that advantage to 7-3 on a two-point takedown with under a minute left in the bout. A one-point escape by McCabe made it 7-4, but it wouldn’t be enough as Dickerson added a point for riding-time advantage and advanced to his first SoCon championship bout with an 8-4 decision.

Dickerson faced top seed Josh Edmondson of Chattanooga in the 184-pound final. After a scoreless first period, Edmondson took the lead early in the second with an escape point. Dickerson tied the bout with an escape point of his own midway through the third. With under 30 seconds left, Edmondson drove Dickerson to the mat for two points and a 3-1 advantage and the Moc grappler would hang on to claim the championship at 184 pounds. The second-place finish for Dickerson was his highest finish at the SoCon championships and the fourth time he placed at the tournament in four tries.

Freshman Griffen Greene entered the tournament as the sixth seed at 197 pounds. In the quarterfinals, he took on third seed Nicholas Clark of UNC Greensboro. Clark turned Greene in the third period to pick up a fall in 6:11 and advance to the semifinals. Greene faced fourth seed Nick Lorenzano of Chattanooga in the first round of consolations and Lorenzano came away with a 17-0 technical fall victory in 6:03 to end Greene’s hopes to place.

Junior John Buck, seeded fifth in the 285-pound bracket, faced fourth seed Joseph Sheffield of UNC Greensboro in the quarterfinals. Sheffield picked up an escape point to begin the second period, but an escape point by Buck tied the bout at one early in the third. Sheffield then earned a two-point takedown with under 30 seconds left in the bout to advance to the semifinals with a 3-1 decision.

Buck took on third seed Dave Hazell of Appalachian State in the first round of consolations. With the bout scoreless in the first, Buck quickly flipped Hazell for a two-point takedown, and turned him to pick up the fall in 1:55 and advance to the third-place match for the second time in two appearances in the tournament.

Sheffield and Buck squared off for the second time on the day in the consolation final, and Sheffield took a 2-0 lead on a takedown in the first period. An escape point by Buck cut Sheffield’s lead in half, and he added two more for a takedown to take the lead. Sheffield picked up another escape point in the closing seconds of the period to tie the bout, and took a 5-3 lead on a takedown immediately after the third period whistle. An escape point by Buck cut the lead to one, but Sheffield added a point for riding-time advantage and hung on for a 6-4 decision to end Buck’s hopes for the podium.

All of the latest on the Bulldog wrestling team and all of The Citadel athletics is available at www.CitadelSports.com.

 

2006 Southern Conference Finals

 

125 – Maldonado (UTC) dec. Hedges (UNCG), 6-2

 

133 – Keller (UTC) maj. dec. Johnson (UNCG), 18-5

 

141 – Keefe (UTC) dec. Bencivenga (UNCG), 15-8

 

149 – Ervin (ASU) dec. Martin (UTC), 3-2; TB2

 

157 – Yost (UTC) fall Piccard (CIT); 2:40

 

165 – Sayers (UTC) dec. Ring (UNCG), 6-2

 

174 – Lowe (UNCG) dec. Rogers (UTC), 12-5

 

184 – Edmondson (UTC) dec. Dickerson (CIT), 3-1

 

197 – Murray (VMI) dec. Clark (UNCG), 5-2

 

285 – Koz (UTC) dec. Buhman (VMI), 5-1

 

At-Large Bids

 

149 – Aaron Martin (UTC)

 

149 – Sam Alvarenga (VMI)

 

174 – Neal Martin (ASU)

 

174 – Lloyd Rogers (UTC)

 

First Alternate – 141 – Chris Bencivenga (UNCG)

 

Second Alternate – 149 – Levi Duyn (CIT)

The Citadel Wrestling Prepare for Mat Jam 2007 in Raleigh

 

Raleigh, N.C. – The Citadel wrestling team is gearing up for the 2007 Southern Conference Championships on Saturday in Raleigh, N.C. Mat Jam 2007 will be held at Reynolds Coliseum on the campus of N.C. State in conjunction with the Atlantic Coast Conference wrestling championships. The quarterfinals are set to begin at 11 a.m. and the finals are scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

The Bulldogs were victorious in their last dual meet of the season, a 22-17 win over Gardner-Webb at McAlister Field House on Feb. 21. On senior night, Travis Piccard earned a 10-2 major decision in his last dual match against Brendan Couture. Piccard has won his last six bouts, including his last three in the SoCon, and was named the conference’s wrestler of the week on Feb. 22. Junior Levi Duyn notched his 20^th fall of the season against Gardner-Webb as he pinned Ben Hoppenbrouwer in 2:11. Winning decisions for The Citadel were freshman Tyler Sim at 125 pounds, freshman Zachary Filter at 165, junior Darius Caldwell at 174, and junior John Buck at 285. The Citadel finished their dual season with an overall record of 5-9, 1-4 in the SoCon.

The grapplers enter this year’s Mat Jam with five SoCon Tournament placers in their starting lineup. Piccard has a 2006-07 record of 21-4, 11-1 in duals and 4-1 in the SoCon. He is a three-time conference placer and a NCAA qualifier in 2005 after winning the SoCon title at 157 pounds. Duyn enters Saturday’s action with a record of 23-14 this season, including 20 falls, and won a SoCon championship at 149 pounds in 2005 and qualified for the NCAA championships. Caldwell has a mark of 21-13 this season and is a two-time conference placer, including finishing second at 174 pounds in 2006. John Dickerson, along with Piccard, is wrestling in his final Mat Jam at 184 pounds. He has placed three times at the SoCon Championships during his career. Buck had a record of 19-16 this season and placed third at 285 pounds at the SoCon Championships in 2006 in his first appearance in the tournament. 

Chattanooga looks to take their third conference tournament championship in a row after going 5-0 during the SoCon dual season. The Mocs landed eight wrestlers on the all-conference wrestling team announced on Friday, including SoCon Wrestler of the Year Matt Keller at 133 pounds. Keller, ranked seventh in the nation according to the latest USA Today/InterMat/National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) polls, had a 14-0 dual record this season and went 4-0 in the SoCon. Chattanooga also features four other grapplers ranked in the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA poll in Michael Keefe, 17^th at 141 pounds; Aaron Martin, seventh at 149 pounds; Lloyd Rogers, 16^th at 174 pounds; and Matt Koz, 17^th at 285 pounds. Chattanooga as a team is ranked 13^th in the country in the latest USA Today/InterMat/NWCA rankings with an overall record of 16-1.

The Mocs took last year’s championship in Lexington, Va. and the 2005 crown in Greensboro, N.C. after The Citadel won the 2004 title in Charlottesville, Va. The Bulldogs also won the championship in 1967 in Morgantown, W.Va.  The Citadel placed third in last year’s SoCon Championship. The Bulldogs sent Dan Thompson to the NCAA Championships after he finished first at 165 pounds and current assistant coach Sean Markey received an at-large bid at 141 pounds. Thompson went on to become the first All-American in Bulldog history after finishing seventh at the NCAA Championships.

The Citadel's Piccard Named Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week

 

Charleston, S.C. – The Southern Conference announced on Thursday that senior Travis Piccard has been named the Wrestler of the Week. Piccard went 3-0 for the week, including 1-0 in the SoCon, and finished the regular season with a mark of 21-4, 4-1 in the SoCon. He has won his last three SoCon bouts and his last six bouts overall.

The native of Allendale, Mich. earned two victories in a tri-meet against VMI and North Carolina on Sunday at McAlister Field House. Wrestling at 157 pounds, Piccard recorded a 19-2 technical fall against VMI’s Vince Cole and then registered a 9-3 decision over Keenan Duffie of North Carolina.  In the last dual bout of this career, Piccard earned a 10-2 major decision over Brendan Couture of Gardner-Webb on Wednesday.
Piccard is a three-time SoCon finalist as he placed second at 157 pounds in 2003, third at 149 pounds in 2004, and first at 157 in 2005. He also advanced to the round of 12 at the 2005 NCAA Championships. Piccard has a career record of 116-31.

The Bulldogs are coming off a 22-17 victory over Gardner-Webb in their last dual meet of the season on Wednesday at McAlister Field House. In addition to Piccard’s win, junior Levi Duyn notched a fall for the Bulldogs in 2:11 at 149 pounds over Ben Hoppenbrouwer and junior John Buck clinched the victory with a 6-2 decision against Nick Roehrick at 285 pounds. Others to win for the Cadets were freshman Tyler Sim by a 5-4 decision over Cortney Roberts at 125 pounds, freshman Zachary Filter by an 8-2 decision against Matthias Piasecki at 165 pounds, and junior Darius Caldwell by a 4-1 decision over Chad Davis at 174 pounds.

The Citadel will head to Raleigh, N.C. on March 3 for the Southern Conference Championships. All of the latest on Bulldog athletics is available at www.CitadelSports.com.

The Citadel Conclude Dual Season with Victory Over Gardner-Webb

Charleston, S.C. – The Citadel wrestling team won six of the 10 weight classes and received a fall from junior Levi Duyn at 149 pounds and a major decision from senior Travis Piccard at 157 pounds in defeating Gardner-Webb 22-17 on Wednesday night at McAlister Field House. The Bulldogs end the dual season with an overall record of 5-9.

“It’s been a tough year, but they wrestled well tonight,” head coach Rob Hjerling said. “Hopefully that will give us some momentum going into the Southern Conference Championships.”

The Citadel honored seniors Piccard and John Dickerson before the match. Piccard ended his dual career with a 10-2 major decision against Brendan Couture. Leading 6-2 after two periods, Piccard earned an escape point at the beginning of the third, and notched a two-point takedown in the closing seconds and added a point for riding-time advantage to secure the major decision. Dickerson lost a close 6-4 decision to Brandon Beach at 184 pounds to end his dual career. After Beach took a 6-3 lead on an escape point in the third period, Dickerson received a stalling point and closed the deficit to two. But Dickerson couldn’t make up the two-point difference in the closing seconds and Beach came away with the decision.

The match began with a victory by Bulldog freshman Tyler Sim at 125 pounds. With the bout tied at three after two periods, Sim notched a two-point reversal to take the lead for good in the third. Cortney Roberts earned a one-point escape later in the period, but it wasn’t enough as Sim won a 5-4 decision to give The Citadel an early 3-0 lead. Gardner-Webb won the next two bouts to take an 8-3 advantage as Rob Tate earned a 16-0 technical fall victory against freshman Matthew Leach at 133 pounds, and Chas Franz claimed a 12-6 decision over sophomore Matt Bullwinkel at 141 pounds.

Duyn put the Bulldogs ahead for good, however, with his 20^th fall of the season. Leading 4-2 in the first period, Duyn quickly turned Ben Hoppenbrouwer and pinned him in 2:11 to give the Cadets a 9-8 lead. Piccard’s major decision made it a 13-8 lead for The Citadel.

Freshman Zachary Filter at 165 pounds and junior Darius Caldwell at 174 pounds extended the lead for the Bulldogs. Leading 3-2 after the first period, Filter notched a two-point reversal to take a 5-2 advantage over Matthias Piasecki into the third. Filter nearly came away with a pin as he earned three near fall points in the final period, but still earned an 8-2 decision against Piasecki. The bout between Caldwell and Chad Davis was scoreless heading into the third period. Caldwell notched the first points of the bout with an escape point at the beginning of the third, and added on two more points for a takedown and one point for riding-time advantage after an escape point by Davis to claim a 4-1 decision and make it a 19-8 Bulldog lead.

The victory by Beach and a fall of freshman Griffen Greene by Dustin Porter in 4:36 at 197 pounds pulled Gardner-Webb within two at 19-17. But junior John Buck secured the victory for The Citadel with a 6-2 decision over Nick Roehrick at 285 pounds. Buck earned a two-point takedown in the first period, added on a one-point escape in the second, and notched a two-point takedown in between two escape points by Roehrick to win the bout.

The grapplers will now prepare for the Southern Conference Championships in Raleigh, N.C. on March 3. All of the latest on Bulldog athletics is available at www.CitadelSports.com.

The Citadel 22 Gardner-Webb 17

 

125 – Sim (CIT) dec. Roberts, 5-4 (3-0)

 

133 – Tate (GW) tech. fall Leach, 16-0 (3-5)

 

141 – Franz (GW) dec. M. Bullwinkel, 12-6 (3-8)

 

149 – Duyn (CIT) fall Hoppenbrouwer; 2:11 (9-8)

 

157 – Piccard (CIT) maj. dec. Couture, 10-2 (13-8)

 

165 – Filter (CIT) dec. Piasecki, 8-2 (16-8)

 

174 – Caldwell (CIT) dec. Davis, 4-1 (19-8)

 

184 – Beach (GW) dec. Dickerson, 6-4 (19-11)

 

197 – Porter (GW) fall Greene; 4:36 (19-17)

 

285 – Buck (CIT) dec. Roehrick, 6-2 (22-17)

The Citadel Host Senior Night on Wednesday

 

Charleston, S.C. – The Citadel wrestling team will host Gardner-Webb on Wednesday night at McAlister Field House at 7:30 p.m. in their last home match of the season and final dual action before the Southern Conference Championship on March 3 in Raleigh, N.C. It will also be Senior Night as the Bulldogs will honor seniors Travis Piccard and John Dickerson. Live video of Wednesday night’s match will be available through Bulldog Insider at www.CitadelSports.com.

Piccard has a record of 19-6 this season, including 10-1 in dual action and 4-1 in the SoCon at 157 pounds. He has won five bouts in a row and was ranked 18^th in the nation in the preseason USA Today/InterMat/National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) poll. Piccard is a three-time SoCon Tournament placer as he finished first at 157 pounds in 2005, third at 147 in 2004, and second at 157 in 2003. The native of Allendale, Mich. advanced to the round of 12 at the NCAA Championship in 2005. Entering this season, Piccard had a career mark of 95-27 and he set a Bulldog record for most wins by a freshman during the 2002-03 season with 31.

Dickerson is also a three-time placer at the SoCon Tournament as he finished third at 184 pounds in 2006, third at 184 in 2004, and third at 184 in 2003. Dickerson is 7-6 in dual action this season at 184 and 194 pounds, including 3-2 in the SoCon, and has notched a fall and three major decisions. Also a native of Michigan, Dickerson is originally from Eaton Rapids.

The Bulldogs were last in action on Sunday when they hosted at tri-meet against VMI and North Carolina at McAlister Field House. The Citadel dropped a 21-18 match to the Keydets, while North Carolina defeated the Bulldogs 26-18. The Bulldogs record now stands at 4-9 overall and they finished their SoCon regular season dual record at 1-4 after the loss to the Keydets. Piccard and junior Darius Caldwell at 174 pounds each went 2-0 on the day for the grapplers. Piccard earned a 19-2 technical fall victory over Vince Cole of VMI and a 9-3 decision against Keenan Duffie of North Carolina. Caldwell notched a 13-2 major decision against Kyle Elgert of VMI and a 9-5 decision over Deon Barrett of North Carolina. Junior Levi Duyn earned his 19^th fall of the season on Sunday at 149 pounds as he pinned Vincent Ramirez of North Carolina in 2:24. Others to pick up victories for The Citadel in the tri-meet were freshman Zachary Filter by forfeit at 165 pounds against VMI, junior John Buck with a 5-2 decision over Leon Barrow of VMI, and freshman Matthew Leach by forfeit at 133 pounds against the Tar Heels.

Gardner-Webb enters the match with a mark of 9-15. The Citadel wrestled Gardner-Webb last season in Boiling Springs, N.C. and came away with a 24-18 victory on Feb. 21, 2006. Current Bulldogs to notch wins in last year’s dual match were Caldwell at 174 pounds, Dickerson at 184, and sophomore Anthony Easter at 125.

The Citadel Grapplers Host Tri-Meet on Sunday

 Charleston, S.C. – The Citadel wrestling team will host North Carolina and Southern Conference foe VMI for a tri-meet on Sunday at McAlister Field House. The Bulldogs will take on VMI at 12 p.m., the Keydets will wrestle North Carolina at 1:30 p.m., and The Citadel and the Tar Heels will cap off the tri-meet at 3 p.m.

The Bulldogs enter Sunday’s tri-meet with a mark of 4-7 overall and 1-3 in the SoCon. The match against VMI will be the last conference tilt of the season for the Bulldogs. They are coming off a 24-14 victory on the road against Davidson on Feb. 11. The Citadel won six of the 10 weight classes against the Wildcats and received falls from junior Levi Duyn at 149 pounds and junior John Buck at 285. Buck’s pin of Mike Waters in 2:44 clinched the victory for the Bulldogs, while Duyn’s fall gave him 18 on the season. Other winners for the Cadets in the match were freshman Matthew Leach at 133 pounds, senior Travis Piccard at 157, junior Darius Caldwell at 174, and senior John Dickerson at 184. The Citadel wrestled Appalachian State in Boone, N.C. earlier in the day and lost, 25-9. Piccard, Dickerson, and freshman Tyler Sim at 125 pounds notched wins for the Bulldogs against the Mountaineers. Piccard and Dickerson both enter Sunday’s action on three-match conference winning streaks. 

VMI enters the tri-match with a mark of 5-7 overall and 2-2 in the SoCon. The Keydets are coming off a 30-13 loss to Liberty on Thursday. VMI earned victories in the SoCon against Appalachian State, 21-17 on Jan. 25, and Davidson, 25-19 on Jan. 28. The match against the Bulldogs figures to be highlighted by the bout at 149 pounds as Duyn faces off against Sam Alvarenga. Alvarenga enters the match with a record of 30-6 and a 9-3 dual mark while Duyn is 21-13 overall with 18 falls. The Citadel was victorious against the Keydets last season in Lexington, Va. by a score of 24-15.

North Carolina is currently 7-7 overall and 4-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Tar Heels lost to N.C. State their last time on the mats on Feb. 7, 25-12. North Carolina is led by Keegan Mueller at 165 pounds as he enters Sunday’s wrestling with a record of 25-6 overall and 11-2 in dual action. Mueller is rated 15^th in the nation in the latest USA Today/InterMat/National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) rankings. In the heavyweight class, Spencer Nadolsky is 20-7 overall and is ranked 10^th in the country by the same poll. The Bulldogs defeated the Tar Heels, 33-9, in Chapel Hill, N.C. last season.

The Citadel Grapplers Lose to Appalachian State, Defeat Davidson

 

Boone and Davidson, N.C. – The Citadel wrestling team traveled to two different Southern Conference schools and went 1-1 on Sunday. Appalachian State won the first match of the day 25-9 at Varsity Gym in Boone, N.C. The Bulldogs bounced back to defeat Davidson 24-14 at Belk Arena in Davidson, N.C. The Citadel is now 4-7 overall and 1-3 in the SoCon.

The Mountaineers took seven of the 10 weight classes against the Bulldogs in Boone as five of their seven victories were by decision, with one major decision by Frank Cellorio over freshman Matthew Leach at 133 pounds and a pin by Tommy Hutchinson against freshman Zachary Filter at 165. The victory was the second straight for Appalachian State as they are now 6-15 overall and 2-3 in the SoCon.

Freshman Tyler Sim earned a victory for the Bulldogs as he won an 8-7 decision against Dustin Smith at 125 pounds. Senior Travis Piccard won his second straight SoCon bout at 157 pounds as he defeated Eddie Hutchinson by a 7-3 decision. Senior John Dickerson also took his second consecutive SoCon dual as he won a 6-5 decision over Dan Carrasco at 185 pounds. 

The Bulldogs bounced back to defeat Davidson (5-10, 0-5 SoCon) as they won six of the 10 weight classes with four decisions and two falls. Junior Levi Duyn pinned Scott Matthews in 4:22 to notch his 18^th fall of the season at 149 pounds. The other fall for The Citadel came from junior John Buck at 285 pounds as he pinned Mike Waters in 2:44 to clinch the victory for the Bulldogs.

Piccard and Dickerson each won their second bout of the day and third SoCon bout in a row against the Wildcats as Piccard took a 9-5 decision against Ben Graham at 157 pounds and Dickerson defeated Sam O’Hair in a 6-3 decision at 184 pounds. Others to claim victories for the Cadets were freshman Matthew Leach, who won a 9-5 decision against Chris Panfili at 133 pounds, and junior Darius Caldwell, who earned an 8-3 decision over Marcus Boyd at 174 pounds.

The Bulldogs will return to McAlister Field House to host a tri-match on Sunday, Feb. 18 against VMI and North Carolina. The action will begin at 12 p.m. and results will be available at www.CitadelSports.com.

UNC Greensboro Comes From Behind to Defeat The Citadel

 

Charleston, S.C. – UNC Greensboro came back from an early 15-7 deficit and won the last five weight classes to defeat The Citadel 28-15 in Southern Conference wrestling action on Saturday afternoon at McAlister Field House. The win improves the Spartans to 8-3 overall and 4-1 in the SoCon, while the Bulldogs drop to 3-6 and 0-2 in the SoCon.

The Citadel started off the match with two straight pins as junior Levi Duyn at 149 pounds and senior Travis Piccard at 157 pounds gave the Bulldogs an early advantage. After earning five points for a near fall in the first period, Duyn pinned Marcus Hannah in 5:21 to put the Cadets on the board first. Duyn is now 20-12 on the season, with 17 of those 20 victories coming by fall. Piccard pinned Nathan Berryman in 4:45 after being down 4-0 early in the bout to give the Bulldogs a 12-0 lead.

Mark Ring earned a 15-3 major decision over freshman Zachary Filter at 165 pounds to put the Spartans on the board and Joe Lowe won a hard-fought 7-3 decision over junior Darius Caldwell in a rematch of last year’s SoCon Championship final at 174 pounds to cut the Bulldogs advantage to 12-7. Lowe also won last year’s SoCon Championship final against Caldwell by a 9-4 decision.

Senior John Dickerson won a close 3-2 decision against Kane Smith at 184 pounds to expand The Citadel’s lead to 15-7. After a two-point takedown with less than a minute remaining in the bout to take a 3-1 lead, Dickerson hung on for the victory despite an escape point by Smith in the closing seconds.

After Nick Clark pinned freshman Griffen Greene in 5:37 at 197 pounds, senior John Buck lost a close 3-1 decision to Joe Sheffield at 285 pounds. With the bout tied at one, Sheffield earned two points with a takedown in the closing seconds to give the Spartans their first lead of the match at 16-15. Jeff Hedges then won a 5-1 decision against freshman Tyler Sim at 125 pounds to make it a 19-15 UNC Greensboro lead.

The most exciting bout of the day might have been at 133 pounds with freshman Matthew Leach squaring off against Mitchell Johnson. The bout went back and forth as after Johnson took a 2-0 lead with a takedown in the first period, Leach picked up an escape point to make it 2-1. Leach took his first lead of the bout on a reversal in the second period, but a reversal by Johnson gave him the advantage back at 4-3. Leach then earned two more reversal points, but an escape point by Johnson tied the bout late in the third period. With under a minute remaining, Leach gained two takedown points to take a 7-5

Four The Citadel Bulldogs Place at All-Academy Championships

Colorado Springs, Colo. – Four Bulldogs placed as The Citadel wrestling team finished 4th with 41 points at the All-Academy Championships hosted by Air Force at Cadet East Gym on Saturday in Colorado Springs, Colo. Junior and third-seeded Darius Caldwell finished second at 174 pounds, junior and third-seeded Levi Duyn placed third at 149 pounds, and freshman and fourth-seeded Matthew Leach at 133 pounds and senior and fifth-seeded John Dickerson at 184 pounds both ended up fourth in their weight classes.

Navy, rated 22^nd in the latest USA Today/InterMat/National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) rankings, won the tournament with 121.5 points, over 20 points ahead of Army who finished second with a mark of 96.5. VMI placed third with 72 points. Rounding out the fifth through eighth spots in the tournament were Air Force, Norwich, the Merchant Marine Academy, and the Coast Guard Academy respectively.

Caldwell advanced to the finals at 174 pounds after a 12-2 major decision over sixth-seeded Brian Caffelle of Norwich in the quarterfinals and a 5-2 decision against second-seeded Brent Smith of Army in the semifinals. He faced top-seed Matt Stolpinski of Navy, who is ranked 10^th in the country in the latest USA Today/InterMat/NWCA rankings, in the finals and lost a close 3-2 decision to end up with second place.

Leach started off his day with a pin of fifth-seeded Dan Ippolito of the Coast Guard Academy in 1:19 to advance to the semifinals of the 133-pound bracket. Top-seed William Simpson of Army sent Leach into the consolation bracket after a 14-3 major decision. Leach advanced to the third-place match with an 8-6 decision over sixth-seeded Stephen Makuka of Air Force. He ended up in fourth place after dropping a 7-5 decision to third-seeded Matt Pagan of Navy.

Duyn advanced to the semifinals at 149 pounds after a pin of fifth-seeded Austin Milster of Army in 4:55. He then fell into the consolation bracket after losing an 8-5 decision to second-seeded Joel Ahern of Navy. Duyn earned a berth in the third-place match against fourth-seeded Bryan Radik of the Coast Guard Academy after notching a fall against seventh-seeded Matt Dolby of the Merchant Marine Academy in 58 seconds. He registered his third fall of the day in the consolation final as he pinned Radik in 4:00 to take home third place. Duyn now has 16 falls on the season.

Dickerson moved on to the semifinals of the 184-pound bracket with a 12-4 major decision against fourth-seeded Jake Devlin of Air Force. After losing a 10-2 major decision to top-seed Antonio Miranda of Navy, Dickerson advanced to the consolation finals with a 14-4 major decision over sixth-seeded Ben Sanders of the Merchant Marine Academy. He placed fourth after losing by injury default to second-seeded Corry Murray of VMI in the third-place match.

Freshman and fourth-seeded Tyler Sim at 125 pounds, sophomore and fifth-seeded Matt Bullwinkel at 141, senior and fourth-seeded Travis Piccard at 157, freshman and sixth-seeded Zachary Filter at 165, and junior and fourth-seeded John Buck at 285 also each earned victories for the Bulldogs. Sim and Filter both won by fall as Sim pinned fifth-seeded Scott MacLean of Norwich in 1:11 in the quarterfinals of the 125-pound bracket before losing his last two bouts of the day, while Filter pinned seventh-seeded Trevor Muhler of the Merchant Marine Academy in 3:59 during the first round of the consolation bracket at 165 pounds after dropping a 9-5 decision to third-seeded John Burton of VMI in the quarterfinals. Filter’s hopes to place were ended after he was pinned by fourth-seeded Anthony Dorward of Air Force in 6:20.

The Bulldogs return home to host UNC Greensboro for Alumni Day in a Southern Conference match at McAlister Field House on Saturday, Feb. 10. All of the latest on Bulldog athletics is available at www.CitadelSports.com. 

The Citadel Results at All-Academy Championships

 

4. The Citadel – 41

 

125 Pounds: Tyler Sim, 1-2

 

133 Pounds: Matthew Leach, 2-2 (fourth place)

 

141 Pounds: Matt Bullwinkel, 1-2

 

149 Pounds: Levi Duyn, 3-1 (third place)

 

157 Pounds: Travis Piccard, 1-2

 

165 Pounds: Zachary Filter, 1-2

 

174 Pounds: Darius Caldwell, 2-1 (second place)

 

184 Pounds: John Dickerson, 2-2 (fourth place)

 

197 Pounds: Griffen Greene, 0-2

 

285 Pounds: John Buck, 1-2

Chattanooga Defeats The Citadel in Southern Conference Opener

 

Chattanooga, Tenn. – The Citadel wrestling team fell to Chattanooga 36-6 in their Southern Conference opener on Wednesday night at Maclellan Gym in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Mocs won nine of the 10 weight classes to stay undefeated in the SoCon.

Junior Levi Duyn earned yet another fall at 149 pounds for the Bulldogs as he pinned Cody Cleveland in 4:27. Duyn’s record on the season improved to 15-11 and of those 15 victories, 13 have come by fall.

Chattanooga, rated 15^th in the country in the latest USA Today/InterMat/National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) rankings, used four major decisions, a pin and a technical fall to build an advantage over the Bulldogs. Three wrestlers rated in the top 20 in the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA rankings were all victorious for the Mocs. Seventh-ranked Matt Keller earned a 17-3 major decision over freshman Matthew Leach at 133 pounds, 17^th-ranked Lloyd Rogers pulled out a 5-2 decision against junior Darius Caldwell at 174, and 19^th-ranked Matt Koz won a 6-2 decision against junior John Buck in the heavyweight class.

The Bulldogs drop to 3-5 on the season in dual matches and 0-1 in the Southern Conference, while Chattanooga improves to 14-1 overall and 4-0 in the SoCon.

The Citadel travels to Colorado Springs, Colo. on Saturday for the All-Academy Championships. All of the latest news on Bulldog athletics is available at www.CitadelSports.com.

Chattanooga 36 The Citadel 6

 

125 – Maldonado (UTC) maj. dec. Sim, 13-5 (4-0)

 

133 – Keller (UTC) maj. dec. Leach, 17-3 (8-0)

 

141 – Keefe (UTC) maj. dec. M. Bullwinkel, 9-0 (12-0)

 

149 – Duyn (CIT) fall Cleveland; 4:27 (12-6)

 

157 – Yost (UTC) maj. dec. Piccard, 12-1 (16-6)

 

165 – Sayers (UTC) tech. fall Filter, 16-0; 4:02 (21-6)

 

174 – Rogers (UTC) dec. Caldwell, 5-2 (24-6)

 

184 – Edmondson (UTC) fall Greene; 2:41 (30-6)

 

197 – Lorenzano (UTC) dec. Dickerson, 11-7 (33-6)

 

285 – Koz (UTC) dec. Buck, 6-2 (36-6)

Citadel Head to Durham for Tri-Meet

 

Durham, N.C. – The Citadel wrestling team will compete in dual matches against Campbell and Duke on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. The tri-meet will be hosted by Duke and held at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C.

The Bulldogs (1-4) were last in action at the Virginia Duals in Hampton, Va. on Jan. 12. The Citadel went 0-3 in the tournament as they lost to Kent State (40-6), Liberty (24-21), and Wyoming (26-13). Senior Travis Piccard went 2-0 at the tournament, winning both of his bouts by decision at 157 pounds. Junior Darius Caldwell and senior John Dickerson also notched two victories apiece in the competition for the Bulldogs. Caldwell took one bout by forfeit and one by fall at 174 pounds, while Dickerson won both by forfeit at 184. Junior Levi Duyn earned his 11^th fall of the season for The Citadel against Liberty’s Aaron Kelley at 149 pounds. Junior John Buck also won a bout for the Bulldogs at 285 pounds, a 6-2 decision over Jason Still of Wyoming.

The Citadel faced off against Duke and Campbell in a tri-meet last season on Jan. 9, 2006 at McAlister Field House. The Bulldogs defeated the Blue Devils 28-12 and were victorious against the Camels by a score of 32-19. Caldwell and sophomore Matt Bullwinkel earned two falls apiece in last year’s matches against Duke and Campbell for the Bulldogs, Caldwell at 174 pounds and Bullwinkel at 141. Dickerson also won both of his bouts in last year’s tri-meet at McAlister Field House, one by decision and one by fall at 184 pounds.

Duke comes into this year’s tri-meet with a record of 6-3, 0-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Campbell enters Wednesday’s action with a mark of 2-10-1, 1-4 in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).

Citadel Wrestling Team Back in Action at Virginia Duals

Hampton, Va. – The Citadel wrestling team will take the mats for the first time in 2007 as they compete in the Virginia Duals on Friday and Saturday at Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Va. The Bulldogs first dual match will be against third-seeded Kent State at 11 a.m. on Friday. They will wrestle again at 3 p.m. in another dual match regardless of the outcome of the first match.

The tournament features 16 teams and some of the top squads in the nation according to the latest USA Today/InterMat/National Wrestling Coaches’ Association (NWCA) Rankings. Among those wrestling in this year’s event are top seed and 10^th-ranked Penn State, second seed and 12^th-ranked Edinboro, and 22^nd-ranked Kent State. Rounding out the top eight seeds are Rider, Arizona State, Old Dominion, Drexel and Bloomsburg respectively.

The Bulldogs went 0-3 in last year’s event as they dropped matches to Ohio State (10-38), Rider (16-26), and North Dakota State (16-19). This marks the third straight season that the Cadets will compete in the Virginia Duals as they finished 1-2 in 2005 and 2-2 in 2004. The Citadel also faced Kent State in the first round of the 2004 tournament, with the eighth-seeded Bulldogs advancing to the quarterfinals with a 25-14 victory.

The Citadel is coming off a 29^th-place finish at the Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C. on December 29-30. Junior John Buck finished the tournament with a mark of 3-2 as he ran off three straight victories in the consolation bracket after losing his first bout. Junior Levi Duyn advanced to the round of 16 at 149 pounds before losing his last two bouts to nationally-ranked opponents to finish the event with a record of 2-2. Junior Darius Caldwell also notched two victories at 174 pounds for the Bulldogs, and sophomore Matt Bullwinkel earned a win for The Citadel at 141.

Bulldogs End 2006 at Southern Scuffle

Greensboro, N.C. – The Citadel wrestling team will end 2006 at the Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C. on Friday and Saturday. The tournament is hosted by fellow Southern Conference member UNC-Greensboro and held at the Greensboro Coliseum’s Special Events Center. Friday’s action is expected to start at 10 a.m. while wrestling gets underway at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

In addition to the Bulldogs, 31 other teams are expected to compete and 62 individuals ranked in the top 20 of their respective weight class in the latest USA Today/InterMat/National Wrestling Coaches Assocation (NWCA) Division 1 poll will wrestle in the tournament. Nationally ranked teams scheduled to participate include top-ranked Missouri, No. 2 Minnesota, twelfth-ranked Edinboro, thirteenth-ranked Cornell, eighteenth-ranked and SoCon member Chattanooga, nineteenth-ranked Ohio State, No. 23 Lehigh, and No. 24 Pittsburgh.

The Bulldogs are coming off a 17^th-place finish at the Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 20 in Reno, Nev. Junior Levi Duyn finished fourth at 149 pounds for the Bulldogs after notching a record of 5-2, with all five victories coming by fall. Freshman Tyler Sim at 125 pounds and junior Michael Arias at 141 both advanced to the round of 16 in their respective weight classes at the event, while junior Darius Caldwell also earned two victories for The Citadel at 174 pounds.

The Cadets placed 16^th out of 32 teams in last year’s Southern Scuffle in Greensboro. Current Bulldog assistant coach Sean Markey finished third at 141 pounds while senior Mark Thompson placed seventh at 197 pounds to lead The Citadel. Junior Michael Arias at 133 pounds and senior John Dickerson at 184 earned two victories apiece in the 2005 version of the Southern Scuffle.

Complete results from the Southern Scuffle will be available at www.CitadelSports.com.

Duyn Places Fourth as Bulldogs Finish 17th at Reno Tournament of Champions

Reno, Nev. – Junior Levi Duyn placed fourth at 149 pounds and three other Bulldogs earned two victories apiece as The Citadel wrestling team finished 17th out of 29 teams at the Reno Tournament of Champions on Wednesday at the Reno Downtown Convention Center in Reno, Nev.

Coming into the tournament as the seventh seed of the 149-pound bracket, Duyn advanced to the quarterfinals with three straight pins. After pinning eighth-seeded Mark Powell of Purdue in 2:35 to begin his day, Duyn notched another fall against Matt Black of Newberry College in 1:27. The redshirt-junior went on to the quarterfinals to face third-seeded Carter Downing of Wyoming after pinning Ryan Freeman of Oklahoma State in 3:52. Duyn dropped into the consolation bracket after being pinned by Downing in 1:56 to face Powell for the second time in the tournament. After defeating Powell by pin once again, this time in 4:21, Duyn earned another fall in 2:41 against Hadley Harrison of Clarion to advance to the third-place match where he lost to Downing for the second time on the day. Duyn still walked away from the tournament with a 5-2 record, all five victories by fall, and a fourth-place finish in the 149-pound bracket

Freshman Tyler Sim earned a victory in his first bout of the tournament as he won a 6-1 decision against Sean Katz of Liberty to advance to the round of 16 in the 125-pound bracket. But Sim dropped into the consolation bracket after being pinned by fifth-seeded Brandon Pecin of Northwestern in 5:40. Sim advanced after earning a 7-5 decision against Toby Seger of Clarion, but his hopes for the podium ended after losing a 7-2 decision to sixth-seeded Nick Smith of Minnesota State.

Junior Michael Arias also advanced to the round of 16 in his bracket as he notched a 6-4 decision over Westley Kuser of Duke at 141 pounds. Arias’ attempt to move on to the quarterfinals was thwarted, however, by eventual champion and top seed Kyle Larson of Oregon State who advanced with a 10-2 major decision. Arias earned a major decision of his own to advance in the consolation bracket as he defeated Micaiah Watkins of Embry-Riddle 12-1, but his day ended after being pinned by Jason Cook of Purdue in 1:02.

Junior Darius Caldwell also notched two wins for the Bulldogs as after dropping a 9-0 major decision to 14^th-ranked and fourth-seeded Brandon Mason of Oklahoma State in his first bout, he earned two victories in the consolation bracket. Caldwell earned 3-1 decisions over both Quinn Tolbert of Newberry College and Nick Walden of Embry-Riddle. His hopes of placing were dashed by Luke Feist of Stanford, who advanced with a 4-2 decision.

The Bulldogs will return to the mats for the Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C. on Dec. 29-30. All of the latest news from The Citadel wrestling team and all Bulldog athletics is available at www.CitadelSports.com.

 
The Citadel Results at the Reno Tournament of Champions

17. The Citadel, 29

125 Pounds – Tyler Sim, 2-2

133 Pounds – Anthony Easter, 0-2

141 Pounds – Michael Arias, 2-2; Matt Bullwinkel, 0-2

149 Pounds – Levi Duyn, 5-2

165 Pounds – Zachary Filter, 1-2

174 Pounds – Darius Caldwell, 2-2

184 Pounds – John Dickerson, 0-2

285 Pounds – John Buck, 0-2

Bulldogs Head to Nevada Once Again

 

Reno, Nev. – The Citadel wrestling team will travel to Nevada for the second time this season as they compete in the Reno Tournament of Champions on Wednesday at the Reno Downtown Convention Center in Reno, Nev. Action is expected to start at 12 p.m. and the finals are scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m.

In addition to the Bulldogs, 28 other teams are expected to compete in the tournament, including some schools highly ranked in the latest USA Today/InterMat/National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division 1 Rankings. Schools participating include Newberry College, Oregon, Fresno State, Cal-State Fullerton, 10^th-ranked Central Michigan, ninth-ranked Northwestern, Arizona State, Oregon State, fourth-ranked Oklahoma State, Boise State, Stanford, Purdue and Duke among others.

The Citadel is coming off a 30-12 loss in a dual match against Old Dominion on Saturday at McAlister Field House. The Monarchs won seven of the 10 weight classes and notched a major decision, a technical fall, and two forfeit victories. Junior Levi Duyn earned a 9-4 decision for the Bulldogs at 149 pounds while junior Darius Caldwell won a come-from-behind 4-2 decision at 174 pounds. The other victory for The Citadel came from junior John Buck, who won by forfeit in the heavyweight class.

The Bulldogs were in Nevada for the first time this season on Dec. 1-2 as they competed in the Las Vegas Invitational in Las Vegas, Nev. The Cadets placed 36^th in the event as freshman Tyler Sim at 125 pounds, senior Travis Piccard at 157, and junior John Buck at 285 each advanced to the round of 16. Piccard finished with a record of 4-2 in Las Vegas while Buck had a mark of 3-2. Sim, junior Michael Arias at 141 pounds, Duyn, and senior John Dickerson at 184 also notched victories for the Bulldogs in the event.

Three Wrestlers Commit to The Citadel During Early Signing Period

Charleston, S.C. – Head wrestling coach Rob Hjerling has announced the signing of three grapplers during the early signing period for the Bulldogs. The three wrestlers hail from three different states as there is one each from South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida.

J.C. Oddo of Eastside, S.C. is one of the three new Bulldogs. Oddo is expected to wrestle at 184 pounds for The Citadel and currently competes at Eastside High School where he has a career record of 171-3. He is on pace to pass current Bulldog Matthew Leach, who also wrestled at Eastside High School, for the South Carolina record for career wins at 199. Oddo is a three-time 3A state champion and he won last year’s Citadel Open in the college division. He was also named a Cadet National Greco All-American, Cadet National Freestyle All-American, and a National High School Coaches’ Association (NHSCA) Junior National All-American.

Justin Sparrow of East Gaston, N.C. also committed to The Citadel during the early signing period. Expected to wrestle for the Bulldogs at either 157 or 165 pounds, Sparrow has a career mark of 176-6 and is a three-time 4A state champion. Sparrow placed second in the 2006 Citadel Open college division and won the 2006 Southern Slam Open college division.

The third commitment for the Bulldogs is Keith Koziel of Brandon, Fla., who is expected to wrestle at 157 pounds at The Citadel. With a career record of 220-20, Koziel is a four-time state placer and a two-time runner up. Koziel was a champion in the 2006 Southeast Regional Freestyle Championships and placed second in the 2006 NHSCA Pre-Season Nationals in November. He was also a Cadet All-American in the USA Wrestling Folk Style Nationals.

“I’m very happy with these three early commitments and hopefully it will be the beginning of one of the best recruiting classes in The Citadel’s history,” Hjerling said. “We hope to add more names to this class in the spring.”

The current Bulldog wrestling team will be back in action this Saturday as they host Old Dominion for a dual meet at McAlister Field House. The meet is expected to begin at 2 p.m. and results will be available at www.CitadelSports.com.

The Citadel Ready for Las Vegas Invitational

Las Vegas, Nev. The Citadel wrestling team will continue their 2006-07 campaign this weekend as they compete in the 25^th annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in Las Vegas, Nev. The two-day tournament begins on Friday and will run through Saturday at the Star of the Desert Arena.

The Bulldogs will compete in the tournament for the third straight year, as they finished 35^th in 2004 and 23^rd last season. Current Bulldog coach Sean Markey was the only placer for the Cadets in last year's event. Markey finished fourth at 141 pounds.

This year's tournament will feature 48 teams in addition to The Citadel including Air Force, Arizona State, Columbia, Eastern Michigan, Harvard, Indiana, Kent State, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, N.C. State, Ohio State, Oregon State, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, UNC Greensboro, Virginia, and West Virginia among others.

The grapplers were last in action at the East Stroudsburg Open on Nov. 18 in East Stroudsburg, Pa. as they placed six and had one weight-class champion. Senior Mark Thompson, who wrestled unattached in the event, took the top spot on the podium at 197 pounds with a 5-0 record. Senior Travis Piccard completed the day with a mark of 4-1 to finish second at 157 pounds, while Michael Arias went 7-2 to place fifth at 141. Other placers for the Bulldogs were freshman Tyler Sim (eighth) at 125 pounds, junior Darius Caldwell (seventh) at 174, and junior John Buck (seventh) in the heavyweight class.

Thompson Takes Top Spot at East Stroudsburg Open

East Stroudsburg, Pa. Senior Mark Thompson, who wrestled unattached, went 5-0 at 197 pounds and senior Travis Piccard took second place at 157 pounds to lead The Citadel wrestling team at the East Stroudsburg Open in East Stroudsburg, Pa. on Saturday. The event was hosted by East Stroudsburg University.

Thompson started his day with an 8-3 decision over Peter Grodziak of Shippensburg. After an 8-1 victory against Ed Mobley of Army, Thompson advanced to the semifinals with a pin of Army's Garrett Hunter in 1:29. He went on to the finals of the 197-pound weight class due to a medical forfeit and took the top spot at the podium with a 6-3 decision over Chad Unger of Penn State.

Piccard, who finished third in last year's event, earned a fall in his first match of the day as he pinned Justin McCutcheon of Middlesex County College in 4:30. He moved on to the finals with three straight decisions: a 7-1 victory over Spencer Hollerith of Maryland; a 5-1 triumph against Jon Clemens of Penn State; and a 5-1 win over Matthew Button of Harvard. Piccard lost a narrow 4-3 decision to James Strouse of Hostra in the finals and went home with second place at 157 pounds.

The next highest finisher for the Bulldogs was junior Michael Arias, who finished fifth at 141 pounds with a record of 7-2. Arias first bout was a 19-9 major decision over Rob Cross of Shippensburg, but he fell into the consolation bracket after dropping a 16-0 technical fall decision to Charles Griffin of Hofstra. Arias then ran off six straight victories, including a 15-0 technical fall against Fred Rodgers of Rider; a 16-1 technical fall over Ryan McGarity of East Stroudsburg; and a 15-0 technical fall against his teammate, freshman Derek Royster who wrestled unattached in the event. Arias podium hopes ended after a 5-0 loss to Matt Ciasulli of Lehigh, but he defeated Steve Fehnel of Maryland with a 9-2 decision to place fifth.

Other placers for the Bulldogs were junior Darius Caldwell, who finished seventh at 174 pounds, and junior John Buck, who ended up seventh in the heavyweight division.

The grapplers will be in action again Dec. 1-2 at the Las Vegas Invitational in Las Vegas, Nev. All of the latest from The Citadel wrestling team is available at www.CitadelSports.com.

Grapplers Head North for East Stroudsburg Open

East Stroudsburg, Pa. The Citadel wrestling team will be in action on Saturday as they compete in the East Stroudsburg Open. The 40^th annual tournament will be held at Koehler Fieldhouse and hosted by East Stroudsburg University. Weigh-ins are scheduled for 7 a.m. and wrestling is set to begin at 9 a.m.

Close to 300 wrestlers are expected to wrestle in the event as Bloomsburg, Harvard, Kutztown, Lehigh, Old Dominion, Penn State, Rutgers, Maryland, Army, Virginia Tech, Rider, Shippensburg, Buffalo, Drexel and Rider are among the schools expected to send grapplers.

The Bulldogs placed five in last years open, led by current coach Sean Markey who went 5-0 to take home the 141-pound championship. Senior Travis Piccard finished third in last years event at 157 pounds with a record of 8-1, junior Levi Duyn had a mark of 5-1 to place second at 149, senior Mark Thompson went 6-2 to finish fourth at 197, and junior John Buck ended up fourth in the heavyweight class after notching five wins and only two losses.

The Citadel opened up their dual season on Saturday at McAlister Field House with a 39-9 victory over Anderson. Junior Michael Arias, Duyn, and junior Darius Caldwell had falls for the Cadets while freshman Thomas Knapp notched a technical fall to run his record to 6-0 on the season.

The Citadel Dominates Anderson to Begin Dual Season

Charleston, S.C. The Citadel wrestling team began their dual season by easily defeating Anderson 39-9 on Saturday night at McAlister Field House. Junior Michael Arias, junior Levi Duyn and junior Darius Caldwell all recorded falls for the Bulldogs while freshman Thomas Knapp notched a technical fall.

The Dogs started the match with an exciting victory at 125 pounds, as freshman Tyler Sim earned a comeback victory over Nathan Fleming. Down 6-2 in the third period, Sim nearly recorded a fall and eventually took a 7-6 lead. After adding another point on a second stall warning, Sim walked off the mat with an 8-6 decision.

Knapp remained perfect on the season after going 5-0 in The Citadel Open last Sunday as he defeated Nathan Wade 16-1 for a technical fall at 133 pounds. The Bulldogs added two more falls in the next two bouts as Arias pinned Chris Francis in 2:27 at 141 pounds and Duyn earned a fall over T.J. Selke at 1:38 in the 149-pound weight class.

At 174 pounds, Caldwell earned the fourth fall of the day for the Bulldogs in 4:00 against Mark Nothum. Senior John Dickerson recorded a 13-3 major decision at 184 pounds over Nick Niesielowski.

Junior John Buck ended the match for The Citadel with a victory over Aaron Lambert. After Lambert earned a point for an escape to tie the bout at four in the third period, Buck received a stall point in the closing seconds to win the dual 5-4.

The Citadel will head to East Stroudsburg, Pa. for the East Stroudsburg Open next Saturday, Nov. 18. The latest on The Citadel wrestling team is available at www.CitadelSports.com.

The Citadel 39 Anderson 9

125 Sim (CIT) dec. Fleming, 8-6 (3-0)

133 Knapp (CIT) tech. fall Wade, 16-1 (8-0)

141 Arias (CIT) fall Francis; 2:27 (14-0)

149 Duyn (CIT) fall Selke; 1:38 (20-0)

157 Piccard (CIT) fft. (26-0)

165 Godwin (AND) dec. Filter, 7-2 (26-3)

174 Caldwell (CIT) fall Nothum; 4:00 (32-3)

184 Dickerson (CIT) maj. dec. Niesielowski, 13-3 (36-3)

197 Skinner (AND) fft. (36-9)

285 Buck (CIT) dec. Lambert, 5-4 (39-9)

The Citadel Begins Dual Season by Hosting Anderson

Charleston, S.C. The Citadel wrestling team will kick off the 2006-07 dual season when it hosts Anderson University on Saturday. The match on Homecoming weekend will begin at 5:30 p.m. at McAlister Field House.

Several Bulldogs began their season last Sunday in The Citadel Open at McAlister Field House, as The Citadel placed five and had two weight class champions in freshmen Matthew Leach at 125 pounds and Thomas Knapp at 141. The freshmen both had perfect records during the tournament as Leach went 4-0 and Knapp finished 5-0. Freshman Tyler Sim met his teammate Leach in the championship match at 125 to place second with a 3-1 mark, freshman Zachary Filter went 4-1 to finish third at 165, and sophomore Anthony Easter ended up in third place at the 133-pound weight class with a record of 5-1. Others to compete at The Citadel Open for the Dogs were junior Charlie Hopkins at 125 (0-2), sophomore Mike Fenton at 133 (2-2), freshman Derek Royster at 141 (0-2), sophomore Matt Bullwinkel at 149 (2-2), and freshman Griffen Greene at 165 (1-2).

Sim again met Leach twice during the Blue and White Intrasquad on Wednesday and won both bouts by decision 3-1 and 7-3. Others to earn victories during the intrasquad for the Bulldogs were Knapp, Royster, junior Michael Arias, and Filter.

Blue and White Intrasquad Slated for Wednesday