
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Steve Lomangino (Media Relations Director)
Email – sjl304@lehigh.edu
Story on Lehighsports.com
http://www.lehighsports.com/sports/wrestling/napoli_brown_hamlin_reach_semis_to_pace_lehigh_at_midlands.aspx
Steve Lomangino (Media Relations Director)
Email – sjl304@lehigh.edu
Story on Lehighsports.com
http://www.lehighsports.com/sports/wrestling/napoli_brown_hamlin_reach_semis_to_pace_lehigh_at_midlands.aspx
Napoli, Brown, Hamlin reach semis to pace Lehigh at Midlands
Posted: 12/29/2012 |
EVANSTON, Ill. –
Three Lehigh wrestlers advanced to Sunday’s championship
semifinals, to pace the Mountain Hawks in a marathon opening
day at the 50th Ken Kraft Midlands Championships Saturday at
Welsh-Ryan Arena. Senior Robert Hamlin, junior Joey Napoli and
sophomore Nathaniel Brown reached the semis, while five other
Mountain Hawks remain alive in consolations.
As a team, the
Mountain Hawks are tied with Oregon State for fifth place with
48.5 points, 12 points behind first place Illinois. Five of
Lehigh’s ten designated point scorers are alive, with freshman
Laike Gardner and senior Shane Welsh joining the trio of
Mountain Hawk semifinalists in advancing to Sunday’s second
day. In addition, sophomore Mason Beckman (133) and true
freshmen Randy Cruz (133) and Mitch Minotti (149) advanced to
Sunday and are one win from placing in the top eight while
competing unattached.
Six Mountain Hawks
reached Saturday night’s quarterfinals. The first three Lehigh
wrestlers to compete in the quarterfinals lost, but Napoli got
things going for the Brown and White with a come-from-behind
6-3 win over No. 3 seed Jesse Dong of Virginia Tech at 157.
The third-seeded Napoli fell behind 2-0 early, but scored a
key reversal to take a 4-3 lead and added two more points to
reach the semifinals, where he will face the No. 10 seed
Taylor Walsh of Indiana.
Brown delivered
the biggest upset of the tournament for Lehigh thus far,
knocking off top seed Jordan Blanton of Illinois 3-2 in the
quarterfinals at 174. The ninth-seeded Brown posted his third
win of the day, earning a semifinal matchup against No. 4 seed
Dan Yates of Michigan.
Hamlin enjoyed a
strong first day in defense of his 2011 Midlands title at 184,
following a first round decision with three straight wins by
major decision to reach the semis for the third straight year.
The top seed at 184, Hamlin will now face No. 4 seed Travis
Rutt of Oklahoma, who is redshirting this season.
In his first
action in nearly a month, Gardner impressed early on at 133,
upsetting No. 9 seed Daryl Thomas of Illinois 5-3 in sudden
victory, before winning 5-0 over Jimmy Morris of Rider. In the
quarters, Gardner lost by technical fall to Jesse Theilke of
Wisconsin. Gardner will now face his Lehigh teammate Cruz on
Sunday, with the winner earning a spot in the top eight.
Welsh reached the
quarterfinals at 149 with two wins including a 5-2 decision
over No. 8 seed Josh Wilson of Utah Valley. In the
quarterfinals, Welsh met former Iowa NCAA finalist Montell
Marion, and despite scoring the first takedown came up on the
short end of a 6-5 score against the top seed. Welsh will meet
Bart Reiter of Northern Iowa on Sunday, looking to place at
the Midlands for the second straight season.
Cruz posted a 3-1
record on the first day of competition to earn a matchup with
his teammate Gardner.
Sophomore Mason
Beckman entered the Midlands with a 17-0 record competing
unattached while he defers his eligibility this season. The
No. 6 seed at 133, Beckman won his first three matches on
Saturday before bowing out to No. 3 seed Tyler Graff of
Wisconsin 12-5 for his first loss of the season. Beckman will
now face Levi Wolfensperger of Northern Iowa with the winner
earning a spot in the top eight.
Minotti was the
third Lehigh unattached wrestler to advance to Sunday as he
bounced back from a round of 16 loss by fall to No. 5 seed
Nick Lester of Oklahoma, winning two matches to earn a matchup
with No. 6 seed Eric Grajales of Michigan on Sunday.
Among Lehigh’s
other point scorers, junior Alex Abreu went 1-2 at 125,
sophomore Anthony Salupo went 3-1 at 141 before medically
forfeiting in the fourth round of consolations and freshman
John Bolich posted a 1-2 mark at 197. Freshmen Brian Brill
(165) and Jack Delia (285) were eliminated after going 0-2.
Also competing for
the Mountain Hawks were junior Albert Woody, who went 1-2 at
149, senior Kevin Bailey, who went 2-2 at 174 and freshman
Doug Vollaro who lost his first round match competing
unattached at 285 before defaulting out of the tournament.
The 50th Ken Kraft
Midlands Championships will conclude Sunday from
Northwestern’s Welsh-Ryan Arena. Session III, featuring the
championship semifinals and round of 12 matches is slated for
a 12 p.m. (CT) start. The Midlands finals will begin at 7 p.m.
and will be televised live on the Big Ten Network.
125 – Alex Abreu -
Eliminated
Rd. of 32: L by
fall #9 Dom Malone (Northwestern) 1:55
2nd round
consolation: dec. Jade Rauser (Utah Valley) 12-6
3rd round
consolation: L by major dec. Sean Boyle (Michigan) 9-0
133 – Laike
Gardner
Rd. of 32: dec. #9
Daryl Thomas (Illinois) 5-3, s.v.
Rd. of 16: dec.
Jimmy Morris (Rider) 5-0
Quarterfinals: L
by tech fall Jesse Theilke (Wisconsin) 19-3, 4:46
Rd. of 12: vs.
Randy Cruz (Lehigh)
133 – #6 Mason
Beckman (unattached)
Pigtail: Tech fall
Dalton Bullard (Elmhurst) 15-0, 4:54
Rd. of 32: dec.
Joey Gosinski (Hofstra) 6-2
Rd. of 16: dec.
Tyler Keselring (Central Michigan) 5-4
Quarterfinals: L
by dec. #3 Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) 12-5
Rd. of 12: vs. #12
Levi Wolfensperger (Northern Iowa)
133 – Randy Cruz
(unattached)
Rd. of 32: dec.
Geoffrey Bostany (Penn) 2-0, s.v.2
Rd. of 16: L by
dec. #7 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) 8-7
3rd round
consolation: dec. Drew VanAnrooy (Oregon State) 7-2
4th round
consolation: major dec. Zane Richards (Illinois) 13-4
Rd. of 12: vs.
Laike Gardner (Lehigh)
141 – #11 Anthony
Salupo - Eliminated
Pigtail: dec.
Scott Mattingly (Central Mich.) 7-2
Rd. of 32: dec.
Kasey Davis (Edinboro) 7-4
Rd. of 16: L by
dec. #6 Michael Mangrum (Oregon State) 6-2
3rd round
consolation: major dec. Quinton Murphy (Indiana) 17-4
4th round
consolation: Medical Forfeit
149 – #9 Shane
Welsh
Rd. of 32: dec.
Geno Capezio (Indiana) 3-2
Rd. of 16: dec. #8
Josh Wilson (Utah Valley) 5-2
Quarterfinals: L
by dec. #1 Montell Marion (Unattached) 6-5
Rd. of 12: vs.
Bart Reiter (Northern Iowa)
149 – Albert Woody
- Eliminated
Rd. of 32: L by
dec. Shawn Fayette (N. Illinois) 5-3
2nd round
consolation: dec. Dalton Kelley (CSU-Bakersfield) 12-9
3rd round
consolation: L by dec. #8 Josh Wilson (Utah Valley) 9-3
149 – Mitch
Minotti (unattached)
Rd. of 32: Fall
Donnie Corby (Central Michigan) 7:39, s.v.
Rd. of 16: L by
Fall #5 Nick Lester (Oklahoma) 6:27
3rd round
consolation: dec. Max Mayfield (Iowa St.) 8-3
4th round
consolation: dec. Christian Barber (UNC) 6-1
Rd. of 12: vs. #6
Eric Grajales (Michigan)
157 – #3 Joey
Napoli
Rd. of 32: Fall
Casey Fuller (Edinboro) 1:39
Rd. of 16: dec.
Logan Molina (Iowa State) 3-1
Quarterfinals:
dec. #6 Jesse Dong (Virginia Tech) 6-3
Semifinals: vs.
#10 Taylor Walsh (Indiana)
165 – Brian Brill
- Eliminated
Pigtail: dec.
Vince Grella (Binghamton) 7-4
Rd. of 32: L by
major dec. #5 Conrad Polz (Illinois) 11-2
1st round
consolation: L by dec. #6 Pierce Harger (Northwestern) 5-0
174 – #9 Nathaniel
Brown
Rd. of 32: major
dec. Jermaine John (Hofstra) 8-0
Rd. of 16: dec.
P.J. Tasser (Pitt) 9-4
Quarterfinals:
dec. #1 Jordan Blanton (Illinois) 3-2
Semifinals: vs. #4
Dan Yates (Michigan)
174 – Kevin Bailey
- Eliminated
Rd. of 32: L by
dec. #10 Nick Bonaccorsi (Pitt) 8-5
1st round
consolation: Fall Frank Abbondanza (UNC) 6:49
2nd round
consolation: dec. Matt Mougin (N. Illinois) 7-2
3rd round
consolation: L by dec. Mikey England (Iowa St.) 9-5
184 – #1 Robert
Hamlin
Pigtail: dec. Nick
Vetterlein (Virginia Tech) 10-4
Rd. of 32: major
dec. Alex Meyer (Iowa) 12-4
Rd. of 16: major
dec. Ryan Wolfe (Rider) 11-0
Quarterfinals:
major dec. #8 Joe Rau (Elmhurst) 11-3
Semifinals: vs. #4
Travis Rutt (Oklahoma)
197 – John Bolich
– Eliminated
Rd. of 32: L by
dec. #3 Hudson Taylor (Lions WC) 6-2
2nd round
consolation: dec. Ty Snook (Maryland) 6-2
3rd round
consolation: L by dec. Derrick Borlie (Virginia Tech) 6-3
285 – Jack Delia -
Eliminated
Rd. of 32: L by
dec. #8 Ernest James (Edinboro) 4-2, s.v. 2
1st round
consolation: L by dec. James Malechek (UW Parkside) 7-1
285 – Doug Vollaro
(unattached) - Eliminated
Rd. of 32: L by
dec. #11 Ben Apland (Michigan) 4-1
1st round
consolation: Injury default