It is the third time in his career that Cerminara has won the honor, earning it for the weeks of Feb. 2, 2004 and Feb. 25, 2003. The two-time MAC Champion is also the second consecutive Buffalo grappler to earn the honor, as sophomore Mickey Moran (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler Area) (165 pounds) earned the honor last week.
The 2004 All-American has already set the school's career dual meet takedown record (149-passing John Stutzman's (1995-98) mark of 135) this season as he has started off on a career-best 14-match winning streak, which is now 10 shy of Stutzman's school-record of 24 consecutive wins. Cerminara, with 112 career wins, is also just one win shy of tying the school-record for career wins set by Gary Cooper (1998-2003).
Cerminara won the award on the strength of his dominating performance at the Mat Town USA Invitational at Lock Haven, PA on Saturday, where he wrapped up the Harris Lipez Most Outstanding Wrestler Award after beating two nationally-ranked grapplers.
Cerminara faced his biggest test of the young season Saturday as the 197-pounder ran up against Indiana's NWMA/Intermat/NWCA eighth-ranked Brady Richardson in the finals. Cerminara passed the test with flying colors, as the fifth-ranked grappler posted a first period takedown, then added an escape and another takedown to take a commanding 5-0 lead. A third period escape proved too little, too late for Richardson, as Cerminara added a riding-time point to clinch the 6-1 win.
Cerminara entered the finals after pinning Lock Haven's Troy Charles 75 seconds into his match and then earning a 9-8 decision against Rider's T.J. Morrison, ranked 30th by the WrestlingReport.com.
Buffalo will head to the Las Vegas Invitational starting Friday for a true litmus test as it will compete with 50 NCAA Division I, II and III teams as well as junior colleges. The prestigous tournament includes three teams currently in the top 10 in USA Today/NWCA/Intermat's preseason poll in Michigan, Arizona State and Cornell.
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