Alec Pantaleo at the U.S. World Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Rider's B.J. Clagon sleeps about seven miles away from the Princeton University campus. The proximity of the All-Star Classic is ideal as the New Jersey native will head down the street to face Michigan All-American Alec Pantaleo at 157 pounds at the 52nd annual NWCA All-Star Classic set for Princeton University's Jadwin Gym on Sunday, November 5.
The NWCA All-Star Classic is hosted by Wrestlers in Business Network and sponsored by Princeton Brain and Spine and Northwestern Mutual Life.
Diminutive dynamos Marina Doi of King, a two-time national champion, and Hiba Salem of Menlo, a two-time All-American, will meet at 101 pounds on the women's side.
While both Clagon and Pantaelo are returning All-Americans, both have spent time away from the podium for varying reasons. As a redshirt freshman in 2015, Clagon entered as the No. 15 seed at 149 pounds and defeated four seeded wrestlers en route to a fifth-place finish. He qualified for the NCAA Championships each of the last two seasons. Last season, he was one win away from returning to the podium.
Clagon will be making his second appearance in the event. He defeated rival Lenny Richardson of Old Dominion in 2016 in Atlanta. He'll make Rider's fifth all-time appearance in the All-Star Classic. Bronc wrestlers are 2-3 overall.
Pantaleo will be the second member of his family to compete in the event and the second Wolverine to be announced for 2017. Joe Pantaelo, Alec's uncle, won a 6-1 decision over Bloomsburg's Dave Morgan at the 1989 All-Star Classic in Philadelphia.
A native of Canton, Michigan, Pantaleo is coming off a redshirt season after finishing sixth at the 2016 NCAA Division I Championships. He finished the season 27-8 and finished third at the Big Ten Championships that season. Clagon and Pantaleo have never met in collegiate competition.
Two-time WCWA champion Marina Doi from King University will be challenged by Menlo College's Hiba Salem at 101 pounds. Doi, the only representative for four-time reigning WCWA champion King, is a three-time finalist from Kingsburg, California. Salem is a two-time All-American from South San Francisco, California.
The two met in the semifinals of the 2017 WCWA National Championships in Oklahoma City with Doi earning a 7-0 decision. Salem finished fourth. The year prior, Salem was sixth, falling to Marina's twin sister Regina in the fifth-place bout.
Both are accomplished at the age-group levels, with Salem earning two All-American finishes at the USA Wrestling Cadet & Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota. Doi was a co-champion with sister Regina on two occasions and won three titles overall. She also won the 2012 Cadet World Championship ad was a bronze medalist at the 2014 Junior World Championships.
Salem will join teammate Solin Piearcy as entries for Menlo College in Atherton, California.
WHAT: 52nd NWCA All-Star Classic hosted by Wrestlers in Business Network
WHEN: Sunday, November 5, 3 p.m.
WHERE: Jadwin Gym, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.
TICKETS: $20 (group discounts available)
SOCIAL MEDIA: #ComeBackToJadwin #allstarclassic2017 #wrestleback
WATCH: www.trackwrestling.com
INFO: www.goallstarclassic.com
ANNOUNCED MATCHUPS
Men
125: Darian Cruz, Sr. (Lehigh) vs. Nick Piccininni, So. (Oklahoma State)
133: Seth Gross, Jr. (South Dakota State) vs. Stevan Micic, So. (Michigan)
141: Kevin Jack, Sr. (NC State) vs. Bryce Meredith, Sr. (Wyoming)
149: Max Thomsen, So. (Northern Iowa) vs. Matthew Kolodzik, So. (Princeton)
157: Alec Pantaleo, Jr. (Michigan) vs. B.J. Clagon, Sr. (Rider)
165:
174: Mark Hall, So. (Penn State) vs. Zahid Valencia, So. (Arizona State)
184: Pete Renda, Sr. (NC State) vs. Drew Foster, Jr. (Northern Iowa)
197: Kollin Moore, So. (Ohio State) vs. Jared Haught, Sr. (Virginia Tech)
285: Tanner Hall, Jr. (Arizona State) vs. Nick Nevills, Jr. (Penn State)
Women
101: Marina Doi, Sr. (King) vs. Hiba Salem, Jr. (Menlo)
109: Maria Vidales (Emmanuel) vs. Charlotte Fowler (Campbellsville)
116: Fayth Woodward (Emmanuel) vs. Makayla Bourbon, Sr. (U. of the Cumberlands)
123: Dom Parrish, Jr. (Simon Fraser) vs. Amber Pair, So. (Eastern Oregon)
130: Megan Black, Sr. (McKendree) vs. Shelby Hall, Sr. (Campbellsville)
136: Kayla Miracle, Sr. (Campbellsville) vs. Solin Piearcy, So. (Menlo)
143: Mallory Velte, Sr. (Simon Fraser) vs. Desiree Zavala, So. (Grays Harbor)
155: Niauni Hill, Sr. (Lindenwood-Belleville) vs. Kiera Gabaldon, Jr. (Warner Pacific)
170: Jessika Rottier, Jr. (U. of the Cumberlands) vs. Brandy Lowe, Sr. (McKendree)
191:
Note: Women's college wrestling competes under international freestyle rules.
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