LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ -- The Hofstra Pride Wrestling Team returned to the top of the Colonial Athletic Association Saturday afternoon when they captured the 2011 CAA Wrestling Championship at Rider University's Alumni Gymnasium.
The Pride had five champions, three runners-up, one third place and two fourth place finishers to capture their ninth CAA title in the past 10 seasons. It was also the Pride's 10th conference title in the last 11 years, missing only the 2010 CAA title which went to Binghamton. Hofstra finished with 94 points followed by Binghamton (78.5), Old Dominion (52.5), Boston U. (46), Rider (43.5), Drexel (25.5), and George Mason (6). Five number one seeds won their weight classes while four number two seeds won.
Leading the way for the Pride was senior Lou Ruggirello , who recorded his fourth CAA title at 133 pounds to advance to his fourth NCAA Championship. Ruggirello (28-3), the top seed, defeated #2 seed Kyle Hutter from Old Dominion, 2-1 on the riding time point in the 133-pound final Saturday. Ruggirello enters the NCAA Championships riding a 14-match winning streak.
Senior Ryan Patrovich , the #2 seed at 174 pounds, will make his third trip to the NCAA Championships later this month but his first as a CAA champion following a 5-4 victory over Boston University sophomore and #4 seed Hunter Meys in the title match Saturday. Patrovich (15-5) has competed in the NCAA Championships as a former CAA finalist, an at-large selection and now as champion.
Junior Ben Clymer will make his second consecutive NCAA Championship appearance and first as a CAA champion following a thrilling 4-3 title match victory over Binghamton sophomore and #1 seed at 184 pounds Nate Schiedel. Clymer (21-8) captured the title on an escape and goes to his second NCAA Championship after being a CAA finalist last year.
Sophomore Paul Snyder , the top seed at 285 pounds, will make his first NCAA Championship appearance after defeating Drexel sophomore and #2 seed Jack Callender, 11-5 in the championship match. Snyder (25-14) has won six consecutive matches entering the NCAA Championships.
Sophomore Steve Bonanno will be going to his second NCAA Championship after going as a CAA finalist in 2009 after a second-place finish at 125 pounds Saturday. Bonanno (24-10), the #2 seed, dropped a 5-3 decision to Old Dominion senior and #1 seed James Nicholson in the championship match Saturday.
Junior P.J. Gillespie will be making his third NCAA Championship appearance following a 3-1 loss in the 165-pound championship match to Binghamton junior and #4 seed Justin Lister. Lister captured the 157-pound title last year. Gillespie (25-7) will be going to nationals as a CAA finalist for the second straight year after going as the 149-pound CAA Champion in 2009.
Junior Vince Varela , the #1 seed at 141 pounds, will wait and hope for an at-large bid on March 9 after dropping an 8-6 decision to Binghamton senior and #2 seed Anwar Goeres Saturday. Varela is now 20-13 on the season.
Sophomore Tyler Banks (21-16) posted two wins in the consolation bracket on Saturday to place third at 157 pounds. Banks, the #2 seed, defeated Boston freshman and #5 seed Nick Tourville, 13-5, and George Mason sophomore and #4 seed Jaaziah Bethea, 4-2 in the third place match Saturday.
Freshmen Zach Clemente at 149 and Matt Loew at 197 each placed fourth in their respective weight classes. Clemente (16-14) majored Boston sophomore and #6 seed Nestor Taffur, 16-5 before dropping a 6-5 decision to Old Dominion senior and #5 seed Joey Metzler in the third-place match. Loew (15-23) defeated Rider junior and #6 seed Joe Ferber, 3-1 in overtime before dropping an 8-3 decision to Drexel freshman and #2 seed Brandon Palik in the third-place match.
Rider's 149-pound red-shirt freshman Zac Cibula, the second seed, won his weight class with a 5-4 overtime decision over the seventh ranked wrestler in the nation, top-seeded Donnie Vinson, to earn the CAA Tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler award. Cibula won by fall in the semi-finals.
The CAA will send at least 17 wrestlers to the NCAA Division I Championships, hosted by Rider and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference March 17-19 in Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center. They are:
125 James Nicholson-ODU, Steve Bonanno -Hofstra
133 Lou Ruggirello-Hofstra, Kyle Hutter-ODU, Fred Santaite-BU
141 Anwar Goeres-Binghamton
149 Zac Cibula-Rider, Donnie Vinson-Binghamton
157 Matt Kaylor-Binghamton
165 Justin Lister-Binghamton, Paul Gillespie-Hofstra, Jim Resnick-Rider,
174 Ryan Patrovich-Hofstra, Hunter Meys, Boston U.
184 Ben Clymer-Hofstra
197 John Hall-BU
285 Paul Snyder-Hofstra
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