Brookville, NY – Sophomore Vinny Vespa recorded a win by fall and a major decision on the mat and sophomores Jacob Martin and Sage Heller and senior Michael Hughes each had two wins on the mat to lead the Hofstra Pride to three victories in the LIU Post Duals at the Pratt Recreation Center Sunday.

Hofstra defeated Clarion, 25-18, Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association-foe Columbia, 24-12 and short-handed American International, 56-0 to improve to 6-4 overall on the season and 2-1 in the EIWA. The Pride has now won four consecutive dual matches.
 
In the Pride's first match of the day against the Golden Eagles of Clarion, Hofstra jumped out to a 10-0 lead when sophomore Jacob Martin won by injury default at 125 and junior Vinny Vespa posted a major decision win over Kyle Greenwald at 133. But the Golden Eagles posted major decisions at 141 and 149 to close to 10-8. Hofstra red-shirt freshman Ricky Stamm edged Avery Shay at 157, 4-3 and sophomore Sage Heller recorded his fourth fall of the year to boost the Pride lead to 19-8.

Clarion closed to 19-18 with wins by decision at 174 and 197 and a major decision win at 184. But Hofstra senior Michael Hughes, ranked seventh in the nation, closed out the match with his 10th win by fall of the year, pinning Brylee Shumaker at the 2:18 mark of the 285-pound match for the 25-18 victory.

In Hofstra's second match of the duals-an EIWA contest against local rival Columbia-Martin and Vespa gave the Pride a comfortable 10-0 lead with a major decision by Martin at 125 and Vespa's first pin of the year at the 2:49 mark over Alec Kelly at 133. Pride red-shirt freshman Charlie Kane boosted the lead to 13-0 with a 503 sudden victory win over J.P. Ascolese at 141.

Columbia recorded four straight wins by decision at 149, 157, 165 and 174 to close to 13-12. But the Pride answered with Cory Damiana's first tech fall win of the year over Columbia's Anthony Piscopo, 17-0 at 184, a 7-1 decision by Nezar Haddad over Michael Bulkin at 197 and a 2-0 win by Hughes over Garrett Ryan, who is ranked 16th in the nation for the final 24-12 score.

The finale for Hofstra in the LIU Post Duals was a mismatch from the start against an injury-depleted American International College squad that had four healthy wrestlers. The Yellow Jackets forfeited six matches-at 125, 141, 149, 157, 184 and 197-and the Pride won the other four on the mat including pins by Garrett Lambert at 133 and Heller at 165, a tech fall by Bobby Fehr at 174, and a sudden victory win by Michael Oxley at 285 to cruise to the 56-0 victory.

Notes
- The AIC victory equaled the biggest margin of victory for the Pride since a 56-0 victory at Wagner on November 14, 2006.
- The 56-point margin of victory, which has been achieved three times, is the second biggest margin of victory in school history. Hofstra defeated Wagner on Staten Island, 57-0 on January 30, 1999 in the Wagner Duals.

Hofstra 25, Clarion 18
            125       Jacob Martin (HU) inj. def. Jake Cromacki (CU)
            133       Vinny Vespa (HU) maj. dec. Kyle Greenwald (CU), 12-1
            141       Brock Zacherl (CU) maj. dec. Garrett Lambert (HU), 17-4
            149       Taylor Ortz (CU) maj. dec.. Connor Burkert (HU), 13-3
            157       Ricky Stamm (HU) dec. Avery Shay (CU), 4-3
            165       Sage Heller (HU) WBF Jimmy Miller (CU),
            174       Dominic Rigous (CU) dec. Bobby Fehr (HU), 3-0
            184       Greg Bulsak (CU) maj. dec. Mike Oxley (HU), 8-0
            197       Dustin Conti (CU) dec. Nezar Haddad (HU), 3-2
            285       Mike Hughes (Hofstra) WBF Brylee Shumaker (CU), 2:18

Hofstra 24, Columbia 12
            125       Jacob Martin (HU) maj. dec. Spencer Good (CU), 11-2
            133       Vinny Vespa (HU) WBF Alec Kelly (CU), 2:43
            141       Charlie Kane (HU) dec. J.P. Ascolese (CU), 5-3 sv
            149       Jacob Macalolooy (CU) dec. Ryan Burkert (HU), 9-2
            157       Markus Scheidel (CU) dec. Ricky Stamm (HU), 5-3
            165       Laurence Kosoy (CU) dec. Sage Heller (HU), 7-6
            174       Tyrel White (CU) dec. Anthony Olivieri (HU), 8-2
            184       Cory Damiana (HU) tech fall Anthony Piscopo (CU), 17-0
            197       Nezar Haddad (HU) dec. Michael Bulkin (CU), 7-1
            285       Mike Hughes (Hofstra) dec. Garrett Ryan (CU), 2-0

Hofstra 56, American International 0
            125       Jacob Martin (HU) forfeit
            133       Garrett Lambert (HU) WBF Jordan Brock (AIC), 0:49
            141       Charlie Kane (HU) forfeit
            149       Ryan Burkert (HU) forfeit
            157       Ricky Stamm (HU) forfeit
            165       Sage Heller (HU) WBF Randy Jenkins (AIC), 5:56
            174       Bobby Fehr (HU) tech fall Isaiah Collins (AIC), 16-0
            184       Cory Damiana (HU) forfeit
            197       Nezar Haddad (HU) forfeit
            285       Michael Oxley (Hofstra) dec. Jenard Rosemond (AIC), 5-3 sv