Seven Pride wrestlers captured individual titles as Hofstra cruised to its fifth consecutive conference team championship Saturday night at the 2005 CAA Wrestling Championships at Boston University. The title is Hofstra's fourth straight CAA championship since joining the league in 2002. The Pride also captured the team title in the ECWA in 2001.

Hofstra finished with a school-record 136 points in the 10-team championship field. Rider University was second with 84.5 points, Drexel was third with 69 and the Terriers of Boston University were fourth with 53 points.

The Pride, who placed nine wrestlers in Saturday night's final, will also send a school-record nine wrestlers to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships to be held at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, Missouri from March 17-19. The previous Pride record for wrestlers sent to the NCAA Championships in a single year was eight, set in 2003 and 2004. Hofstra's seven conference titles is also a new school best, topping the previous mark of six set last year.

Junior Jon Masa and senior Chris Skretkowicz (pictured) each captured their third conference titles to become just the ninth and tenth wrestlers in school history to capture three conference crowns. Masa (20-9) didn't break a sweat as his opponent Rayes Gonzales from Boston University forfeited the title match. Skretkowicz (28-2) defeated John DaCruz of Boston University 10-0 to win the 197-pound title. Skretkowicz, the third-ranked wrestler in the country, was named the CAA Championship Tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler.

Freshmen Charles Griffin and Joe Rovelli made strong cases for the CAA Rookie of the Year award, which will be announced in the coming weeks, with conference championships. Griffin (27-4) defeated Kyle McCarthy from Sacred Heart 12-3 while Rovelli (22-7) recorded a 13-8 decision over Adam Wright from Old Dominion.

The big upset of the finals came at 157 pounds where Hofstra sophomore James Strouse captured his first CAA title with a 3-0 decision over defending league champion Dave Miller from Rider. Strouse (22-10) advances to his second straight NCAA Championship Tournament. Junior Mike Patrovich notched his first CAA title with a 17-6 major decision over Sherwood Fendryk from Sacred Heart. Patrovich (13-3) was a CAA finalist in 2003. Senior Paul Siemon (25-7) will be making his third trip to the NCAA Championships but this time as a CAA champion following his win by forfeit over Sean Jenkins of Rider.

Two other Hofstra wrestlers will make the trip to St. Louis as CAA finalists as freshman Dave Tomasette (18-12) dropped a 4-0 decision to Christian Staylor from Old Dominion in the 125 pound final while senior Ricky LaForge (24-6) dropped the 141-pound title match by medical forfeit at 3:25 of the contest.

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