WREST: Pride Win CAA Title; Three NCAA-Bound

3/10/2013 2:32:00 AM

Boston, MA - Hofstra crowned two individual champions, three NCAA qualifiers and captured its 11th CAA team title in its 12 years in the league at the 2013 Colonial Athletic Association Wrestling Championships at Boston University's Case Gymnasium Saturday night.

Seven-teams and 70 wrestlers competed for the CAA team crown and the 19 individual berths to the 2013 NCAA Championships at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA on March 21-23.

Pride senior Steve Bonanno at 125 and junior Jamie Franco at 133 captured CAA individual titles. It was Bonanno's second consecutive conference title after winning in 2012. It was Franco's first CAA title. Bonanno will be making his fourth NCAA Championship appearance. Franco will be making his second NCAA Championship appearance after placing second in the CAA in 2012.

Those two individuals plus junior Luke Vaith, who placed third at 141 pounds, have all qualified for the NCAA Championships. Vaith will also be making his second NCAA Championship appearance after winning the conference title in 2012.

Bonanno, the number one seed at 125, defeated the second-seed Rob Deutsch from ODU, 3-2 in the title match. Bonanno, who recorded his 100th career victory in the semifinals, is now 17-10 on the season.

Franco, the number four-seed, defeated the third seed Derek Steeley from Binghamton, 8-3 in the 133-pound title match after downing top-seed Scott Festejo from ODU in the semifinals, 3-2. Franco is 17-13 this season.

Vaith (21-12), who is a beneficiary of the three CAA bids to the NCAA Championships at 141 pounds, defeated Rider's Vinny Fava, 8-0 in the third-place match to become NCAA-bound.

Sophomore Jermaine John (19-13), the number one seed at 174, fell to #2 seed Billy Curling from ODU in the title match in a weight-class with only one NCAA bid. John placed second.

In addition to Vaith, sophomore Cody Ruggirello (6-16) placed 3rd at 149 pounds as did seniors Tyler Banks (9-5) at 157 and Taras Luzhnyy (5-16) at 184 pounds. Sophomore Nick Terdick (7-23) placed fourth at 165 pounds. Senior Tim Murphy at 197 and sophomore Zeal McGrew at 285 did not place.

In the final team standings, the Pride topped the Bearcats of Binghamton and the Broncs of Rider, 67.5-54.0. It was Hofstra's second consecutive CAA championship since Binghamton broke the Pride's streak of eight straight CAA conference titles from 2002 through 2009. Hofstra also won the final conference title in the East Coast Wrestling Association (ECWA) in 2001.

The CAA Championship is Hofstra mentor Rob Anspach's second as head wrestling coach of the Pride after taking over the program for the 2011-12 season.

The final 2013 CAA Championship standings were as follows:

TEAM STANDINGS
1.    Hofstra   HOF   67.5
2.    Binghamton   BING   54.0
3.    Rider   RU   54.0
4.    Boston Univ.   BOST   51.5
5.    Drexel   DREX   24.5
6.    George Mason   GMU   22.0
7.    Old Dominion   ODU   0.0

wt.- - 125
1st Place - Steve Bonanno of Hofstra
2nd Place - Rob Deutsch of Old Dominion
3rd Place - Chris McGinley of Boston Univ.
4th Place - Rich Carroll-Lavorato of George Mason
1st Place Match - Steve Bonanno (Hofstra) won by decision over Rob Deutsch (Old Dominion) (Dec 3-2)
3rd Place Match - Chris McGinley (Boston Univ.) won by decision over Rich Carroll-Lavorato (George Mason) (Dec 9-2)

wt.- - 133
1st Place - Jamie Franco of Hofstra
2nd Place - Derek Steeley of Binghamton
3rd Place - Joshua Harlowe of Boston Univ.
4th Place - Scott Festejo of Old Dominion
1st Place Match - Jamie Franco (Hofstra) won by decision over Derek Steeley (Binghamton) (Dec 8-4)
3rd Place Match - Joshua Harlowe (Boston Univ.) won by pin over Scott Festejo (Old Dominion) (Pin 6:39)

wt.- - 141
1st Place - Chris Mecate of Old Dominion
2nd Place - Frank Cimato of Drexel
3rd Place - Luke Vaith of Hofstra
4th Place - Vinny Fava of Rider
1st Place Match - Chris Mecate (Old Dominion) won by decision over Frank Cimato (Drexel) (Dec 7-1)
3rd Place Match - Luke Vaith (Hofstra) won by major decision over Vinny Fava (Rider) (Maj 8-0)

wt.- - 149
1st Place - Donald Vinson of Binghamton
2nd Place - Alex Richardson of Old Dominion
3rd Place - Cody Ruggirello of Hofstra
4th Place - Nick Tourville of Boston Univ.
1st Place Match - Donald Vinson (Binghamton) won by tech fall over Alex Richardson (Old Dominion) (TF 15-0)
3rd Place Match - Cody Ruggirello (Hofstra) won by pin over Nick Tourville (Boston Univ.) (Pin 4:28)

wt.- - 157
1st Place - Nestor Taffur of Boston Univ.
2nd Place - Zachary Cibula of Rider
3rd Place - Tyler Banks of Hofstra
4th Place - Jaaziah Bethea of George Mason
1st Place Match - Nestor Taffur (Boston Univ.) won in overtime over Zachary Cibula (Rider) (OT 5-4)
3rd Place Match - Tyler Banks (Hofstra) won by decision over Jaaziah Bethea (George Mason) (Dec 7-0)

wt.- - 165
1st Place - Ramon Santiago of Rider
2nd Place - Brett Miller of Old Dominion
3rd Place - Mitchell Wightman of Boston Univ.
4th Place - Nick Terdick of Hofstra
1st Place Match - Ramon Santiago (Rider) won by decision over Brett Miller (Old Dominion) (Dec 8-2)
3rd Place Match - Mitchell Wightman (Boston Univ.) won in overtime over Nick Terdick (Hofstra) (OT 3-1)

wt.- - 174
1st Place - Billy Curling of Old Dominion
2nd Place - Jermaine John of Hofstra
3rd Place - James Brundage of Rider
4th Place - Kyle Czarnecki of Boston Univ.
1st Place Match - Billy Curling (Old Dominion) won by decision over Jermaine John (Hofstra) (Dec 6-3)
3rd Place Match - James Brundage (Rider) won by decision over Kyle Czarnecki (Boston Univ.) (Dec 12-5)

wt.- - 184
1st Place - Cody Reed of Binghamton
2nd Place - Ryan Wolfe of Rider
3rd Place - Taras Luzhnyy of Hofstra
4th Place - Austin Coburn of Old Dominion
1st Place Match - Cody Reed (Binghamton) won in overtime over Ryan Wolfe (Rider) (OT 7-5)
3rd Place Match - Taras Luzhnyy (Hofstra) won by decision over Austin Coburn (Old Dominion) (Dec 9-6)

wt.- - 197
1st Place - Brandon Palik of Drexel
2nd Place - Nathan Schiedel of Binghamton
3rd Place - Donald McNeil of Rider
4th Place - Jacob Henderson of Old Dominion
1st Place Match - Brandon Palik (Drexel) won by decision over Nathan Schiedel (Binghamton) (Dec 3-2)
3rd Place Match - Donald McNeil (Rider) won by decision over Jacob Henderson (Old Dominion) (Dec 6-0)

wt.- - 285
1st Place - Kevin Innis of Boston Univ.
2nd Place - Jacob Kettler of George Mason
3rd Place - Matt Tourdot of Old Dominion
4th Place - Tyler Deuel of Binghamton
1st Place Match - Kevin Innis (Boston Univ.) won by decision over Jacob Kettler (George Mason) (Dec 7-3)
3rd Place Match - Matt Tourdot (Old Dominion) won by decision over Tyler Deuel (Binghamton) (Dec 6-1)

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