Hempstead, NY –The Hofstra Wrestling team will wrap up its 2015-16 dual match schedule this weekend when the Pride travel north for two Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Senior Day matches.
Hofstra will take on Harvard on Friday evening, February 19 at 6 p.m. at the Malkin Athletic Center. The Pride will head to Providence, Rhode Island on Saturday for a match against the Bears of Brown at the Pizzitola Sports Center. Match time is 1 p.m.
Harvard will provide live video streaming through the Ivy League Digital Network as well as live stats through Track Wrestling. Brown will provide live streaming through the Ivy League Digital Network. Links can be found on GoHofstra.com
Hofstra is 5-11 overall and 1-5 in the EIWA. The Pride is coming off a 26-9 loss to Rider in Hofstra's Senior Day match last Sunday. Juniors
Michael Hughes at 285 and
Frank Affronti at 174 and
Jahlani Callender at 157 recorded Hofstra victories against the Dragons. Hughes posted his team-leading 32nd win of the season to improve to 32-7 on the season. Affronti recorded his team-leading 19th decision to improve to 27-11 while Callender boosted his record to 13-15 on the year.
Last week, the NCAA released the second of four coaches' panel rankings and a preliminary release of the ratings percentage index (RPI) for the 2015-16 wrestling season. The final rankings and RPI will be two of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine the qualifiers and seeding for the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, hosted by Hofstra University, at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 17-19.
Wrestlers in each weight class will be measured by winning percentage, rating percentage index (RPI) and coaches' rankings to earn spots in their qualifying tournaments for the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. The coaches' rankings are compiled by a vote of coaches representing each qualifying tournament. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class.
In order to be eligible for the rankings, wrestlers must have participated in at least five matches against Division I opponents in the weight class and have wrestled within the last 30 days. To be eligible for an RPI ranking, a wrestler must have a minimum of 17 Division I matches at a given weight class.
Hofstra continues to have three wrestlers ranked in the second of four NCAA Coaches Panel Rankings, from February 11 and two in the preliminary RPI rankings.
Michael Hughes is ranked 20th in the coaches panel and 19th in the RPI rankings.
Frank Affronti is ranked 31st in the coaches poll and 32nd in the RPI. Senior
Jamel Hudson is ranked 26th in the coaches panel and unranked in the RPI at 141 pounds.
Hofstra now has just two wrestlers ranked in the weekly national polls as of February 16. Hughes is ranked 18th by The Open Mat and 22nd by The Wrestling Report this week. In addition to being 32-7 overall, Hughes is now 13-3 in duals and 6-0 in the EIWA on the season. He has won 12 of his last 13 matches. Affronti is now ranked 29 by The Wrestling Report this week. He has already topped his single season career-best victory total this year and is now 27-11 overall and 13-3 in duals. Affronti has won eight of his last 11 matches. Junior
Jamel Hudson (16-6), 8-4), who has been ranked in the weekly polls previously, was not ranked this week.
Harvard is 7-4 overall and 4-3 in the EIWA. The Crimson have wins over Bloomsburg (40-3), Duke (23-17), Franklin and Marshall (32-18), Bucknell (26-21), Columbia (22-14), Brown (25-10) and Roger Williams (38-3). Harvard's losses have come to North Carolina State (37-6), Cornell (31-14), Princeton (19-16) and Penn (26-9).
The Crimson has four wrestlers ranked in either the NCAA Coaches Panel or the RPI. Senior Todd Preston leads the way with a 26-4 record and a 10-1 mark in the EIWA at 141. He is ranked ninth in the NCAA Coaches Panel and 11th in the RPI. Senior Devin Gobbo, who is 20-4 overall and 7-0 in the EIWA at 165, is ranked 23rd in the coaches panel and 22nd in the RPI. Junior Nick Gajdzik is 18-7 on the year and 2-2 in the EIWA. He is ranked 27th in the coaches panel and 25 in the RPI at 197 pounds. Junior Jeffrey Ott is 20-8 overall and 9-2 in conference matches. He is ranked 29th in the RPI at 133 pounds.
Brown enters the weekend with a 4-10 record including a 2-8 mark in the EIWA. The Bears have wins over Sacred Heart (22-17), Franklin and Marshall (29-8), Bloomsburg (32-12) and Roger Williams (24-17). Brown's losses have come against American (21-13), Pittsburgh (29-9), North Carolina (29-9), Cornell (30-13), Columbia (16-15), Bucknell (27-15), Penn (25-9), Princeton (21-16), Binghamton (30-6) and Harvard (25-10).
The Bears have three wrestlers who are currently ranked in either the NCAA Coaches Panel or the RPI rankings. Junior Justin Staudenmayer is 25-6 overall and 9-1 in the EIWA at 157 pounds. He is ranked 18th in the coaches panel and 10th in the RPI. Classmate Steven Galiardo is 15-7 overall and 6-2 in the EIWA. He is ranked 29th in the coaches panel and 17th in the RPI at 149. Freshman Jonathan Viruet is 15-10 on the year and 7-3 in conference action. He is ranked 28th in the RPI at 165 pounds.
Following the Brown match, Hofstra will prepare for the EIWA Championships at Princeton University on Saturday and Sunday, March 5-6.
