Kent Flashes Six Wins to Overtake Buffalo, 21-13
KENT, OH - Kent State avenged 2005's come-from-behind dual meet win on
Friday night at the MAC Center, as it won six of the first nine matches to
clinch a 21-13 win against the University at Buffalo wrestling team in
Mid-American Conference wrestling action.
Senior Kyle Cerminara (Lewiston, NY/Lewiston-Porter) posted an 11-1 major
decision against Ardian Ramadani to cap off the meet, recovering nicely from
his first loss of the season against the nation's top-197 pounder, Wynn
Michalak of Central Michigan, on Sunday.
The NWCA/InterMat's fourth-ranked Cerminara posted two takedowns and a
3-point near fall to take control of the match. From there, he cruised,
allowing only an escape while registering a takedown, an escape and a
riding-time point to win his 35th match of the year. In the win, Cerminara
crossed the 50-dual meet-takedown plateau, the second time in his career and
sixth time in program history it has been reached.
Senior Harold Sherrell (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) gave the Bulls (9-5
overall, 2-3 MAC) an early lead with his 1-0, riding-time point-based win
against Jermail Porter. After a Buffalo forfeit, junior Mark Budd (Orrville,
OH/Orrville) posted five third-period points on a reversal and a 3-point
near fall to clinch a 6-0 win and retie the meet at six.
The Golden Flashes (12-3-1 overall, 2-0-1 MAC) responded to the tie,
however, by taking the next three wins to take a 15-6 lead before sophomore
Mickey Moran (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler Area) ended the streak by coming from
behind in the third period and earning a takedown in sudden-victory to down
Jason McGee, 7-5. Moran warded off a riding-time point and earned a penalty
point to tie the match at five with 13 seconds left in the match.
Amazingly, Moran, with three takedowns, almost lost the match without ever
being taken to the mat, as McGee earned points via three escapes and a
2-point near fall.
The Flashes turned to their wrestlers with their two best winning
percentages to clinch the match, as both narrowly eeked out wins, with the
MAC's top-ranked Aaron Miller beating sophomore Mike Ragusa (Foxboro,
MA/Foxboro) , 5-1. At 184 pounds, 16 th-rankied Alex Camargo posted a
narrow, 7-5, win clinched by a takedown with 47 seconds left in the match
against senior Garrett Hicks (Chautauqua, NY/Chautauqua Lake) .
Hicks reversed the Flashes' senior leader twice in the match, once
immediately after the Flash was given credit for a 3-point near fall. With
33 career reversals, Hicks passed Tom Jacoutot (1977-80) for third place on
the school's all-time list.
In 2005, the Bulls posted an impressive come-from-behind 18-16 win against
the Flashes, preventing an 0-5 mark in the conference, as a pin and a
decision in the final two matches helped the Bulls overcome a 16-9 deficit
in front of an Alumni Arena crowd.
The Bulls wrap up their dual meet schedule when they travel to Slippery Rock
on Thursday for a 7:00 pm match. It will be the final dual meet in The
Rock's wrestling history, as the program will be dropped following the
season.
Kent State 21, Buffalo 13
HWT: Harold Sherrell (UB) dec. Jermail Porter, 1-0
125: Chad Sportelli (KSU) by forfeit
133: Mark Budd (UB) dec. Drew Opfer, 6-0
141: Drew Lashaway (KSU) dec. Cliff Smith, 6-2
149: Jason Bake (KSU) dec. Dana Gingerich, 6-5
157: Kurt Gross (KSU) dec. John Cummings, 8-5
165: Mickey Moran (UB) dec. SV Jason McGee, 7-5
174: Aaron Miller (KSU) dec. Mike Ragusa, 5-1
184: Alex Camargo (KSU) dec. Garrett Hicks, 7-5
197: Kyle Cerminara (UB) maj. dec. Adrian Ramadani, 11-1
Kent State 25 Pitt 16
Kurt Gross wins ninth straight match
Pittsburgh, Pa. "Trailing 16-15 after seven matches, Kent State swept
the final three bouts to knock off Pittsburgh 25-16 Sunday afternoon
(Jan. 29) at the Fitzgerald Field House. The Golden Flashes (11-3-1)
extended their unbeaten streak to five matches with the road victory.
Redshirt freshman Jermail Porter (Akron/Firestone) earned a forfeit at
heavyweight to start the afternoon. MAC Wrestler of the Week Chad
Sportelli (Easton, Pa./Easton/Nebraska) followed with a third period
pin of Brad Gentzle to put Flashes up 12-0. Sportelli improved to 22-
8 with his fifth pin of the season at 125 pounds.
The Panthers clawed their way back with three straight victories
beginning at 133. Senior Drew Opfer (Sandusky/St. Mary) had his three-
match win streak snapped in a tight 7-5 loss to Mike Ciotti. Ronald
Tarquino continued Pitt,s momentum with a 17-0 technical fall of
freshman Kyle Chonko (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge). Joey Ecklof,s 15-5
major decision of freshman Jason Spencer (Newbury, Ohio/Mayfield) tied
the team score at 12-12. Ecklof, the Eastern Wrestling League,s
Wrestler of the Week, improved to 16-7 on the year at 149.
Sophomore Kurt Gross (North Royalton, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) extended
his winning streak to 10 matches and put KSU up 15-12 with a 9-3
decision of Sean Richmond. Gross (23-6) was not scored on in the
first two periods at 157. "Kurt has been really solid for us lately,
said Head Coach Jim Andrassy. "He,s a smart wrestler and has it made
it very difficult for opponents to score on him.
Justin Nestor,s 10-0 major decision of junior Jason McGee (Cuyahoga
Falls, Ohio/Cuyahoga Falls) gave the Panthers a 16-15 lead with just
three matches to go. Nestor (165) improved to 20-7 on the season with
Pitt,s fourth win of the day.
Junior Aaron Miller (Uniopolis, Ohio/Wapokoneta) silenced the Pitt
crowd with a 9-1 major decision of Nick Padezan. Miller (26-5) leads
the Flases in victories and is tied for the team lead with eight major
decisions at 174.
Senior Alex Camargo (Brook Park, Ohio/Berea) scored his second
convincing victory of the weekend, this time a 12-6 decision of Kyle
Deliere. Camargo (184) improved to 25-3 on the season and 116-38 for
his career. He is just six victories shy of passing Nick Nemeth and
becoming the winningest wrestler in KSU history.
Junior Ardian Ramadani (Garfield, NJ/Garfield) sealed the victory with
a 9-3 decision of Mike Heist at 197. Ramadani (17-8) has won his last
three bouts.
"We,re seeing consistency out of Aaron, Chad, Kurt, Alex and Ardian,
said Andrassy. "And that,s what we,re looking for at this point in
the season. Pitt traditionally has a good program. They,re a little
down this year but they,ll be back next year.
"We rested a couple starters today (Jason Bake & Drew Lashaway) and by
our match with Buffalo (Feb. 10) we should be as healthy as we,ve been
all year... And we won,t have anymore overnight trips until the MAC
Tournament.
Many Golden Flashes will compete Saturday (Feb. 4) in the Kent State
Open but Andrassy plans to rest most of his starting lineup. Over 300
wrestlers are expected in the open tournament which begins at 9 a.m.
in the M.A.C. Center Annex.
Kent State 25 Pittsburgh 16
285: Porter (K) won by forfeit
125: Sportelli (K) pinned Gentzle (P), 6:00
133: Ciotti (P) dec. D. Opfer (K), 7-5
141: Tarquinio (P) tech. fall Chonko (K), 17-0
149: Ecklof (P) maj. dec. Spencer (K), 15-5
157: Gross (K) dec. Richmond (P), 9-3
165: Nestor (P) maj. dec. McGee (K), 9-0
174: Miller (K) maj. dec. Padezan (P), 9-1
184: Camargo (K) dec. Deliere (P), 12-6
197: Ramadani (K) dec. Heist (P), 9-3
Kent State High School Invitational
RESULTS
Place Team Score
1. Stow 141.00
2. Nordonia 138.00
3. Brush 135.50
4. Jackson-Milton 119.00
5. Strongsville 117.00
6. Buckeye Local 101.00
7. Canfield Black 92.00
8. La Salle 78.00
9. Woodridge 40.50
10. Harmony 40.00
11. Waterloo 35.00
12. Rootstown 11.00
13. Poland 7.00
14. Canfield Red 5.50
Weight: 103 1st Santino Pizzuto Jackson-Milton Dec Shawn Smutak Nordonia, 9-4
3rd Kyle Ciccarello Brush Fall Justin Turnbull Buckeye Local, 5:19
Weight: 112 1st Paul Funk Nordonia Dec Matt Mascioli Jackson-Milton, 2-1
3rd Eric White Strongsville Dec Paul Lamanna Stow, 4-3
Weight: 119 1st Tyler Lambert Stow Fall Russell Hauser Brush, 1:40
3rd Brad Benedict Canfield Dec Alex Betzel Strongsville, 5-3 OT
Weight: 125 1st Chris Noahr Stow Dec Mike Slaga Buckeye Local, 15-6
3rd Justin Chesney Nordonia Dec Mauricio Gonzalez Strongsville, 9-4
Weight: 130 1st Jordan Ciccarello Brush DQ Willie Saxton Buckeye Local
3rd Drew Alboreo Stow Dec Ben Pearce Poland, 3-0
Weight: 135 1st Matt Haxton Strongsville Dec Ben Welsh Stow, 8-3
3rd Nate Weir La Salle Dec Keith Klever Nordonia, 7-1
Weight: 140 1st Matt Narducci Canfield Def Mike Kaminski Strongsville
3rd Darren Rhodes Nordonia Dec Eric Lohbeck La Salle, 11-5
Weight: 145 1st Sammy Deliberato Brush Fall Jamey Kaminski Strongsville, 0:48
3rd Tj Lange Strongsville Dec Alex Hannan Kenston, 10-9
Weight: 152 1st Mike Wiseman Jackson-Milton M-Dec Frank Saraniti Stow, 12-4
3rd Tyler Holthaus La Salle M-Dec John Polz Kenston, 13-2
Weight: 160 1st Andrew Scavuzzo Woodridge Dec Adam Bellflower Strongsville, 6-2
3rd Bart McGee Jackson-Milton TIED Ryan Codner Nordonia, both 3RD
Weight: 171 1st Dan Trusnik Nordonia Def Ryan Ivany Canfield
3rd Josh Cologie Buckeye Local Dec Kevin Keller La Salle, 11-10
Weight: 189 1st Chris Iammarino Brush M-Dec Brian Pauley Stow, 16-3
3rd Nick Rowland Canfield Dec Ryan Clawson Jackson-Milton, 3-1
Weight: 215 1st Leon Pittman Harmony Dec Matt Huth Waterloo, 19-12
3rd Gerome Gayle Brush Fall Beau Polcen Nordonia, 1:35
Weight: 275 1st Nick Molinaro Buckeye Local Dec Blaine Jones La Salle, 8-6
3rd Jeff Yaratch Jackson-Milton Dec Rob Mulhollen Stow, 4-3
Golden Flashes Win Three-of-10 Weight Classes at Season Opening Oklahoma Gold Showcase
Senior Alex Camargo earns Most Valuable Wrestler Honors with 4-0 record,
second straight event championship at 184 lbs.
Brockport, NY ,Äî Kent State opened its 2005-06 wrestling season winning
three-of-10 weight classes Saturday (Nov. 12) at the Oklahoma Gold Showcase
hosted by SUNY-Brockport. The Golden Flashes placed fourth in the team
standings, with nine KSU grapplers earning top-six finishes. Oklahoma,
ranked second in the nation in all major polls, took the team title with
170 points.
Senior Alex Camargo(Brook Park, Ohio/Berea) defeated two highly ranked
opponents en route to his second straight Oklahoma Gold Championship at 184
pounds. Camargo knocked off seventh-ranked Justin Dyer of Oklahoma 9-4 in
the semifinals before winning his final match 6-2 over No. 9 Rudy Medini of
Rutgers. For his efforts in a bracket that featured five nationally ranked
wrestlers, Camargo was tabbed as the tournaments,Äôs Most Outstanding
Wrestler. ,ÄúAlex did an oustanding job today, winning a diificult bracket
with relative ease,,Ä? said head coach Jim Andrassy. ,ÄúHe did not get taken
down in any of his four matches.,Ä?
Junior Aaron Miller (Uniopolis, Ohio/Wapokoneta) also went 4-0 on the day,
winning a championship at 174 pounds. Another Flash earned his way into the
semifinals at 174 as freshman Eric Chine (Austintown/Fitch) won his first
two matches before dropping a pair of tight contests 4-2 and 3-2.
Blue and gold dominated the 157-pound bracket as sophomore Kurt Gross
(North Royalton, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) and junior Jason McGee (Cuyahoga
Falls, Ohio/Cuyahoga Falls) each reached the finals but did not wrestle a
final match. In his quarterfinal bout, McGee won a 15-14 thriller over
Chris Banket of Penn.
Junior transfer Chad Sportelli (Easton, Pa./Easton/Nebraska) made his debut
with the Golden Flashes a memorable one. Sportelli went 4-1 for a third
place finish with his only loss coming to Sam Hazewinkel (Oklahoma), ranked
second in the nation at 125 pounds. Junior Ardian Ramadini (Garfield,
NJ/Garfield) captured a fourth place at 197, going 4-2 with a pin.
KSU also had a solid showing in the heavyweight bracket as redshirt
freshman Jermail Porter (Akron, Ohio/Firestone) and junior Willie Leonard
(Chestertown, Md./Kent County) finished fifth and sixth respectively.
Leonard notched a pair of pins while Porter,Äôs one pin came 43 seconds into
his match. Sophomore Drew Lashaway (Bowling Green, Ohio/Eastwood/Bowling
Green) claimed a pair of victories at 141 pounds while true freshman Paul
Chonko (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge) earned his first collegiate victory at
133.
,ÄúWe wrestled without two of top guys today (Drew Opfer & Jason Bake) who we
hope to have back in December,,Ä? said Andrassy. ,ÄúWith those two in the
lineup we could have been right up there with Oklahoma. I,Äôm proud of the
job we did today but there,Äôs a lot of room for improvement. We stayed tough
throughout the day but we need to work on some basics and getting into
better shape.,Ä?
The Golden Flashes will return to Upstate New York on Saturday, Nov. 19,
for the Body Bar Invitational hosted by Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.
2005 SUNY-BROCKPORT/OKLAHOMA GOLD PLACE WINNERS
Weight Result Place
125 Chad Sportelli Third
157 Kurt Gross/Jason McGee First
157 Kurt Gross/Jason McGee Second
174 Aaron Miller First
174 Eric Chine Fifth
184 Alex Camargo First
197 Ardian Ramadini Fourth
285 Jermail Porter Fifth
285 Willie Leonard Sixth
Blue Defeats Gold, 28-15, in Annual Intrasquad
Golden Flashes open season for real next Saturday (Nov. 12) at Brockport
KENT, Ohio ,Äî The Blue squad won eight matches overall, including six in a
row at one point, en route to a 28-15 victory over the Gold team at the
third annual Kent State Wrestling Blue-Gold Intrasquad Meet on Friday night
(Nov. 4) at the M.A.C. Center.
The meet serves as the final tune-up for the Golden Flashes who open the
2005-06 season officially next weekend.
,ÄúI think the kids competed very hard and at the same time at a lot of fun
tonight,,Ä? said head coach Jim Andrassy. ,ÄúWe had a good crowd and that
makes it a lot more fun get out on the mat and see the support.,Ä?
A total of 14 matches were contested on the evening with scoring done in a
dual-meet format. After the two teams split the opening four matches, the
Blue team took control by winning six matches in a row to build a 22-6
advantage.
Four of those victories came by two points or less, including an overtime
victory at 174 pounds by redshirt freshman Eric Chine (Austintown,
Ohio/Austintown Fitch).
,ÄúThere were a lot of close matches tonight,,Ä? Andrassy noted. ,ÄúA lot of
that comes from the familiarity the guys have with each other from
wrestling each day and knowing each other,Äôs style.,Ä?
Senior Alex Camargo (Brook Park, Ohio/Berea) ended the string of Blue wins
with a 4-2 victory over junior Aaron Miller (Uniopolis, Ohio/Wapokoneta).
Freshman Bret Thomas (Marion, Ohio/Marion Harding) brought the Gold team
within 22-12 with a victory at 197 pounds but sophomore Kurt Gross (North
Royalton, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) defeated junior Jason McGee (Cuyahoga
Falls, Ohio/Cuyahoga Falls) 6-4 in overtime, following a back-and-forth
battle, to seal the Blue team,Äôs victory.
,ÄúBoth Gross and McGee wrestled a great match, probably the most exciting of
the night,,Ä? Andrassy said. ,ÄúThey got after it for six full minutes. We
want everyone on our team to compete like that.,Ä?
Four of the evening,Äôs winners were true freshman. Transfers Drew Lashaway
(Bowling Green, Ohio/Eastwood/Bowling Green) and Chad Sportelli (Easton,
Pa./Easton/Nebraska), with the night,Äôs only pin fall, also picked up
victories donning the blue and gold singlets for the first time.
,ÄúA big benefit of tonight is that we get to see the freshmen for the first
time in a match setting, in our own facility,,Ä? said Andrassy. ,ÄúI was
impressed with our young guys,Äô performance.,Ä?
,ÄúOverall, I think tonight was a good start to the season,,Ä? said assistant
coach Josh Moore, who guided the Gold team. ,ÄúIt,Äôs a good gauge of were we
are at. There are plenty of things we still need to work on, like being
more physical, picking up the intensity and being more aggressive
offensively.,Ä?
Kent State will compete on Saturday, Nov. 12, at the
SUNY-Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Showcase in Brockport, N.Y. Last season, the
Golden Flashes placed second at the annual season-opener in upstate New
York.
2005 BLUE-GOLD INTRASQUAD
Match Weight Result Team Score
1. 149 Paul Hammond (G) dec. Patrick Lanham (B), 7-5 Gold 3-0
2. Hwt. Jermail Porter (B) dec. Willie Leonard (G), 3-1 Tied 3-3
3. 125 Jared Evans (G) dec. Kevin Notte (B), 7-6 Gold 6-3
4. 133 Kyle Chonko (B) dec. Jeremy Depoy (G) Tied 6-6
5. 165 Cory Maier (B) maj. dec. James Reynolds, 12-4 Blue 10-6
6. 141 Drew Lashaway (B) dec. Clint Sponseller (G), 5-3
Blue 13-6
7. 125 Chad Sportelli (B) pinned Cory Opfer (G), 5:20 Blue 19-6
8. 174 Eric Chine (B) dec. Nick Hackett (G), 3-1 (SVO) Blue 22-6
9. 184 Alex Camargo (G) dec. Aaron Miller (B), 4-2 Blue 22-9
10. 197 Bret Thomas (G) dec. Michael Blackwell (B), 8-3 Blue
22-12
11. 157 Kurt Gross (B) dec. Jason McGee, 6-4 (SVO) Blue
25-12
12. 197 Ben Rings (B) dec. Ardian Ramadani (G), 4-2 Blue
28-12
13. 141 Jason Spencer (G) dec. Clayton Stark (B), 8-5 Blue
Kent State 2005-06 schedule is the most challenging one to date.
Home dual with Ohio State, NWCA National Duals highlight slate
KENT, Ohio - The Kent State University wrestling team has stepped up its level of competition since Jim Andrassy took over the program three years ago and the 2005-06 schedule is the most challenging one to date.
The schedule, relased today (Sept. 8), features some of the premier invitational tournaments
in the country as well as a full slate of challenging non-conference dual meets including a home match with Big Ten Conference foe Ohio State.
"I think we have a nice mix in the level of talent of the teams we will face," Andrassy said.
"It's as difficult a schedule as we've had since I've been here. We have fewer matches than we did a year ago, but the quality of competition is better."
The season starts with the annual Kent State Intersquad Banquet and Meet on Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Athletic and Convocation (M.A.C.) Center.
Competition begins with a pair of open invitational events in upstate New York in mid-No-
vember with the Oklahoma Gold Showcase in Brockport Nov. 12 and The Body Bar Tournament Nov. 19 in Ithaca.
The Golden Flashes will travel to the "keystone state" for the Mercyhurst Duals (Dec. 11)
and the Clarion Duals (Dec. 18) before finishing out the calendar year at the Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, S.C.
"The Scuffle is a great way to end the early portion of our schedule because it is full of great teams," Andrassy said. "In my opinion, it's one of the toughest events in the country along with the Midlands Championships and the Las Vegas Open.
Kent State opens the new year and the home portion of the schedule with a non-conference
dual with local rival Cleveland State Jan. 5 and then host Ohio State two days later on Jan. 7, marking the third straight year the Flashes will face a Big Ten opponent at home.
The following weekend, Jan. 14-15, the Flashes will compete at the Cliff Keen/NWCA Na- tional Dual Meet Championship in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Sixteen of the top 20 schools in the country are expected to compete in the event, including nine of the top 10.
"It's a very exciting thing for our program to be invited to compete in the National Duals,"
Andrassy said. "It is the first time that Kent State has been invited and it should be a great event." The rest of the non-conference schedule includes two trips to nearby Ashland University for the Wendy's Duals (Jan. 22) and a dual meet against the Eagles (Feb. 18). Kent State also travels to Pittsburgh to face the Panthers in a dual meet Jan. 29.
The Flashes open Mid-American Conference competition when they host Eastern Michigan Jan. 19. The MAC slate also features home duals against Buffalo (Feb. 10) and defending conference champion Central Michigan (Feb. 19) as well as road contests at Northern Illinois (Jan. 27) and Ohio (Feb. 12).
"The Mid-American Conference is a strong as it has ever been," Andrassy noted. "Central
MORE ON KENT STATE WRESTLING Last Add
Michigan is coming off a solid 12th place finish at the NCAA Championships and both Northern
Illinois and Ohio are much improved."
Northern Illinois will host the MAC Championships the weekend of March 4-5 in DeKalb, Ill.
The NCAA Championships will move to Oklahoma City March 16-18 after a lenghty stay in St.
Louis, Mo.
"We have a majority of our team back from a year ago and we've added some good, young
talent," Andrassy said of a squad that features eight returning starters and a recruiting class ranked
23rd by Intermat Wrestling. "Our team is very excited about this season and we look forward to it
being a great year for Kent State wrestling."
2005 KENT STATE UNIVERSITY WRESTLING SCHEDULE
Date Opponent/Event Location Time
November
4 KENT STATE INTERSQUAD KENT, OHIO 7:05 p.m.
12 at Oklahoma Gold Showcase Brockport, N.Y. All day
19 at The Body Bar Tournament Ithaca, N.Y. All day
December
11 at Mercyhurst Duals Eria, Pa. 12 p.m.
(Mercyhurst, East Stroudsburg, Delaware State)
18 at Clarion Duals Clarion, Pa. 1 p.m.
(Clarion, Lock Haven, Drexel)
29-30 at Southern Scuffle Greensboro, S.C. 10 a.m.
January
5 CLEVELAND STATE KENT, OHIO 7:05 p.m.
7 OHIO STATE KENT, OHIO 1:05 p.m.
14-15 Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals Cedar Falls, Iowa All day
19 EASTERN MICHIGAN* KENT, OHIO 7:05 p.m.
22 Wendy's Duals Ashland, Ohio All day
(Davidson, Slippery Rock)
27 at Northern Illinois* DeKalb, Ill. 7 p.m.
29 at Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pa. 2 p.m.
February
4 KENT STATE OPEN KENT, OHIO 9 a.m.
10 BUFFALO* KENT, OHIO 7:05 p.m.
12 at Ohio* Athens, Ohio 2 p.m.
18 at Ashland Ashland, Ohio 7 p.m.
19 CENTRAL MICHIGAN* KENT, OHIO 1:05 p.m.
March
4-5 at MAC Championship* DeKalb, Ill. All Day
18-19 at NCAA Championships Oklahoma City, Okla. All Day
BOLD AND CAPS DENOTE HOME EVENT AT M.A.C. CENTER
* denotes Mid-American Conference meet
All times are local to venue and subject to change
Kent State duo just two of eight members selected for squad
KENT, Ohio -- Kent State junior Ben Rings (Marysville, Ohio/Marysville) and
sophomore Aaron Miller (Uniopolis, Ohio/Wapokenta) were named to the 2005
Academic All-Mid-American Conference Team announced by the league on Monday
(Mar. 14). The team is voted on by faculty athletic representatives at the
MAC institutions.
It is the second time that Rings has been named to the Academic All-MAC
squad. The criminal justice major with a 3.64 grade point average also was
selected in 2003.
Both Rings and Miller earned fourth-place finishes in their respective
weight classes at the 2005 MAC Championships last weekend, helping the
Golden Flashes to a third place finish overall.
On the season, Rings posted a 14-16 record at 197 pounds, including a
fourth place finish at the season-opening SUNY-Brockport/Oklahoma Gold
Showcase, in his return to the mat this year. He had missed the previous 1
1/2 seasons while on active duty in the United States Army.
Miller, who carries a better than 3.3 GPA in justice studies, finished
the year with an 18-15 mark at 174 pounds and notched his second straight
fourth place finish at the MAC Championship. He also finished in third
place at the Southern Scuffle (Dec. 29-30).
The Academic All-MAC honor is for student-athletes who excel in both
athletics and academics. To be eligible, a student-athlete must have at
least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of
their teamâ*s contests.
2005 Academic All-MAC Wrestling Team
Name School Year GPA Major
Jason Borrelli Central Michigan Jr. 3.56 Business
Mark DiSalvo Central Michigan Jr. 3.79 Sports Studies
Wynn Michalak Central Michigan So. 3.66 Education
Ben Best Eastern Michigan So. 3.64 Aviation Flight
Technology
Aaron Miller Kent State So. 3.32 Justice Studies
Ben Rings Kent State Jr. 3.64 Criminal Justice
Jim Fowler Ohio Jr. 3.49 Education
Joel Weimer Ohio Sr. 3.21 Chemical Engineering
Kent State Wrestling: Camargo Earns NCAA Wild Card Bid
ALEX CAMARGO EARNS WILD CARD ENTRY TO NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP
Classmates Drew Opfer and Jason Bake named alternates
KENT, Ohio -- After placing third in the competitve 184-pound field at the
2005 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championships, Kent State University
junior Alex Camargo (Brook Park, Ohio/Berea) earned a wild card entry into
the 2005 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships to be held at the Savis
Center in St. Louis, Mo., Mar. 17-19.
With Camargo earning one of the MACâ*s nine wild card spots, the Golden
Flashes will have a representative at the NCAA meet for the 75th straight
year. At least one Kent State wrestler has advanced to the NCAA
Championships every year of the event since its inception in 1928.
Camargo advanced to the championship match of the MAC tournament at 184
pounds before falling to Alex Lammers of Central Michigan University by
decision, 3-1. In a wrestleback for true second place, Camargo lost to
top-seeded Ed Magrys of Eastern Michigan University, 5-2. All three
wrestlers earned berths in the NCAA field.
Camargo will take a 32-6 record to the NCAA championships. The 32 wins are
a career high and he started the season by winning his first 17 matches.
With a 2-2 mark at the MAC meet, he improved his career record to 90-32.
His 90 wins are the eighth most in school history. Camargo was ranked
throughout the season by the four publications that cover intercollegiate
wrestling (Intermat, Amateur Wrestling News, Wrestling International
Magazine, and The Wrestling Mall).
In addition, juniors Drew Opfer (Sandusky, Ohio/St. Maryâ*s Central
Catholic) and Jason Bake (Massillon, Ohio/Jackson) were selected as
alternates for the NCAA Championships. Opfer (21-12), who earned a wild
card entry and placed 50th at last yearâ*s NCAA meet, finished third at 125
pounds at the MAC championships. Bake (20-6) advanced to the championship
match at 149 pounds before settling for a third place finish.
The Golden Flashes placed third as a team at the MAC championships trailing
only champion Central Michigan and runner-up Northern Illinois.