March 9, 2008

Complete Results

LANCASTER, Pa. - For a second straight year, Bucknell will send three representatives to the NCAA Wrestling Championships as sophomores David Marble (Harpursville, N.Y./Harpursville), Andy Rendos (Brockway, Pa./Brockway Area) and Shane Riccio (Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills) all came away from the EIWA Tournament as place-winners this Sunday. The Bison finished eighth in team scoring with 43.5 points, while Cornell successfully defended its 2007 title, taking first with 128 points.

Marble qualified for the NCAA Championships for a second consecutive season, finishing as the 133-pound runner-up after earning a wild card berth a year ago. In the championship match, he came up only one point short of fourth-seeded Joseph Baker of Navy, falling by the score of 5-4. Marble, who was the No. 3-seed in the tournament, advanced to the championship match after scoring a 5-3 win over No. 2 Seth Ciasulli of Lehigh in the semifinal round.

Rendos secured an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships for a second straight year by placing fourth in the 165-pound bracket. Following a 7-2 loss to No. 1-seed Mack Lewnes of Cornell in the semifinals, Rendos, the No. 4 seed, advanced to the consolation final with a 6-5 overtime victory versus No. 7 Mike Galante of Lehigh. He was then outscored by No. 2 Mike Cannon, 5-2 in his final bout of the tournament.

Riccio placed fifth in the 174-pound bracket and was later selected as one of the EIWA's seven NCAA wild card entries, as determined by an EIWA coaches' vote. Riccio, the No.-6 seed, dropped a 2-0 decision to No. 2 Matt Stolpinski of Navy in his semifinals match. Then, after another narrow setback, this time to No. 4 Alex Caruso of Lehigh by a 3-1 margin, Riccio defeated the No.-3 seed, Franklin & Marshall's Justin Herbert, 7-2 to claim fifth.

Four additional Bison wrestlers competed on day two, but were eliminated following losses in the consolation bracket. Greg Hart (Bedminster, N.J./Bernards), the No. 5 seed at 125, was upset by No. 8 Tony Comunale of Princeton in the consolation semifinals as he was pinned 1:52 into the bout. At 149, No. 7 freshman Kevin LeValley (Hugo, Colo./Limon), was edged by No. 6 Anthony Constantino, 3-2.

Sophomore Brantley Hooks (Spartanburg, S.C./James F. Byrnes) suffered a one-point loss as well. The 157-pounder fell to No. 4 Robert Hitschler of Penn, 5-4.

In the consolation semifinals at 184, freshman No. 7 David Thompson (West Liberty, Ohio/Graham Local) dropped a 5-3 decision No. 6-seed Matthew Porter of Columbia.

Marble, Rendos and Riccio will be back in action at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Mo., on Mar. 20-22, as the three-Bison will vie for All-America status.