March 4, 2006
BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Action in the 102nd EIWA Wrestling Championships began on Saturday morning at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa. The Mids, who are picked to finish fourth in the team race, got things off to a strong start, posting a 6-0 record in the first round and moving six wrestler into the semifinals. Navy's individual results can be found below.
Navy got off to a strong start in the first round, winning five of its six first-round matches by extra margins. Freshman Joe Baker (Poway, Calif.) and sophomore Spencer Manley (Ooltewah, Tenn.), making their first EIWA Tournament appearances, scored falls at 133 and 141 pounds to start Navy off on the right foot. At 157 pounds, John Jarred (Kansas City, Mo.), also making his first EIWA Tournament appearance, was thorough in a 6-0 victory over Columbia's Derek Sickles.
Navy's last three matches in the first round resulted in major decisions by 165-pounder Craig Dziewiatkowski (Aurora, Ill.) and Chris Pogue (Chesapeake, Va.) and a tech fall by 174-pound sophomore Matt Stolpinski (Westfield, Mass.). The victories game Navy a slim XX-point lead after the first round and allowed the Mids to be one of four teams with all 10 wrestlers left in the championship bracket.
The Mids then earned their first semi-finalist when the fourth-seeded Baker tallied a 10-0 major-decision triumph over American's Jordan Lipp. Baker scored takedowns and a strong ride in each period to shut out Lipp. Baker had defeated Lipp just 7-5 a month ago in the two teams' dual meet.
Two matches later at 149 pounds, fourth-seeded junior John Cox (Grand Haven, Mich.) overcame an early takedown to cruise past Columbia's Ricky Turk, 12-2. The win, Cox's 30th of the season, moved him into the semifinals. Cox has defeated Turk at the EIWA Championships the last two years by major decision.
Dziewiatkowski and Stolpinski both advanced to the semifinals at 165 and 174 pounds respectively, with thrilling quarterfinal victories. Dziewiatkowski scored one of the quarterfinals' few upsets, as the sixth-seeded Navy senior rallied for an 8-7 decision over third-seeded Shawn Kitchner of Brown. Dziewiatkowski trailed 5-4 early in the third period, but scored two late takedowns to rally for the win.
Stolpinski, meanwhile, trailed for most of his matchup with Cornell's Dan Miracola, but scored a takedown with just 30 seconds left to clinch a 6-4 victory.
At 184 pounds, second-seeded Joe Mazzurco of Cornell held off a strong Jonny Kane effort, 6-3. Mazzurco had over a minute of riding time, meaning Kane needed back points late in the match. Kane had a throw, but couldn't finish it in sending Kane to the consolation bracket.
Pogue then scored a key win for the Mids with a 3-1 sudden victory over Army's Charles Martin. The two had wrestled to a pair of one-point matches this season, and it was more of the same in the quarterfinals. Pogue then scored on a duck-under with about 25 seconds left in the first overtime session for the 3-1 triumph.
Tanner Garrett advanced into the semifinals with a 4-2 victory over Franklin & Marshall's Shawn Coughlin. Garrett scored a third-period takedown and added riding time to move into the next round. Garrett, who is seeded first in the tournament, improved his record to 40-2 overall. The 40 wins are second in school history for a single season.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS:FIRST ROUND (SEED IN PARENTHESES BEFORE THE NAME):133 - (4) Joe Baker (Navy) pinned Trent Dixon (F&M), 6:14141 - (7) Spencer Manley (Navy) pinned Chris Kelly (F&M), 2:30157 - (5) John Jarred (Navy) dec. Derek Sickles (Columbia), 6-0165 - (6) Craig Dziewiatkowski (Navy) major dec. Mike Baria (Harvard), 12-4174 - (4) Matt Stolpinski (Navy) tech. fall James Schulz (F&M), 22-7 (6:44)197 - (4) Chris Pogue (Navy) major dec. Logan Lowe (Princeton), 15-4
QUARTERFINALS:125 - (1) Troy Nickerson (Cornell) tech. fall (8) Alex Usztics (Navy), 18-3 (7:00)133 - (4) Joe Baker (Navy) major dec. (5) Jordan Lipp (American), 10-0141 - (2) Max Meltzer (Harvard) dec. (7) Spencer Manley (Navy), 10-3149 - (4) John Cox (Navy) major dec. (5) Ricky Turk (Columbia), 12-2157 - (4) Gene Zannetti (Penn) dec. (5) John Jarred (Navy), 12-9165 - (6) Craig Dziewiatkowski (Navy) dec. (3) Shawn Kitchner (Brown), 8-7174 - (4) Matt Stolpinski (Navy) dec. (5) Dan Miracola (Cornell), 6-4184 - (2) Joe Mazzurco (Cornell) dec. (7) Jonny Kane (Navy), 6-3197 - (4) Chris Pogue (Navy) dec. (5) Charles Martin (Army), 3-1 (sv)HW - (1) Tanner Garrett (Navy) dec. (8) Shawn Coughlin (F&M), 4-2
# GO NAVY #
