Dec. 28, 2010

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Fresh off a seventh-place finish at the 2010 Reno Tournament of Champions, the Navy wrestling program will close out the calendar year this week when the Midshipmen travel to Greensboro, N.C. to take part in the 2010 Southern Scuffle. The two-day, 30-team tournament is set to begin at 10:00 am on Wednesday and will be held at the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center. Meanwhile, the quarterfinals and the fourth round of wrestlebacks kick off Thursday's action on the mat at 9:00 am.

This year's field will be highlighted by the nation's No. 1 team, Cornell, along with No. 3 Minnesota and No. 4 (t) Penn State. In all, there will be five of the top-25 programs in attendance according to the Dec. 21 edition of the NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll when adding in No. 15 Michigan and No. 23 Kent State.

Joining Navy in the quest to be crowned the 2010 Southern Scuffle Champion are: Army, Appalachian State, Bloomsburg, Boston, Campbell, The Citadel, Cornell, Duke, Edinboro, Gardner-Webb, George Mason, Hofstra, Indiana, Kent State, Liberty, Lock Haven, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, UNC Greensboro, NC State, Ohio, Old Dominion, Oregon State, Penn, Penn State, Princeton, Virginia and VMI.

In addition to the team title battle, the individual competition is expected to be exciting with several nationally-ranked wrestlers in action. Perhaps the most anticipated weight class watch will be 149 pounds, where 2009 NCAA Champion Darrion Caldwell from NC State could meet 2010 NCAA Champion Kyle Dake from Cornell. Additionally, four of the nation's No. 1-ranked wrestlers will be on the mat this weekend. Joining Dake will be teammate Mack Lewnes, who is No. 1 at 174 pounds, while Michigan's Kellen Russell will go after the 141-pound title and 197-pound Dustin Kilgore of Kent State may have the chance to meet No. 2 Cam Simaz of Cornell in the finals.

A year ago the Midshipmen placed 10th at the Scuffle with team captain Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.) and 2010 graduate Scott Steele leading the way. Steele, who wrestled in the championship bout in three-straight Scuffles, was edged out by Indiana's Nathan Everhart, the top seed, 3-2. Meanwhile, Saddoris turned in a 5-1 record a yeat ago at the Scuffle, dropping a 5-3 decision to North Carolina's Thomas Scotton, before delivering a 3-2 blow over fourth-ranked Matt Moley of Bloomsburg.

Not only is Saddoris the Mids' team captain, he has been the backbone of the team over the last several years. Ranked seventh nationally at 157 pounds, Saddoris is off to an 18-2 record in 2010-11 placing third or better in all four tournaments he has competed in. He won the Eastern Michigan Open and the Navy Classic, placed third at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and most recently finished as the runner-up at the Reno Tournament of Champions. He produced a 4-1 record at the Reno Tournament of Champions and in doing so, he took over the No. 2 spot on Navy's all-time career wins list with 128. He moved past both Greg Gingeleskie (1996-99), who was the previous No. 2 sitter with 127 wins, and Mark Conley (1999-02), who registered 126 victories. Saddoris now has record holder Matt Stolpinski well within sight, needing 14 wins to become the Mids' all-time leader in wins.

Meanwhile, junior 184-pound Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.) has also enjoyed a successful season on the mat where he has amassed a 15-3 record and a No. 15 national ranking. Like Saddoris, Rebertus has placed in all four tournaments in which he has seen action, including individual crowns at the Eastern Michigan Open and the Navy Classic. He finished seventh at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and most recently placed No. 2 at the Reno Tournament of Champions.

Rebertus has fashioned a workmanlike philosphy this season with 16 of his 18 matches decided by seven points or less. In fact 11 of his matches have been decided by 2 or fewer points, including three of the five at the Reno Tournament of Champions.

Junior 125-pound Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.), who was a 2009 NCAA Qualifier, is coming off a fifth-place finish at the Reno Tournament of Champions where he put together a 4-2 record. Heading into the Scuffle he owns a 13-5 record and eight of the top 20 wrestlers are on tap to be in action in his weight class.

Senior Matt DeMichiel (Whitesboro, N.Y.) turned in a 4-2 mark at the Reno Tournament of Champions where he placed sixth at 174 pounds, but will be out this weekend nursing a minor injury. Sophomore Oscar Huntley (Stafford, Va.), who posted a 2-2 mark at the Reno Tournament of Champions, will replace him in the lineup this weekend. Huntley has turned in a 13-8 record this season.

Meanwhile, making his first appearance of the 2010-11 campaign will be senior 165-pound Robby Neill (Brick, N.J.). Neill, who finished last season with a 24-16 record and punched his ticket to the NCAA Championship, has been sidelined the first half of this season after suffering a broken jaw in preseason drills.

In total, Navy will send 21 wrestlers to this year's Southern Scuffle, with at least two wrestlers at each weight class except 125 and 174. Navy's Scuffle lineup includes:

125 - Aaron Kalil - Jr., Salem, N.H., 2010 NCAA Qualifier (13-5 / 52-35 career)

133 - Allen Stein - Sr., Portland, Maine (7-8 / 40-45 career)
133 - Ben Levin - So., Reisterstown, Md. (5-5 / 15-12 career)
133 - Tyler Sackett, Jr., Omaha, Neb. ( 6-7 / 13-13 career)

141 - Joe Locksmith - Fr., Kissimmee, Fla. (8-7 / 8-7 career)
141 - Raymond Borja - Fr., Virginia Beach, Va. (5-4 / 5-4 career)
141 - Dustin Haislip - Jr., Inwood, W.Va. (0-0 / 15-12 career)

149 - Eric Filipowicz - So., Elkridge, Md. (11-6 / 15-11 career)
149 - Zach Basich - So., Wheeling, W.Va. (8-5 / 16-11 career)

157 - Bryce Saddoris - Sr., Spring Creek, Nev., Team Captain, 2009 All-American, Three-Time NCAA Qualifier, ranked #7 (18-2 / 128-34 career)
157 - Matt Jackson - So., Rising Sun, Md. (8-3 / 8-3 career)

165 - Mason Bailey - So., Fairmont, W.Va. (8-7 / 19-13 career)
165 - Bobby Barnhisel - So., River Forest, Ill. (10-5 / 18-8 career)
165 - Robby Neill - Sr., Brick, N.J. (0-0 / 32-26 career)

174 - Oscar Huntley - So., Stafford, Va. (13-8 / 23-13 career)

184 - Luke Rebertus - Jr., Gloucester, Va., 2009 NCAA Qualifier, ranked #15 (15-3 / 57-16 career)
184 - Mike Brant - Jr., Johnstown, Pa. (6-4 / 11-13 career)

197 - Chance Rauscher - So., Glasgow, Mont. (2-7 / 7-12 career)
197 - Greg Prioleau - Sr., Poway, Calif. (5-5 / 10-19 career)

HWT - Dan Miller - So., Berlin, Md. (10-5 / 17-11 career)
HWT - Mike Landis - Sr., Hershey, Pa. (8-5 / 27-23 career)

Following the Southern Scuffle, the Mids will open the 2011 calendar year with a dual match at Oklahoma on Jan. 7 at 8:00 pm EST.

### Go Navy ###