PDF Brackets

BOSTON - Seniors Leighton Brady and Jose Leon, as well as junior Joey Rovera will compete in the 2004 NCAA Championship in St. Louis from March 18-20.

The trio earned their NCAA bids with strong performances in the Colonial Athletic Association Championship earlier this month.

Leon, wrestling at 125 pounds, and Brady (165 pounds) each earned a spot with second-place finishes in their respective weight classes. Rivera, who finished third at 141 pounds, earned a wild-card selection to the NCAAs.

Leon (4-1) made a remarkable comeback from a knee injury to compete in the Terriers' last two regular-season matches and the CAA Championship. He opens NCAA competition when he faces Iowa sophomore Luke Eustice (23-2).

Rivera (23-4) meets Iowa State sophomore Nate Gallick (20-4) in the opening round at 141 pounds. The pair matched up when the Terriers' lost to the Cyclones, 22-14, in Ames on Nov. 7. Rivera got the better of that match, winning 8-5.

Brady (26-5) goes against Cornell junior Joe Mazzurco (22-5) at 165 pounds. Brady faced Mazzurco earlier this season, earning a 7-6 win in the title match of the Cortland Open on Nov. 15.

As a team, the Terriers (15-3, 7-2 CAA) won 11 dual matches in a row late in the season and finished third in the CAA behind Top 20 programs Hofstra and Rider.

Five Terriers wrestlers finished the season with 20 or more wins. Rivera (23-4) and Brady (26-5) were two of those, along with sophomore Zach Johns (22-9) at 157 pounds), freshman John DaCruz (20-9) at 197 pounds, and junior Courtney Howard (22-11) at heavyweight.

Head coach Carl Adams is in his 23rd season at B.U. and has taken Terrier wrestlers to the NCAAs in each of those 23 seasons.