Trio of Terriers Earn Top-Four Finishes at CAA Championships
March 4, 2006 | Men's Wrestling
PHILADELPHIA - Led by a third-place finish at 184 pounds by senior Tom Sforza, the Boston University wrestling team placed eighth at the 2006 CAA Championships at Drexel University. Sophomore Joey Whitaker (149) and senior Zach Johns (165) each finished fourth in their respective classes.
On the strength of seven individual champions, Hofstra claimed the team title with 125 points. Old Dominion (76.5) and Drexel (65) rounded out the top three.
Sforza just missed out on earning one of the three wild cards to the NCAA Championships, meaning BU's 27-year streak of sending at least two wrestlers to the nationals has come to a end.
Johns, who was the only BU wrestler to reach the semifinal round, fell to eventual champion Chris Vondruska of Hofstra, 6-1, in an attempt to reach the finals. The senior battled back to the third-place match, where he fell, 9-1, to Robby Gosnell of Old Dominion.
Whitaker won a pair of consolation bouts before dropping a 9-1 major decision to Old Dominion's B.J. Compton in a battle for third place.
125 Pounds
(3)Ryan Smith (RID) dec. (6) Josh Statum (BU), 4-2
Statum (BU) dec. Arone (SH), 5-0
Statum (BU) dec. Gurien (Bing), 4-2
Mytych (Drexel) dec. Statum (BU), 5-1
133 Pounds
Erick Cholewa (Bing) dec. Bryan Matsuura (BU), 10-8
Matsuura (BU) TF Eurell (Wag), 2:45
Powars (GMU) wbf Matsuura (BU)
141 Pounds
(6)B.J. Compton (ODU) dec. (3)Joey Whitaker (BU), 8-3
(3)Whitaker (BU) dec. Martin (Drexel), 7-5
(3)Whitaker (BU) dec. Tutunjian (Wag), 9-4
Third-place match: (6)Compton (ODU) md. (3)Whitaker (BU), 9-1
149 Pounds
(6)Chris Renninger (DU) wbf. (3)Mike Roberts (BU), 6:30
(3)Roberts (BU) TF Ensign (Wag), 6:54
Eagan (SH) wbf (3)Roberts (BU)
157 Pounds
(5)Ryan Cunningham (RID) dec. (4)Justin Blumenthal, 5-1
Pullano (ODO) md. (4)Blumenthal, 20-10
165 Pounds
(4)Zachary Johns (BU) dec. (5)Chris Marold (RID), 4-1
(1)Vondruska (Hof) dec. (4)Johns, 6-1
(4)Johns def. Hayes (SH), 2-0
Third-place: Gosnell (ODU) md. (4)Johns, 9-1
174 Pounds
(5)T.J. Hansen (ODU) dec. Chris Tripp (BU), 6-1
Tripp (BU) pinned Anderson (JMU), 1:59
(2)Kozar (Drexel) dec. Tripp, 11-4
184 Pounds
(4)David Mendoza (ODU) dec. (5)Tom Sforza (BU), 4-2
(5)Sforza dec. Stouffer (Drexel), 8-3
(5)Sforza dec. (6)Moyer (GMU), med. forf.
Third-place: (5)Sforza dec. (3)Lambert (GMU, 4-2
285 Pounds
James Connors (BU) dec. Nick Ciufo (RID), 5-1
(1)Payam Zarrinpour (SH) wbf. Connors (BU), 0:59
Connors (BU) dec. Fennell (Camp), 8-4
(2)Andriac (Hof) md. Connors (BU), 8-0
