Spring Break
Drexel wrestling pins down fourth place
Ethan Greenberg
Issue date: 3/9/07 Section: Sports
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The Drexel wrestling team was well prepared and in good shape going into the CAA wrestling championship tournament March 2-3, but was outlasted by the powerhouse of the CAA, the Hofstra Pride.
Drexel finished in fourth place with 66.5 points overall, behind Hofstra with 138.5 points, Old Dominion with 89 points and Rider with 84.5. Hofstra's point total set a CAA tournament record as they claimed first place for the sixth straight year. The Most Outstanding Wrestler award went to Hofstra's Mike Patrovich, who won his first-round match 20-5, later pinned Drexel's Billy Haydt, and then won his championship bout with a 19-3 technical fall win. He and six other Hofstra players will be going to the upcoming national tournament in Detroit. Hofstra ended up winning seven of the 10 weight class titles.
Four players for Drexel have qualified for the nationals: Steve Mytych, Ryan Hluschak, Nick Kozar and Chris Cowen. Hluschak was also named as one of the top three players, and was picked as a wild card to go to the nationals, but Drexel players and coaches did not approve of the other teams' coaches choosing not to pick Hluschak first.
"I'm pleased to have Hluschak going to the nationals," said head coach Jack Childs. "[Jon] Oplinger is the third alternate, actually. I was disappointed that Hluschak was not the No. 1 wild card selection. He was chosen as the clear-cut No. 3, and I don't see how some of the coaches would vote him as the third-best; I don't understand what they were looking at. He is a nationally ranked player beating nationally ranked opponents, and we want the best people to represent our conference."
Drexel was well represented in the finals, with seven wrestlers, but only three won their matches. The finals format was so that two matches went on at the same time, meaning that at seven different weight classes, Drexel was in the top four out of the 11 teams competing in the tournament.
Billy Martin had an outstanding win against Sacred Heart's Paul Galipeau, 13-6. Billy Haydt got his second pin of the tournament, clobbering Rob Morrison of Rider. Kozar came up with a 4-2 overtime win in a tight, grueling match against Alton Lucas of Hofstra.
Drexel finished in fourth place with 66.5 points overall, behind Hofstra with 138.5 points, Old Dominion with 89 points and Rider with 84.5. Hofstra's point total set a CAA tournament record as they claimed first place for the sixth straight year. The Most Outstanding Wrestler award went to Hofstra's Mike Patrovich, who won his first-round match 20-5, later pinned Drexel's Billy Haydt, and then won his championship bout with a 19-3 technical fall win. He and six other Hofstra players will be going to the upcoming national tournament in Detroit. Hofstra ended up winning seven of the 10 weight class titles.
Four players for Drexel have qualified for the nationals: Steve Mytych, Ryan Hluschak, Nick Kozar and Chris Cowen. Hluschak was also named as one of the top three players, and was picked as a wild card to go to the nationals, but Drexel players and coaches did not approve of the other teams' coaches choosing not to pick Hluschak first.
"I'm pleased to have Hluschak going to the nationals," said head coach Jack Childs. "[Jon] Oplinger is the third alternate, actually. I was disappointed that Hluschak was not the No. 1 wild card selection. He was chosen as the clear-cut No. 3, and I don't see how some of the coaches would vote him as the third-best; I don't understand what they were looking at. He is a nationally ranked player beating nationally ranked opponents, and we want the best people to represent our conference."
Drexel was well represented in the finals, with seven wrestlers, but only three won their matches. The finals format was so that two matches went on at the same time, meaning that at seven different weight classes, Drexel was in the top four out of the 11 teams competing in the tournament.
Billy Martin had an outstanding win against Sacred Heart's Paul Galipeau, 13-6. Billy Haydt got his second pin of the tournament, clobbering Rob Morrison of Rider. Kozar came up with a 4-2 overtime win in a tight, grueling match against Alton Lucas of Hofstra.
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