Kyle Cerminara is going to NCAA wrestling's "big dance."
The UB wrestling team took part in the MAC Championships over the weekend, in what was the team's finale of its disappointing season. The Bulls finished fifth out of six MAC teams with a final score of 30.5 team points. Central Michigan captured the MAC team title with 93 points.
And yet, Cerminara's colossal performance gave the Bulls something to be proud of.
The freshman wrestling phenom was able to win the 197-pound weight class at the MACs, which in turn gives him an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships in Albany, N.Y. starting on Thursday, March 21.
Due to his daunting 5-0 record in the MAC regular season, Cerminara was given the top seed in the 197-pound competition. He endured his closest match-up in the first round, overcoming Northern Illinois' Terry Martin with a 6-5 decision.
On Sunday, Cerminara literally began to roll into championship form. In the semifinals he defeated Travis Kraft of Eastern Michigan with a 4-1 decision. It would be more of the same for Cerminara in the finals as he soundly defeated arch rival school Ohio's Joel Weimer courtesy a 4-1 decision.
"The first match was the hardest, but all of them were. But I knew I was going to win," Cerminara said. "My goal was to win the MAC, and to become an All-American, and this was the first step."
"Kyle, who is a true freshman, is an extremely driven and motivated young man," Bulls Head Coach Jim Beichner said. "He did a tremendous job wrestling with two injured elbows. This is something he has been looking to do all year."
Other Bulls also placed on the day, including Ryan Bentley and Garrett Bontempo, who both came in at third place in their respective weight classes.
Bentley, a 141-pound junior, started Sunday in the consolation bracket - leaving him a difficult path to the true second-place match. But, he overcame adversity by beating Ohio's John Spires and Kent State's Mark Wentz to reach the event. Bentley's run came to an end at the hands of Jason Mester of Central Michigan, as he fell in a 7-1 decision.
Bontempo reached the finals of the 184-pound weight class with a semifinal win over Ohio's Mark Shrout. But, he went on to lose to in the championship to Ben Heizer of Northern Illinois by a 7-3 decision and was then pinned by Central Michigan's Russ Vanderheyden in the true second-place match.
Fourth-place finishes were earned by 149-pound Bill Jacoutot and Charlie Voorhees at 125 pounds. For the two seniors, the finish marks the end of their successful careers at UB.
"It was very difficult watching four guys (David Guarino, Jacoutot, Ben Cooper, and Voorhees) who are not ordinary student athletes - in fact they are extraordinary - who I recruited five years ago, wrestle for the last time," Beichner said. "You can say anything positive you want about these guys, (but) they are loyal and devoted and they will all do well."
Next year appears as though it will be quite a successful season with the introduction of the nation's top high school heavyweight, New Jersey's Tommy Curl.
"We feel very good about next year with Tommy Curl, who is a two-time New Jersey champion," said Beichner. "I'd say all in all next year the program looks good."
