Ready to Rumble

With the non-conference schedule slowly coming to an end and the heart of the Mid-American Conference schedule on the horizon, the Buffalo Bulls wrestling team will be getting a good tune up for that tail end of the schedule this weekend in the New York State Collegiate Championships.

Hosted by Nassau Community College, UB will be looking for a repeat performance of last year's dominance in the championships.

A season ago the Bulls took first place and after that weekend they went 3-4 over the last stretch of their season. However, this year Buffalo will look to improve on that fact as they have five remaining matches left, four of which are home and are all MAC matches.

Buffalo's quick start to 10-2 is turning some heads. UB has been receiving votes in the National Wrestling Coaches Association Top 25 Poll.

"Our win-loss record is a pure indication of how hard the guys have worked," said UB head coach Jim Beichner. "We lost two of our best wrestlers before the season even started. I am real proud of their efforts, I think they are overachieving and I hope they continue."

Those two starters that were lost in the early goings of the season were Garrett Bontempo and Tom Paladino. Bontempo, a fifth-year senior, broke his hand before the season even started and has thus been forced to sit out this season.

Just how much of an impact had these players had on the Bulls? Last season, Bontempo (184 pounds) was 29-10 in dual meets while Paladino (165 pounds) had a 24-15 record.

Filling in for them have been a slew of wrestlers, but the two that have made immediate, and so far, the best impact have been Nick Rausenberger with a record of 13-9 at 165 pounds and Garrett Hick with a record of 17-13 in the 184 pounds class.

"We're young," said Beichner. "But the guys who are there are extremely hard workers and that is why we've been successful to this part of the season so far. I expect a lot from the guys that are here."

What has not changed for the Bulls is the dominance of junior Kyle Cerminara. At 197 pounds, the junior is not slowing down. He has compiled a record of 25-3 thus far, and according to Beichner has the potential to be an All-American.

"I'm a firm believer in Kyle. he can be as good as he wants to be. He's got all the talent he could ever ask for. He's strong, fast and quick technique. He has the ability to be an All-American this year, I do believe that," said Beichner.

Other Bulls who have been making an impact on this remarkable season have been veterans Mike Trotta (21-13) and Cliff Smith (21-8) and freshman Mark McKnight (25-6).

This will be a homecoming for Trotta, who transferred to Buffalo from Nassau Community College after his sophomore year and since then has made immediate impact with the Buffalo program.

The Championship kicks off today and concludes tomorrow. The Bulls will return to MAC play at 1 p.m. on February 1 in the friendly confines of Alumni Arena.