Bulls place second at N.Y. championship

When it comes to the New York State Championship, there is something about second place that just won't leave the Bulls alone.

For the second consecutive year, the Buffalo Bulls wrestling team finished second overall despite an exceptional performance that included the most first-place wins out of any team in the tournament.

Junior Mark Budd, senior Garrett Hicks and senior Kyle Cerminara all took home first-place titles on Saturday. The 15th-ranked Budd improved his record to 28-3 as he took home his second State Championship in as many years in the 133-pound weight class, while the seventh-ranked Cerminara continued his undefeated season at 197 pounds, winning his 30th straight match with a 14-5 win over Army's Charles Martin in the finals.

Hicks' victory marked his first state title as he won two matches by pin in the 184-pound weight class. The captain then pulled out a 10-9 victory in the finals over Hunter's Terry Madden.

UB (5-3 overall, 0-1 Mid-American Conference) also tacked on two second-place finishes, as well as two third-place finishes, to accumulate a total score of 134.5.

The New York State Collegiate Championships were held in Oswego and consisted of seventeen teams from around the state participating in matches on Friday and Saturday. Buffalo was going for its ninth team championship, only to be outshined by Army (4-3-2 overall), which won its 11th total and third straight with a final score of 152.

"There is no doubt that it was a fight between us and Army for the top spot," said head coach Jim Beichner. "We had decided to sit a couple of guys and it probably hurt us a little bit, but we have to think ahead and make sure we're ready for the MAC Championship."

UB entered the tournament with four nationally ranked wrestlers including Budd and Cerminara, who had won titles in previous years, while the Army Black Knights entered with six ranked wrestlers.

The rivalry between Army and Buffalo in the NYS Championship goes back a long way. The two teams combine for 19 out of 37 wins in the tournament's 37-year history.

Although Army has now won the last three, Buffalo has been in contention every year thanks to Beichner, who guided the Bulls to a win in 2003 for the first time in 25 years.

"The New York State bout has always been important to us," Beichner said. "We're one of the top teams in the state so it is really about pride issues. We've always been great in this tournament, so of course it is important we continue to perform very well."

Beichner explained the best performing weight class was the 133-pound group, in which many of the matches were very competitive, giving Budd a challenge on the way to his second consecutive title.

The most controversial match, however, was the final match in the heavyweight division between senior Harold Sherrell and Pat Bennett of Brockport. Sherrell was favored to win the tournament but after a controversial stalling call in the third period, he was forced to settle for second place in a 3-2 defeat.

"Sherrell did a very good job and deserved to be the New York State Champion this year," Beichner said. "It didn't happen that way and I'm very upset about how it worked out, but everybody in the stands could see that Harold was right there."

Despite the shortcomings of some final decisions in some of the bouts, Beichner was proud of the effort and heart shown by all of his athletes throughout the tournament.

"People can look at the score and look at the titles, but it doesn't reflect how great these guys really are," Beichner said. "Even when they were behind, they just kept going and finding a way to win."

With states out of the way, the Bulls can look forward to a home tri-meet on Saturday against Delaware State, Ithaca and a MAC match-up against Ohio. The Bulls will then have a series of additional conference matches before the MAC championship.

Beichner stressed the importance of letting his athletes rest and recuperate in preparation for the MAC championship in March, adding that the NYS championship doesn't compare to getting an NCCA bid.

"We've got a long way to go, but we have to keep the guys focused on what is most important, which is winning that MAC championship," Beichner said. "We work a little bit harder each week, work a little bit smarter each week and stay focused. That should be a lesson for all of us, to keep our eyes on the gold."

Buffalo's tri-meet on Saturday will begin at 9 a.m. in Alumni Arena.