In their final match before Mid-American Conference (MAC) play, the Buffalo wrestling team put in a strong performance at home for all of New York State to see.
Buffalo (7-4-1, 0-2 MAC) took second place in the New York State Collegiate Championships over the weekend. The event, held at Alumni Arena on Saturday and Sunday, featured 18 teams from across the state. The United States Military Academy won the team championship, besting the Bulls, 152-147.5.
Coach Jim Beichner said that his "wrestlers were healthy and that they came into this tournament ready to win." He was proud of the way everyone on his team performed and that no one gave up, he said.
Junior Mickey Moran had a stand-out performance in the tournament on his way to the individual title at 184 pounds. He defeated third seed Justin Kerber of Cornell, 6-3, during his first match on the way to the title. In his championship match, Moran upset the weight class' top seed Nate Holley, also of Cornell, by a score of 3-1.
Dan Bishop, a sophomore grappler for the Bulls, matched the success he had in the tournament last season. He placed second in the 125-pound weight class for the second consecutive year. Bishop was awarded a medical forfeit in the semifinals before falling 5-0 in the final to Fernando Martinez, the top seed from Army.
Redshirt freshman Jimmy Hamel also earned second place honors as he fell to second-seeded Nick Sommerfeld of Columbia, 4-3, in the 197-pound final. Hamel defeated Niagara County Community College's John Taylor in a tight 3-2 decision in the semifinals.
Finishing in third place in their respective weight classes for the Bulls were sophomore Andrew Stella at 141 pounds, senior Pat Lloyd at 149 pounds, senior John Cummings at 157 pounds, and senior Mike Ragusa at 174 pounds.
Cornell finished the tournament in third place with 116.5 points, while Columbia and Nassau Community College rounded out the top five.
The Bulls next take to the mats on Saturday, Jan. 25 when they host MAC rival, Ohio. The events are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. from Alumni Arena.
Photo: Courtesy of SUNY
