FEBRUARY 25, 2012

KING'S WRESTLERS SET TO COMPETE IN METROPOLITAN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS, REILLY EYEING FOURTH TITLE AND NCAA TOURNEY BERTH

ELIZABETHTOWN — Members of the King's College wrestling team will look to qualify for the NCAA Division III National Tournament when the Monarchs compete in the 2012 Metropolitan Wrestling Conference Championships Sunday at Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, Pa.

Click the link below for the official tournament web site:
Metropolitan Conference Tournament Home Page

The Monarchs join a field of nine teams who will do battle to qualify 10 individual champions and 11 additional wildcards to the Division III national event slated for March 9-10 at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Competing with the Monarchs will be defending champion Centenary, Delaware Valley, Hunter, College of New Jersey, Scranton, Wilkes, York, and host Elizabethtown.

The event will also feature five squad who are ranked in the National Wrestling Coaches Association Top-30. Those schools include York (15th), Wilkes (18th), Centenary (23rd), Elizbethtown (28th), and TCNJ (30th).

King's will be led into the event by senior Mike Reilly who will be seeking his fourth Metro Conference title.  Reilly has won three championships at 174-pounds, including a sixth-place in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. This season Reilly is competing in a stacked 184-pound weight class and is currently ranked 8th nationally at that weight.  Reilly enters the tournament with a 26-2 record and stands as the second all-time winningest wrestler in King's history with a 121-17 record.

At 184, Reilly will now be in the toughest weight class in the Metropolitan Conference with the return of two other all-Americans.  Defending 184-pound champion Alex Martocello was fourth nationally a year ago while 2010 champion and returning Metro runner-up Mike Denver of TCNJ was sixth nationally at 184 a year ago. Reilly dropped an 11-9 decision to Martocello back in November and did not face Denver this season.

Sophomore Chris Mazzocchi is 21-5 on the year and hopes to contend at 149. Mazzocchi was 7-2 in Metro conference matches this season. Wilkes senior Anthony Dattolo is the defending champion and ranked 8th nationally.

Junior Peter Dwyer is looking to make an impact at 285 and sports a 17-4 mark this season.  Dwyer posted a 7-3 mark against conference opponents this year. Defending champion Joe Zitone is ranked fifth nationally.

Freshman Shane Stark could emerge as a contender at 174. Stark is 7-4 against Metro opponents.  Sophomore Julian Meaney is the returning runner-up after falling to Reilly in last year's final.

Sophomore Ahmed Burton is 4-2 at 165 and could be a sleeper at his weight, considered to be wide open. Quint Eno of Elizabethtown is ranked ninth at 165. At 125-pounds, freshmen Aaron Perez was 11-16 on the year but showed a great deal of improvement as the season progressed. Mike Fleck of Wilkes and Charlie Frankel of Delaware Valley are both considered national ranking contenders by D3wrestle.com.

Fellow rookie Travis Boardman is 5-22 this season at 133-pounds in what is regarded as one of the more wide-open weight classes. Freshman Eric Seals will compete at 141-pounds and is the owner of a 5-14 mark. Dann Herr of TCNJ is nationally ranked at this weight class.

Sophomore Gordon Custer will represent King's at 157 and is 7-11 this season. Returning runner-up Chris Burge of Centenary id ranked fifth nationally.  At 197, sophomore Cemah Tudae-Torboh is 2-12 on the year after getting a late start to the season as a member of the Monarch football team.


SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
 
9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. - Preliminary/Quarterfinal Matches (3 Mats)
12 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Semifinal/1st Round Consolation Matches (3 Mats)
2:45 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Consolation Semifinal Matches (2 Mats)
4:30 p.m. - Parade of Champions
4:45 p.m. - Championship/Consolation Matches (2 Mats)
6:30 p.m. -True Second Place Matches
6:45 p.m. - Individual/Team Awards
6:55 p.m. - At-Large Selection Meeting
 
 
TICKET INFORMATION
 
Ticket Prices (one all-day charge)
$7 for adults
$3 for seniors
$3 for students
Children age 5 or under will be admitted free
 
**No advance tickets will be sold, all sales are at the door.