Wrestling: Mountaineers Win Titles at WVU Open
November 15, 2008 04:49 PM | General
November 15, 2008
WVU Open Bracket & Results
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University wrestling team competed in the 26th annual WVU Open on Saturday afternoon in the Shell Building. Fifth-year senior David Jauregui and redshirt-freshman Mark Tsikerdanos split the 149-pound crown and freshman Lance Bryson and redshirt-freshman Robert Desano split the 184-pound title.
In the 149-pound bracket, Jauregui and Tsikerdanos started the morning on opposite sides of the bracket. Jauregui reeled off three straight victories, including a 13-5 major decision against Navy’s Cory Vernon. Tsikerdanos won his first match by a 10-0 major decision against Pitt’s Kyle Potton. The Frederick, Md., native went on to defeat Navy’s Luke O’Neil, 8-3, and won another match against Clarion’s Chris Lascari, who wrestled unattached, to reach the championship bout against Jauregui.
Bryson, who advanced to the second bout after a bye, defeated Pitt’s Brock Mantella, 5-3, and then knocked off Navy’s Greg Prioleau in a close 2-1 decision. Desano, who also earned a bye, beat Washington & Jefferson’s Adam Stroud, 6-1, and then followed it with a victory against Mercyhurst’s Eric Lundgren, wrestling unattached, 5-0, to meet Bryson in the finals.
In the 197-pound division, sophomore Kyle Rooney took the title after a pin fall at 2:07 against Navy's Adam Newton. Rooney took a first-round 10-6 decision before earning a pin fall just 1:08 into the match against Navy's Charles Carafano to reach the championship bout.
Heavyweight freshman Justin Haines also had a good showing at the tournament. After falling to Navy’s Joseph Breaux in a close 3-2 decision, Haines went on to post three straight victories, including a pin fall at 1:57 against Washington & Jefferson’s Kyle Prudence.
Also in the heavyweight division was senior Dustin Rogers, who notched three wins, including a pin 31 seconds into the match against Pitt’s Dan Nickli. Rogers, a Corning, Calif., native, reached the championship bout, but withdrew due to injury.
Freshman Daniel Cox (174) and redshirt-freshman Kyle Eason (157) earned third-place finishes at the event. Eason defeated Navy’s Dustin Packard, 5-2, to place third.
The Mountaineers will have six days off before traveling to Annapolis, Md., for the Navy Classic on Saturday, Nov. 22. WVU follows with a dual meet against Columbia and North Carolina at the “Sprawl & Brawl” Duals on Sunday, Nov. 23, in Vestal, N.Y.
