Oklahoma City, Okla. ““, Junior Matt Valenti advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Wrestling Championships on Thursday evening at the Ford Center. The Quakers have four wrestlers still competing in the championships, including Valenti who had two falls on the first day of action.
Valenti advanced to the quarterfinals with a win over League rival Robbie Preston of Harvard. Valenti took a 2-0 lead with a takedown in the first period. In the second, Preston chose bottom and escaped to make it 2-1. With five second left in the stanza, Valenti took Preston down again and took a 4-1 lead. The Newton, N.J. native added two more points before pinning Preston with three seconds remaining. With the win, Valenti improves to 33-2 on the season and will face Tom Clum of Wisconsin, the third seed.
Valenti and Clum met two years ago in a dual meet at The Palestra.Valenti won the match,10-4 and helped the Quakers win the dual.
After winning their first round matches, freshman Matt Dragon and junior Matt Herrington, both seeded 12th, both fell to the No. 5 seed at their respective weight classes.
Dragon lost his second round match to No. 5 seed Mark Disalvo of Central Michigan, 4-2. Disalvo scored first with a takedown, but Dragon escaped before the period ended. Disalvo chose bottom to start the second and was rode out by Dragon the entire period. In the third, Dragon chose top and tried to tilt Disalvo with his signature tilt, but could not get Disalvo to go. Disalvo escaped late in the third to take a 4-1 lead. Dragon picked up the riding time point, but could not score a takedown before the buzzer. Dragon will face Andrew Schlaffer of Maryland tomorrow morning. The two met in the dual meet earlier this season with Dragon earning a 6-1 decision.
Herrington fell to No. 5 seed Mike Patrovich of Hofstra. Herrington scored the first takedown, but Patrovich escaped four seconds later. In the second period, Herrington chose bottom and escaped to take a 3-1 lead. Patrovich scored a takedown to tie it up, but another Herrington escape put him back on top. But a take down late in the second gave Patrovich the lead and escape and another takedown gave him the 8-4 win. Herrington will face Aaron Miller of Kent State tomorrow morning.
Senior Mike Silengo stayed alive at 125 pounds with a 10-6 win over Collin Cudd of Wisconsin. With a 2-1 lead in the second, Silengo opened up the match with an escape and a takedown to pull ahead 5-1. Cudd escaped before the period ended and escaped again to start the third. Silengo scored another takedown and two nearfall points to take a 9-3 lead. An escape and takedown in the closing second made the score 9-6 and Silengo earned the riding time point in the win. Silengo will face Chad Sportell of Kent State tomorrow morning.
Freshman Cesar Grajales lost in the pigtail consolation round to Penn State’s Dewitt Driscoll, 13-4. Driscoll scored a takedown and two back points early in the first. Grajales escaped to make it 4-1. Driscoll reversed Grajales and scored two three takedowns and two more back points in the third to secure a 13-4 win. Grajales went 1-2 at his first NCAA Championships and finishes the season, 26-12 overall.
Senior Dustin Wiles had a tough tournament, falling to No. 12 seed, Mark Tamillow, 3-1 in sudden victory. Each wrestler escaped from the down position to even the score 1-1 heading into the third. Wiles nearly scored a takedown put time ran out. In the overtime period, Tamillow scored the takedown in the opening seconds to secure the win. Wiles finishes the season with a 27-12 record.
More than 15,752 attended the evening session. Tomorrow’s quarterfinal matches will be aired live of ESPNU.
125 “Mike Silengo
First Round
Lost to No. 3 seed Joe Dubuque (Indiana) D; 5-2
Consolation Round
Def. Collin Cudd (Wisconsin) D; 10-6
133 “No. 6 seed Matt Valenti
First Round
Def. Brandon Strong (Air Force) F; 5:45
Second Round
Def. Robbie Prestion (Harvard) F; 6:57
141 “Cesar Grajales
Pigtail
Def. Cassio Pero (Illinois) D; 6-3
First Round
Lost to No. 5 seed Brandon Rada (West Virginia) F, 5:24
Pigtail Consolation
Lost to Dewitt Driscoll (Penn State) MD; 13-4
149 “No. 12 seed Matt Dragon
First Round
Def. Jeff Owens (Cal Poly) TF, 16-0 (3:16)
Second Round
Lost to No. 5 Mark Disalvo (Central Michigan) D; 4-2
174 “No. 12 seed Matt Herrington
First Round
Def. Alex Maciag (North Carolina) MD; 16-4
Second Round
Lost to No. 5 seed Mike Patrovich (Hofstra) D;8-4
184 “Dustin Wiles
Pigtail
Lost to No. 10 seed Alex Camargo (Kent State) D; 9-4
Pigtail Consolation
Lost to No. 12 seed Mike Tamillow (Northwestern), D; 3-1 sv
Courtesy: Heather Palmer, Associate Director of Athletic Communications,
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