St. Louis Blues
Broncs Eliminated at Nationals
ST. LOUIS, MO-The Rider wrestling season came to an end Friday at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, held at the Scottrade Center.
It was a bit of Euthanasia for the Broncs, who seemed to be somewhat jinxed all season.
The young Broncs began the year with promise, defeating Army at West Point and Princeton at home. After losing to the powerful Wisconsin Badgers Rider placed third at the prestigious Keystone Classic and defeated nationally ranked Old Dominion of the CAA.
Then the injuries struck. Rider went the rest of the season without its full lineup, with at least one or two starters out.
At the CAA Championships, it was like Murphy's Law, when everything and anything that could go wrong did.
And now, at the pinnacle of the season, the NCAA Championships, the Broncs come home with just one win,
"I don't remember a season quite like this," said Rider head coach Gary Taylor, who has been coaching the Broncs since 1978. "Hopefully you get it all in one year and get it over with, rather than get it in bits and pieces."
Friday morning Rider junior Jim Resnick (Media, Pa./Penncrest) lost 5-2 to the 11th seed, Justin Zeerip of Michigan, in the fourth round of consolations.
"Jim was in a tight match," Taylor said of the last bout of the season. "The score was tied at 2-2 but the Michigan kid had riding time so Jim had to press to get a takedown and Jim got taken down."
Resnick went 1-2 in the tournament, 1-1 on Thursday.
After receiving a first round bye Thursday, Resnick was pinned by the undefeated top seed at 174, All-American Edward Ruth of Penn State.
Resnick was trailing 4-3 to Ruth, who placed third at the 2011 Nationals, before being pinned in 1:43.
In consolations Thursday evening, Resnick (18-6) defeated Kyle Czarnecki of Boston University 7-2.
Resnick lost 6-1 to Czarnecki during the dual meet season this year. Last year Resnick defeated Czarnecki twice, by fall and by a tech fall.
Sophomore James Brundage (Ossining, N.Y./Ossining) went 0-2 at Nationals and was eliminated Thursday evening.
Brundage received a first round bye and in the second round lost 10-0 to the 11th seed at 165, All-American Brandon Hatchett of Lehigh.
Hatchett placed seventh at the 2011 Nationals.
In consolations Thursday evening, Brundage (21-19) was pinned in 11 seconds by the sixth seed, Peter Yates of Virginia Tech.
"All you can do is get back to work for next year," Taylor said, "and that's what we will do."
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