NCAA Championships Bids On The Line At EIWA Championships This Weekend
3/5/2015 8:42:00 AM | Wrestling
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NEW YORK - The stage is set for the 111th Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association's (EIWA) Championships this weekend at Lehigh's Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with NCAA bids on the line for the Columbia wrestling team.
The Lions have yet to see competition from four teams in the 16-team conference, but should have a good scouting report on their opponents, having gone up against 10 teams from the EIWA in dual meets this season, while also seeing Army at the New York State Championships. The EIWA boasts three teams in the latest USA Today/NWCA Coaches Top 25 poll, including No. 3 Cornell, No. 9 Lehigh, and No. 23 Bucknell.
Watch Live And Follow
Fans wanting to watch all the action from the 5,600-seat Stabler Arena can do so via FloWrestling. Updates will also be given via twitter, @ColumbiaWR. The finals will be broadcasted on local radio, ESPN 1230 and 1320.
Weekend Schedule
Friday, March 6 - Session 1: Championship first round and quarterfinals plus first two consolation rounds: 10 a.m.
Saturday, March 7 - Session 2: Session 2: Championship semifinals, consolation third round, semifinals and 7th place matches: 10 a.m.
Saturday, March 7 - Session 3: Session 3: Championship finals (1st, 3rd, 5th): 5:30 p.m.
Last Season
The Lions had a strong outing at the 2014 EIWA Championships, when Markus Scheidel (157), Josh Houldsworth (165) and Zack Hernandez (184) earned automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament. Shane Hughes earned an at-large bid to the NCAA's, giving Columbia four competitors at the 2014 NCAA Tournament in Oklahoma City.
The NCAA Bids
Weight classes vary with NCAA automatic bids from the EIWA Championships, but all weights will also produce at-large bids into the NCAA Championships.
Based on seeding, two Lion wrestlers have a better seed than the number of bids per weight class, in Scheidel and Garrett Ryan. Scheidel has put up a 14-6 mark on the season at 157, and is seeded No. 5 in a weight class with seven automatic bids. Ryan, who was recently named Ivy League Co-Rookie of the Year after a 20-11 season at heavyweight, will be seeded No. 4 in a five-bid weight class.
Columbia Line-up
125 - Johnson Mai (Jr., 10-13, Pre-seed No. 7) NCAA Automatic Bids: 3
133 - Angelo Amenta (Jr., 17-11, Pre-seed No. 6) NCAA Automatic Bids: 3
141 - Matthew Leshinger (So., 5-5, Pre-seed N/A) NCAA Automatic Bids: 5.
149 - Connor Sutton (Jr., 13-15, Pre-seed No. 12) NCAA Automatic Bids: 4.
157 - Markus Scheidel (So., 14-6, Pre-seed No. 5) NCAA Automatic Bids: 7.
165 - Tyrel White (Fr., 20-12, Pre-seed No. 8) NCAA Automatic Bids: 4.
174 - Shane Hughes (Sr., 13-11, Pre-seed No. 6) NCAA Automatic Bids: 2.
184 - Zack Hernandez (Jr., 9-14, Pre-seed N/A) NCAA Automatic Bids: 5.
197 - Matt Idelson (Sr., 13-12, Pre-seed No. 7) NCAA Automatic Bids: 5.
HWT - Garrett Ryan (Fr., 20-11, Pre-seed No. 4) NCAA Automatic Bids: 5.
Players Mentioned
