WRESTLING

Roster  |  Coaches  |  Schedule / Results  |  News

Sherrell Enters NWCA/InterMat Top 20 For First Time

Harold Sherrell

Sherrell, who has set a career high with his 23-4 record this year, is a part of a core of three University at Buffalo wrestlers in the poll, which also features 133-pound junior Mark Budd (Orrville, OH/Orrville), who is 14th, and 197-pound senior Kyle Cerminara (Lewiston, NY/Lewiston-Porter), who is fifth. Sophomore Mickey Moran (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler Area) is also in the national polls, ranking 18th in W.I.N. Magazine's latest poll and 26th in Wrestling Report.com's latest poll.

This is the first time since the 2003-04 season in which three Buffalo wrestlers have been in the NWCA/InterMat/NWMA rankings, when Cerminara, Mark McKnight (125 pounds) and Ed Pawlak (174 pounds) were in the end of season poll.

Sherrell, a quad-captain on this year's squad, is one of the most unlikely success stories in Buffalo's recent history. Wrestling in the shadows of 2004 All-American Cerminara, who has risen to third in TheWrestlingMall.com and Amateur Wrestling News polls, for his first three years, he amassed a career record of 24-33 while splitting time in the 184, 197 and heavyweight weight classes. When Cerminara redshirted in 2004-05, Sherrell stepped into the 197-pound starting role and compiled a 22-18 record, finishing third at the Mid-American Conference Championships. During that season, Sherrell showed flashes of brilliance, including knocking off eventual All-American Phil Davis of Penn State at the Mat Town USA Invitational.

This year, Sherrell has moved up a weight class to accommodate the return of Cerminara, and has fit right into the role of heavyweight, albeit wrestling almost 70 pounds under the weight class limit of 285 pounds. He has won the Slippery Rock Open, the Mat Town USA Invitational and the UB Open, all en route to already surpassing his career high with 23 wins. He is just four wins away from entering the top 15 in school history in career wins, now garnishing a 69-54 (.561) record. His tough-as-nails on top style has helped him to 10 dual meet 3-point near falls, which is already 10th in school history with seven dual meets remaining.

Buffalo returns to Alumni Arena for a non-conference dual meet against Southern Conference power UNC-Greensboro on Sunday at 1:00 pm.