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Budd Set For Second MAC Championship Finals Appearence

Mark Budd

BUFFALO, NY – For the second consecutive season, senior Mark Budd (Orrville, OH/Orrville) has battled his way into the finals of the 2007 Mid-American Conference Wrestling Championships. Budd is the only Bull remaining in the championship round, while fellow senior Ray Lamb (Vineland, NJ/Absegami) is in line to place following the first day of preliminary events.

After one day of action, Buffalo sits in sixth place out of six teams with 10.5 points, just one wrestler in the championship round and one in the consolation round. Nationally-fifth ranked Central Michigan leads all teams with 62.5 points, and all 10 of its wrestlers still alive to place at the event. Northern Illinois is second with 46.5 points, nationally 25th-ranked Kent State is third with 40.5 points, then is followed by Ohio with 25 point and Eastern Michigan with 23.5.

Budd went 2-0 on the day, including a 6-4 decision over Chris Jenkins of Eastern Michigan in the first round Saturday morning. In the semifinals, Budd met Central Michigan's Conor Beebe and was presented with yet a similar test as in his earlier match. With the match heading into overtime, Budd was able to score a sudden victory takedown to take the match, 6-4. The loss would knock Beebe into the consolation round, where he earned a major decision over Northern Illinois's John Weinert. Budd, ranked 15th according to latest InterMat poll, will face Kent State's Danny Mitcheff in the finals. Mitcheff is ranked 29th according to WrestlingReport.com's poll.

Ray Lamb

Lamb dropped a major decision to nationally ninth-ranked Christian Sinnott of Central Michigan 15-5, dropping him into the consolation round. Seeded fourth in the tournament, Lamb faced Nick Terbay of Ohio and prevailed by a 3-2 count. Lamb is slated to face Kent State's Eric Chine in the 3rd place match, where the winner has a chance to face the championship runner-up in the True Second Place match. Lamb and Chine went down to the wire in their previous meeting, with Chine coming out on top, 3-1 in overtime.

The championship and consolation finals will resume Sunday morning at 11 a.m. Fans can follow the action free of charge via live web streaming at www.ubathletics.buffalo.edu/wrestling/mac07.

125 - Dan Bishop
First round: L, maj. dec. Chad Sportelli (Kent State), 8-0
Consolations: L, dec. Seth Morton (Ohio), 9-5

133 - Mark Budd
First round: W, dec. Chris Jenkins (Eastern Michigan), 6-4
Semifinals: W, dec. Conor Beebe (Central Michigan), 6-4 (ot)

141 - Andrew Stella
First round: L, fall to Dan Ruettiger (Northern Illinois), at 3:33
Consolations: L, dec. Drew Lashaway (Kent State), 6-3

149 - Jason Hilliard
First round: L, fall to Mike Grimes (Northern Illinois), at 6:55
Consolations: L, maj. dec. Clay ucker (Ohio), 15-6

157 - Scott Rendos
First round: L, dec. Jacob Frerichs (Ohio), 7-2
Consolations: L, dec. Cory Mancuso (Eastern Michigan), 4-2

165 - Mike Ragusa
First round: L, dec. Nick Conkliin (Eastern Michigan), 7-4
Consolations: L, dec. Jacob Ison (Ohio), 8-7

174 - Nate Rock
First round: L, maj. dec. Brandon Sinnott (Central Michigan), 15-5
Consolations: L, fall to Antione Love (Ohio), at 4:55

184 - Ray Lamb
First round: W, dec. John McClure (Eastern Michigan), 12-5
Semifinals: L, maj. dec. Christian Sinnott (Central Michigan), 15-5
Consolations: W, dec. Nick Terbay (Ohio), 3-2

197 - Jake Blowers
First round: L, fall to Wynn Michalak (Central Michigan), at 2:04
Consolations: L, fall to Nick McClone (Northern Illinois), at 1:53

285 - Jeff Parker
First round: W, dec. Charlie Walker (Eastern Michigan), 10-4
Semifinals: L, maj. dec. Bubba Gritter (Central Michigan), 10-2
Consolations: L, dec. David Benner (Northern Illinois), 6-5