Bulls in Fourth After Day One of the MAC Championships

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YPSILANTI, MI - After day one of the Mid-American Conference Championships, the University at Buffalo wrestling team is in fourth place with 28 points. All ten Bulls remain alive heading into day two with Desi Green, Nate Rock and Jimmy Hamel wrestling for individual titles. This marks the first time since the 2005-06 season, the Bulls have three wrestlers vying for individual titles.

Desi Green

For the Bulls, Dan Bishop, Kevin Smith, Andrew Stella, Ron Majerus, John-Martin Cannon, Mickey Moran, Brett Correll remain alive in the consolation rounds.

Green, the 18th nationally-ranked wrestler at 149, remains alive with consecutive 10-5 and 7-5 decisions over Ohio's Seth Morton and Eastern Michigan's John Johnson, respectively. Green controlled his first match with Morton to advance. In his bout with Johnson, Green trailed 4-3 in the third however, with a pair of late takedowns including a double-leg takedown with seconds remaining, Green captured a 7-5 decision. In day two, Green will face 11th nationally-ranked Steve Brown of Central Michigan, who Green defeated earlier this season in a last second decision in the Buffalo-Central Michigan dual meet. Green's 4-3 victory over then tenth-ranked Brown, earned Green the MAC Wrestler of the Week.

Rock continues his senior campaign with a chance to walk away as a MAC Champion at 174. Rock opened the Championships with a 5-2 decision over Kent State's Chris Estep followed by a 5-3 decision over Nick Purdue of Ohio. In Rock's bout with Estep, Rock scored a takedown, an escape and a two-point near fall in the victory. Versus Purdue, Rock sent the match to overtime scoring a takedown with 12 seconds left on the clock. Rock captured his overtime victory off a costly mistake of a technical violation by Purdue with seconds remaining in the overtime period. Rock will advance to the finals where he will face eighth nationally-ranked Mike Miller of Central Michigan. Rock will look to revenge a 12-4 major decision loss to Miller earlier in the season.

Nate Rock

At 197, Hamel is heading to the finals after defeating Ohio's Chris Iammarino by the score of 5-2. Hamel would revenge an earlier season loss of 7-4 against Chris Simaz of Central Michigan. With the score tied 1-1 at the end of three periods, the match was sent into overtime. With eight seconds remaining in the first overtime, Hamel scored off a duck-under double-leg takedown for a 3-1 victory. Hamel is scheduled to take on John McClure of Eastern Michigan, who Hamel defeated earlier in the season in a hard fought 2-1 decision.

Bishop, Stella and Correll were each sent into the consolation rounds after losing their first matches of the day. In his first match of the day, Majerus captured a first round win only to lose in the second round to the 11th ranked wrestler in the nation, Trevor Stewart of Central Michigan.

Jimmy Hamel

Majerus and Moran have a chance to finish as high as third place in the MAC Championships as they face a pair of Northern Illinois wrestlers in John Odeen at 165 and Brad Dieckhaus at 184, respectively. At 125, Bishop also has a chance to finish as high as third place as he faces Eastern Michigan's Christopher Jenkins in day two of the Championships.

Smith, Stella, Cannon and Correll will have the opportunity to capture fifth place at this year's Championships. At 133, Smith will face Ohio's Quentin Keyes, who Smith lost to in a 3-2 decision earlier in the season. To open day two, Stella is scheduled to wrestle Zach Donofrio of Eastern Michigan at 141. Cannon will have a chance to revenge a first round fall to Joshua Moulton of Eastern Michigan, who Cannon will face in the 157-pound fifth place bout. At 285, Correll will face Andy Hartshorn of Ohio.

The 2009 MAC Championships will conclude on Sunday, March 8 with the final and consolation rounds scheduled to begin at 11:00 am.