WRESTLING

Roster  |  Coaches  |  Schedule / Results  |  News

BUFFALO, NY - First-round pairings for the NCAA Wrestling Championships, held in Iowa City, IA, Thursday, March 15 to Saturday, March 17, have been announced by the NCAA.

None of the four UB wrestlers competing received seedings, but UB seniors Josh States (Lockport, NY/Lockport), John Eschenfelder (N. Syracuse, NY/Cicero-N. Syracuse) and Shawn Kegel (Wantagh, NY/MacArthur) will be wrestling familiar opponents in the first round of the Championships.

States faces off against Anton Talamantes from Ohio State. Earlier in the season at the Buckeye Duals, States defeated Talamantes by a 5-2 decision.

Eschenfelder will be wrestling the 12th-seed, Ryan Kehler from West Virginia. At the Virginia Duals, Eschenfelder recorded a 4-1 decision over Kehler.

Kegel also will be wrestling the 12th-seed in his bracket. Kegel faces off against Brian Watson from Oregon. En route to a third-place finish at the Las Vegas Invitational, the highest ever for a UB wrestler, Kegel had one loss a 7-2 decision to Watson.

Junior Dave Guarino (Derby, NY/Lake Shore) is the lone UB wrestler who is still unsure of his first-round matchup. Guarino is awaiting the outcome of the match between Nick Catone from Rider and eighth-seed Carl Fronhofer from Pittsburgh and will not know who his opponent will be until Thursday. Guarino has not wrestled either of these competitors in prior competition this season.

The first round of the NCAA Wrestling Championships begins on Thursday, March 15 at 11 a.m. and the next session of competition is scheduled for 6 p.m. that night.