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Ragusa Earns Academic All-MAC Honors

Mike Ragusa

The communication major with a 3.288 GPA had a breakthrough season after a knee injury took his freshman year away from him, as he was one of seven UB wrestlers to win 20 matches. He started the season at 165 pounds, finishing second at the Slippery Rock Open, fourth at the Oklahoma Gold Classic and fifth at the Mat Town USA Invitational. He moved up to 174 pounds, however, earning the starting job and finishing the year with a 7-6 dual meet mark and 3-2 mark in the Mid-American Conference. He finished the season with a 21-16 overall record.

His defining moment came on Feb. 4 against Central Michigan, when he beat nationally-ranked Brandon Sinnott, in front of a Alumni Arena record crowd of 847 fans. Ragusa recorded a takedown in overtime after earning an escape to secure a 5-4 win.

Ragusa is the first UB wrestler to earn All-Academic status since Mike Sebaaly was rewarded in 2003.

Central Michigan led the award-winners with five members on the squad, while Northern Illinois, Ohio, Kent State and Eastern Michigan also provided one wrestler each to the team.

Junior Mark Budd (Orrville, OH/Orrville) and seniors Kyle Cerminara (Lewiston, NY/Lewiston-Porter) and Harold Sherrell (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) will hit the mats at the NCAA Championships on March 16 at noon in Oklahoma City, OK.