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BUFFALO, NY - The first two sessions of the NCAA Wrestling Championships held at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, were completed Thursday night, and all UB wrestlers were eliminated from the championship bracket. Three wrestlers suffered second-round losses and now move to the wrestlebacks. Third place is the highest that any UB qualifier can now finish.

"It was a tough round for us," said head coach Jim Beichner. "Now's the time for their character to show. They all had tough matches, two of our competitors wrestled the fifth seed in the nation in their bracket. It's time for them to show how much they want to be All-Americans."

Senior Shawn Kegel (Wantagh, NY/MacArthur) dropped his second-round match to Roman Fleszar from Hofstra by a 10-4 decision. Kegel now moves to the wrestlebacks where he will wrestle Marat Tomaev from Penn State. Tomaev defeated Central Michigan's Jordan Webster in the first round of the wrestlebacks to advance.

Junior Dave Guarino (Derby, NY/Lake Shore) dropped a 9-3 decision to Kevin Stanley of Indiana University. In the wrestlebacks, Guarino will now wrestle third-seeded Steve Blackford from Arizona State. Blackford defeated Jed Pennell from Oregon State to advance to the second round of the wrestlebacks.

Senior heavyweight John Eschenfelder (N. Syracuse, NY/Cicero-N. Syracuse) dropped a 4-3 decision to fifth-seeded Matt Brink from Michigan. Eschenfelder now will wrestle in the wrestlebacks against Josh Pearce from Edinboro. Pearce defeated David Kimble from UNC Greensboro in the first-round of the wrestlebacks to advance to the match with Eschenfelder.

Senior Josh States (Lockport, NY/Lockport)was eliminated from the tournament following a 13-4 decision to Dave Colabella from James Madison University. Colabella dropped his first-round match to second-seeded Nate Patrick from Illinois and moves on to wrestle Francis Volpe from Harvard. States ends his UB career with a 102-52 record and finishes with the most career wins.

Wrestling resumes Friday, March 16, at 10 a.m. with the quarterfinals and the second and third rounds of the wrestlebacks and then continues at 5:30 p.m. with the semifinals and the fourth and fifth rounds of the wrestlebacks.