ALBANY, NY - University at Buffalo freshman Kyle Cerminara (Lewiston, NY/Lewiston-Porter) won his first round match on Thursday at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships and now faces the experience of a wrestling lifetime this evening.

Cerminara handily downed Millersville's Greg Eynon by a 6-2 score and will face

Kyle Cerminara

undefeated and three-time national champion Cael Sanderson of Iowa State this evening. Sanderson, who won by fall in his first match over Clarion's Eric Mausser, is 155-0 and is the three-time Outstanding Wrestler at the championships.

Cerminara, who improved to 26-11 on the season, got a takedown and two back points in the first minute of the match to take a 4-0 lead, and effectively road Eynon out the rest of the match. Cerminara, who had beaten Eynon in the finals of the Bloomsburg Invitational in November, gave up a takedown in the second period, but got a reversal and a riding point to close out the 6-2 win.

"To start your first match in the NCAA Championships with a takedown like that makes you confident because that first match can be very difficult," said Buffalo head coach Jim Beichner. "You're usually anxious going into the match, but I thought Kyle was very composed and his confidence just grew after getting that early high single (takedown).

"He made one mistake in the second period but got an immediate reversal," said Beichner. "I liked the way he stayed on top and finished on top. He kept him down and rode him out, that's a sign of maturity and toughness."

Now Cerminara will get the attention of the wrestling world when he faces Sanderson, the most decorated collegiate wrestler in the sport's history.

"I think he's looking forward to it, and I know we are," said Beichner. "What do you have to lose? He's looking forward to it and whatever happens, happens. It's such a great opportunity for him as a freshman...it's the kind of thing he'll tell his grandkids about."

The national media will take notice as well. ESPN, Esquire, USA Today, Sports Illustrated and others are all covering Sanderson's shot at wrestling history. Win or lose, Buffalo's Cerminara will have a part in it.