Wrestling Weekly Release

NCAA National Championships

Four University at Buffalo wrestlers, Desi Green, Nate Rock, Mickey Moran and Jimmy Hamel represented the Bulls at the 2009 NCAA National Championships in St. Louis, MO over the weekend. The Bulls scored 5.5 points to tie for 48th place among the 76 Division I programs that sent grapplers to the National Championships.

Desi Green

Green, the 18th-nationally ranked wrestler at 149 pounds, started strong for the Bulls, scoring a 3-2 win over Mitchell Polkowske of Northern Colorado in the first round. Green picked up a third-period escape for the winning margin of victory. Green faced third-ranked sophomore Darrion Caldwell of North Carolina State in the second round. Caldwell earned a 10-2 major decision over Green, sending Green into the wrestlebacks portion of the draw.

Green faced Trevor Kittleson of Northern Iowa in a rematch from earlier this season when Kittleson defeated Green, 9-7, at the Cleveland State Duals. In Cleveland, Green fell to Kittleson in a 9-7 decision, just one of Greenâs seven losses of the season. Green won the rematch by a 9-5 score and into the fourth round of the consolations against MAC foe Steve Brown of Central Michigan, ranked 11th in the country. It was their third meeting of the season with each wrestler claiming one victory. Green earned a third-period escape to tie the match at 4-4, but Brown won the contest by earning a riding point and eliminating Green.

Nate Rock

Rock opened the 174-pound bracket with a 2-1 victory over redshirt-freshman Anthony Trongone of Virginia Tech in a pigtail match, earning the win with a riding point. He then took on Boise State's Nathan Lee, ranked 13th in the country. Lee scored a 14-4 major decision and sent Rock to the wrestlebacks. In the second round of consolations, Rock faced redshirt-junior Eric Decker of Old Dominion. Decker took a 3-0 lead on Rock through two periods and was able to hold on for a 4-2 decision with a point being awarded for riding time.

Mickey Moran

At 184, Moran drew second-nationally ranked, redshirt-junior Philip Keddy of Iowa in his first-round matchup. Keddy attacked from the start with a takedown to bring Moran to his back. Keddy earned a three-point near fall off the takedown for a 5-0 lead. With Moran unable to break free, Keddy pinned Moran at 2:28. Moran then faced Casey Caldwell of Navy in the wrestlebacks. The two had met earlier in the season with Moran scoring a 4-2 decision in December. With Moran leading by one point late in the third period, Caldwell scored a takedown to earn a 7-6 decision over Moran, eliminating the senior.

Jimmy Hamel

Hamel faced a familiar opponent in Brandon Halsey of California State-Bakersfield, ranked seventh in the country at 197 pounds. Hamel fell to Halsey in a 6-4 decision at the Reno Tournament of Champions on December 18 in their previous meeting this season. In St. Louis, Halsey earned an 8-3 decision over Hamel sending the UB wrestler to the wrestlebacks. Hamel defeated Andrew Delaney of the Citadel in the second round of consolations with a 14-3 major decision. Hamel was eliminated in the next round by Oklahoma's Eric Lapotsky as the Sooner grappler pinned Hamel at 4:42.