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Kyle Cerminara

LAS VEGAS, NV - Kyle Cerminara (Lewiston, NY/Lewiston-Porter) redshirted during the 2004-05 University at Buffalo wrestling season, but that doesn't mean he rested on his laurels coming off an All-American campaign in 2003-04.

On Saturday, the senior-to-be launched his run for the NCAA national title in 2006 by finishing an impressive fifth out of 34 wrestlers in the 96-kilogram freestyle bracket at the Las Vegas/ASiCS U.S. Senior Nationals, the highest finish for an NCAA athlete in the bracket at the Convention Center.

Cerminara won his first match, beating Brian Cobbin, 1-0, 3-0, before losing to eventual champion Daniel Cormier, 3-0, 6-0. The 197-pound wrestler then rolled through Ryan Silvera, 7-0, 7-0, Andrew Adams, 3-1, 6-0, and Zach Thompson, 1-0, 1-0.

In the consolation semifinals, Cerminara lost to New York Athletic Club teammate Nick Fekete, 0-2, 6-0, 6-0. However, Cerminara finished fifth when Sean Salmon bowed out of the fifth-place match with an injury, as Cerminara finished the tournament, 5-2.

Cerminara, who finished 3-2 at the Nationals last year and just out of place contention, finished eighth at the 2004 NCAA Championships to become the first male All-American in UB's Division I era. He used a redshirt this year to gear up for a national title run in 2006, but still took titles at the Niagara Open, UB Open and the Edinboro Open wrestling unattached. He has a 98-30 career record and is 15 wins away from passing Gary Cooper (1998-2003) as the all-time win leader at UB.

With the fifth-place finish, Cerminara qualified for the 2005 Senior World Team Trials in Ames, Iowa from June 17 to 19.