WRESTLING

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Wrestlers of the Week

Seniors Shawn Kegel (Wantaugh, NY/MacArthur) and John Eschenfelder (N. Syracuse, NY/Cicero-N.Syracuse), junior Ryan Bentley (Ripley, NY/Ripley) and sophomore Garrett Bontempo (DuBois, PA/DuBois) each finished with a 3-0 record in their respective weight classes to guide the Bulls to a win at the Binghamton University Duals.

Kegel, last week's Mid-American Conference Wrestler of the Week, easily defeated his three opponents at 133 pounds. He compiled a total of 22 takedowns in his three matches, a number which puts him well on pace to break the single season takedown record. Kegel's season record now stands at 19-2 and he is ranked 15th in the nation at 133 pounds.

Eschenfelder, currently ranked seventh in the nation, recorded three wins at Binghamton two by fall upping his record to 8-0 this season. Eschenfelder did not wrestle in the Las Vegas Invitational last weekend due to a lower back injury suffered earlier in the week at practice.

Bentley was perfect in his three matches at Binghamton. Bentley did not allow his opponents to score a single point. He recorded two technical falls and won his third match 13-0. Bently's record is now 11-2 overall and he is 5-0 in dual meets this season.

Bontempo has been on a hot streak during the month of December. He has tallied an 8-2 record at competitions including the Las Vegas Invitational and the Binghamton Duals. Bontempo outscored his three opponents 39-6 at the Binghamton Duals.

Bulls Win Binghamton Duals

The University at Buffalo wrestling team continued its early season success with a win at the Binghamton University Duals sweeping their three opponents for the championship. Also, the Bulls had four wrestlers finish with three wins on the day.

UB began the day with a first-round bye. In their first match, the Bulls defeated the tournament's eighth seed, Sacred Heart, 37-3. UB picked up wins in all but one weight class.

In its semifinal matchup, UB defeated fourth-seeded Columbia, 29-9 and then defeated second-seeded Drexel, 28-6, for the championship. Picking up their third win on the day were Kegel, Bentley, Bontempo and Eschenfelder.

"The guys wrestled really well. We went out and got the job done today," said UB Head Coach Jim Beichner. "Both Kegel and Bentley really stepped it up today and having Eschenfelder back in the lineup was big."

Bulls Finish 21st At Las Vegas Invitational

The University at Buffalo took part in its second invitational of the season as it traveled to the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 1-2.

The Bulls, along with Cal Poly, finished in 21st place with 38 points. This was the best finish ever by a UB squad at the invitational. Illinois, currently ranked fifth in InterMat's NCAA Division I rankings, won the event with 156 points. Fifty-two teams competed in the invitational. Last season, the Bulls placed 27th with 20 points.

States, Eschenfelder Climbing Up the Record Books

Through two invitationals and five dual meets, Josh States (Lockport, NY/ Lockport) has already moved up the charts in the UB record books. His 11 wins this season move him into fifth place in career wins (83). States also takes over 15th place in overall career record (83-45) with a winning percentage of .648. Eschenfelder, with eight wins on the season, moves to 12th on the overall career wins list with 70.