Wednesday, December 28
Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
10 a.m.
Millersville University
at
Wilkes Open
Vernalli's Runner-Up Finish Highlights Marauders' Day
12/28/2011 9:17:00 PM | Wrestling
Results
Wilkes-Barre, Pa. - Millersville's wrestling team had little time to celebrate the holidays. It returned to action for the first time in 18 days Wednesday at the Wilkes Open, and senior Brandon Vernalli was the team's top finisher, taking second at 165 pounds.
Vernalli, 157-pound Zac Wawrzyniak-Bush and heavyweight Brad Ladd were the only Marauders to win more than two matches in the day. Wawrzyniak-Bush reached the championship semifinals but did not place. For Vernalli, it was the first time placing in his career.
Vernalli opened the tournament in impressive fashion, winning his opening bout by a 17-3 techincal fall and his second by pin in just 43 seconds. In the quarterfinals, he topped King College's Tommy Desir by an 11-3 major decision. That win moved Vernalli into the semis where he downed East Stroudsburg's Thad Frick by a 10-6 decision.
Rutger's Nicholas Visicaro ended Vernalli's bid for his first individual championship by a 9-4 decision.
Wawrzyniak-Bush also won his first three matches. Two came by decision and another came by a 9-0 major decision over Messiah's Josh Bressler. Wawrzyniak-Bush was edged 5-0 in the semifinals by Messiah's Chris Hardenberg, and his tournament ended after a 15-0 tech fall loss to eventual third-place finisher Braden Turner of East Stroudsburg.
At 285 pounds, Brad Ladd started the tournament with a pin of Wilkes' Jonathan Slack in just 46 seconds. He followed that with a 6-2 decision, but was edged 5-3 by eventual runner-up Greg Velasco (Rider) in the following round. Ladd managed to boune back with a 41-second pin of Wilkes' William Fletcher but was eliminated by Pitt-Johnstown's Josh Krupa.
Shane Smith, who had won the tournament award for most falls in the shortest amount of time three years running, went 1-2 with one pin.
The Marauders host three duals on Jan. 7 against Boston, Harvard and Brown. Competition begins at 10 a.m. in Pucillo Gymnasium.
Wilkes-Barre, Pa. - Millersville's wrestling team had little time to celebrate the holidays. It returned to action for the first time in 18 days Wednesday at the Wilkes Open, and senior Brandon Vernalli was the team's top finisher, taking second at 165 pounds.
Vernalli, 157-pound Zac Wawrzyniak-Bush and heavyweight Brad Ladd were the only Marauders to win more than two matches in the day. Wawrzyniak-Bush reached the championship semifinals but did not place. For Vernalli, it was the first time placing in his career.
Vernalli opened the tournament in impressive fashion, winning his opening bout by a 17-3 techincal fall and his second by pin in just 43 seconds. In the quarterfinals, he topped King College's Tommy Desir by an 11-3 major decision. That win moved Vernalli into the semis where he downed East Stroudsburg's Thad Frick by a 10-6 decision.
Rutger's Nicholas Visicaro ended Vernalli's bid for his first individual championship by a 9-4 decision.
Wawrzyniak-Bush also won his first three matches. Two came by decision and another came by a 9-0 major decision over Messiah's Josh Bressler. Wawrzyniak-Bush was edged 5-0 in the semifinals by Messiah's Chris Hardenberg, and his tournament ended after a 15-0 tech fall loss to eventual third-place finisher Braden Turner of East Stroudsburg.
At 285 pounds, Brad Ladd started the tournament with a pin of Wilkes' Jonathan Slack in just 46 seconds. He followed that with a 6-2 decision, but was edged 5-3 by eventual runner-up Greg Velasco (Rider) in the following round. Ladd managed to boune back with a 41-second pin of Wilkes' William Fletcher but was eliminated by Pitt-Johnstown's Josh Krupa.
Shane Smith, who had won the tournament award for most falls in the shortest amount of time three years running, went 1-2 with one pin.
The Marauders host three duals on Jan. 7 against Boston, Harvard and Brown. Competition begins at 10 a.m. in Pucillo Gymnasium.
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