UNCG at NCAA Tournament. March 17-19, All Day, Philadelphia, Pa.
Storylines:
- The UNCG wrestling team will have four representatives in the 2011 NCAA DI Wrestling Championships this weekend at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa.
- On March 5, Chattanooga denied UNCG of repeating as Southern Conference tournament champions as it claimed its 25th SoCon Wrestling Championship and its sixth in seven years by defeating UNCG by 10.5 points, 98-87.5. However, UNCG had three individual wrestlers; Manny Ramirez (125 pounds), Ivan Lopouchanski (149) and Caylor Williams (197) win a title in their respective classes and two second-place finishers, Jamel Johnson (133) and heavyweight Peter Sturgeon.
- Lopouchanski (38 wins) and Sturgeon (31 wins) have the most wins of any wrestler in their respective weight class. Lopouchanski's 38 wins is a school record for wins in a single season.
- The tournament will be in a double-elimination format and will consist of 330 student-athletes from all over the nation.
- In sending four wrestlers to the tournament, it marks the fourth-straight year that UNCG has sent at least three wrestlers and it's the third time in school history that it has sent four. The first time occurred during the 2006 season.
- SoCon Freshman of the Year, Williams, received a tough draw in the first round as he will seek revenge against No. 2 Trevor Brandvold of Wisconsin. Earlier in the season, Brandvold pinned Williams in the first period.
- No. 16 Lopouchanski (149) broke the single-season record (35) for wins with his technical fall of Michael Jordan of Campbell, 16-1. Of his 38 wins, he has defeated four ranked wrestlers and he started the season off 10-0. The sophomore has amassed 81 wins and has scored eight pins on the season. He will face Darrion Caldwell, ranked first in the nation, of N.C. State in the first round.
- Sturgeon is one of two Spartans with 30 wins on the season. He has impressed with a 15-3 record in duals this season and leads the team with five victories against ranked opponents. He finished second in the conference tournament after losing a heartbreaker, 3-2, in the second sudden victory against VMI's Josh Wine. But, responded nicely by earning one of the conferences' at-large bids.
- Ramirez has been on a torrid run lately by winning five matches in a row and putting up double-digit points in four of them. He will take on No. 1 Matt McDonough of Iowa in the first round.
- Elijah Adams (184) and Johnson were selected on the SoCon's All-Freshman team. Also, the conferenced tabbed four Spartans; Lopouchanski, Ramirez, Williams and Johnson, to the All-Conference team.
- UNCG -
