Lehigh University Athletics
Mountain Hawks head to Philadelphia for NCAA Championships
3/15/2011 8:20:00 PM | Men's Wrestling
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The 2010-11 college wrestling season comes to an end this weekend as Lehigh makes the short trip to Philadelphia for the 81st NCAA Wrestling Championships at Wells Fargo Center. The Mountain Hawks bring eight qualifiers to Philadelphia following a second place finish at the EIWA Championships two weeks ago at Bucknell. Sophomore Robert Hamlin won the EIWA championship at 184 and earned the No. 2 seed at 184, while junior heavyweight Zach Rey earned a No. 1 seed, after 
winning his first 29 bouts this season before falling in the EIWA finals. The duo gives Lehigh its first two top-two seeds since 2005. Freshman Austin Meys is the third and final Lehigh seed coming in at No. 11 at 174.
winning his first 29 bouts this season before falling in the EIWA finals. The duo gives Lehigh its first two top-two seeds since 2005. Freshman Austin Meys is the third and final Lehigh seed coming in at No. 11 at 174. Historically, Lehigh has been one of the nation's most successful programs and the Mountain Hawks will be looking to improve on last year's 17th place finish that saw Rey become Lehigh's first All-American since 2006 with a third place finish.
Freshman Frank Cagnina will be the first Mountain Hawk on the mats Thursday as he will face No. 6 seed Tony Ramos of Iowa in the pigtail round, with the winner to moving on to face Jordan Keller of Oklahoma in the round of 32.
Rey, the highest Lehigh seed since Troy Letters and Jon Trenge earned No. 1 seeds in 2005, will open with Parker Burns of Missouri, while Hamlin will face Mike Larson of Missouri for the fourth time this season in the first round. Meys will face Curran Jacobs of Michigan State in his first match.
Among Lehigh's remaining unseeded wrestlers, freshman Stephen Dutton (141) and sophomore Joey Napoli (149) will open with seeded opponents in round one. Dutton will face No. 5 seed and defending national runner-up Montell Marion of Iowa, while Napoli will meet the No. 11 seed Andrew Nadhir of Northwestern.
Rounding out Lehigh's seven qualifiers are juniors Brandon Hatchett and Joe Kennedy. Hatchett will square off against John-Martin Cannon of Buffalo while Kennedy drew Tyler Dickenson of Michigan State. Lehigh has the fifth most NCAA Champions (26) and the ninth most All-Americans (128) of all Division I wrestling programs. The Brown and White have never won the NCAA Team Championship, coming as close as second in 1939, third in 1965, 1979 and a tie for third in 2004.
Iowa is the three-time defending team champion, but there is expected to be a tight team race with Cornell, Penn State, Iowa and Oklahoma State among the favorites.
The 81st NCAA Championships get underway Thursday at 11 a.m. EDT from Wells Fargo Center. The opening round will feature pigtail rounds and preliminaries. Free live audio coverage of all of Lehigh's NCAA Tournament action can be heard at Lehighsports.com.
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Event:
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81st NCAA Championships
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Dates:
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March 17-19, 2011
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Session 1:
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Thursday, March 17, 11 a.m. (pigtail round, round of 32)
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Session 2:
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Thursday, March 17, 6:30 p.m. (round of 16 and wrestle-back prelims)
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Session 3:
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Friday, March 18, 10:30 a.m. (quarterfinals and wrestle-backs)
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Session 4:
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Friday, March 19, 7:00 p.m. (semifinals and wrestle-backs)
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Session 5:
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Saturday, March 19, 11:00 a.m. (consolation semifinals and medal rounds – 3rd-8th)
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Session 6:
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Saturday, March 19, 7:30 p.m. (national finals)
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Location:
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Philadelphia, Pa.
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Arena:
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Wells Fargo Center (19,537)
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Lehigh's dual record:
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15-6, 7-1 EIWA
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History:
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Lehigh's best finish was second in 1939. The Mountain Hawks finished 17th last year. Iowa is the defending champion.
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Television:
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Quarterfinals, semifinals and medal rounds on ESPNU (SE Dial Position 174, DirecTV channel 208). National finals live on ESPN.
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Radio:
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None
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Internet Broadcast:
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FREE live audio of all Lehigh matches on Lehighsports.com
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