Bombers win Empire Conference Title #bombernation pic.twitter.com/LHk4aGKEnG
— Ithaca College Wrestling (@IthacaWrestling) January 18, 2015
ONEONTA, N.Y. -- The Ithaca College wrestling team claimed six weight-class champions and totaled 207 team points to win the Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference championship Saturday at Oneonta. It is the 10th team championship for Ithaca at the ECWC tournament, which began in 1992. Ithaca has won the tournament for two straight years.
Weight class champions for Ithaca included Jimmy Kaishian at 125 pounds, Alex Gomez at 133 pounds, Nick Wahba at 141 pounds, Eamonn Gaffney at 149 pounds, Kevin Collins at 157 pounds, and Carlos Toribio at 184 pounds.
Kaishian won the ECWC title after placing fourth last season at the conference event. He won his first-round match by major decision, won by pin in the second round and won a 9-3 decision in the semifinals. He won the championship bout by medical forfeit.
Gomez defended his ECWC title with three wins and a repeat title at 133. He received a bye to the quarterfinals as the top seed in his bracket, pinned his first opponent in the first period, won a 14-4 major decision in the semifinals and won a 12-7 decision in the finals over Sean Hanson of Oneonta.
Wahba won the 141-pound bracket with four victories. He pinned his first opponent in 3:39, and then won three-straight decisions. His 5-3 win in the finals came over Sean O'Hagan of Brockport. Wahba placed second at the ECWC tournament as a freshman last year.
Gaffney won the ECWC 149-pound title for the second year in a row. In the quarterfinals he won a 6-3 decision, then beat second-seeded Seth Lansberry of Lycoming by a 3-2 decision. He won 3-2 in the finals in the second tiebreaker period over top-seeded Jordan Dyer of Brockport. He was named Most Outstanding Wrestler at the tournament.
Eamonn Gaffney 149 lbs. Wins OW award at Empire Conference.#bombernation pic.twitter.com/PigveVIR2j
— Ithaca College Wrestling (@IthacaWrestling) January 18, 2015
At 157 pounds, Kevin Collins won the title with two technical falls and two wins by decision and didn't yield a single point against any opponent over four matches.. He won 16-0 in seven minutes in the first round, and 17-0 in just 2:20 in the second round. In the semifinals he won 5-0 by decision and won by the same 5-0 score in the finals against James Devine of Brockport.
Toribio won the championship at 184 pounds in his first action of the season. He pinned his first opponent in 51 seconds and then won by major decision by a 16-3 score in the quarterfinals. He defeated Brian Bulger of Cortland in the semifinals by a 9-3 score and won the championship with a 4-2 decision against top-seeded Jeff Palmieri of Brockport.
Other place-winners for Ithaca were Adam Moser (sixth at 141), Dan Pak (fourth at 149), Nick Velez (second at 165), Jaison White (third at 174), Steven Sabella (fifth at 184), and Zach Conner (sixth at 197). Three heavyweights placed for Ithaca as Joe Sprung was third, Dan Glinko was fourth, and Jake Davenport was fifth.
Ithaca returns to action Jan. 30 at Centenary College.
TEAM SCORES
1. ITHACA, 207
2. Brockport, 169.5
3. Cortland, 139.5
4. Oneonta, 112
5. Lycoming, 74
6. RIT, 54.5
7. Oswego, 35.5
8. Alfred State, 32