SOURCE: web.archive.org

March 04, 2006

Philadelphia, PA - Seven of the eight Hofstra wrestlers who have earned berths in the 2006 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Oklahoma City from March 16-18 will go as Colonial Athletic Association champions after the Pride captured its fifth consecutive CAA Championship at Drexel University's Daskalakis Athletic Center Saturday night.

With seven individual champions, one second-place finisher and a fourth-place finish from its nine competitors in this year's conference tournament, the Pride posted its second most points in a conference championship in school history on the way to a sixth consecutive conference title. Hofstra captured the East Coast Wrestling Association Championship in 2001 before the league merged with the CAA. The Pride also equaled the school record, set last year, with seven individual champions.

Two-time All-American, senior Jon Masa (Long Beach, NY) became just the second wrestler in Hofstra history to capture four conference titles Saturday night with a pin of Drexel's Chris Renninger at the 2:42 mark of the 149 pound championship match. Masa, now 30-5 on the year, joins Jason DeBruin (1999-2002) as the only four-time league titlists.

Four Hofstra wrestlers earned their second conference titles Saturday night. Senior Mike Patrovich (Bohemia, NY) won for the second straight year, this time in the 174-pound final defeating Doug Umbehauer from Rider 7-3. Patrovich, 31-3 on the year, will be making his third NCAA Championship appearance. Junior James Strouse (Levittown, NY) defended his 2005 CAA title at 157-pounds with a 7-3 title match decision over Ryan Hluschak from Drexel. Like Patrovich, Strouse, 28-10 in 2005-06, will be making his third NCAA Championship appearance. Sophomore Joe Rovelli (Wilkes-Barre, PA) also defended his 2005 CAA title at 184-pounds with a 6-0 decision over Joe Maroney from Rider. Rovelli is 25-11 this season and will be making his second trip to the NCAA Championships. Sophomore Charles Griffin (Reading, PA) also earned his second CAA title at a new weight, defeating Chris Davis from Sacred Heart 7-3 in the 141-pound final. Griffin, the 2005 CAA Rookie of the Year and the 133-pound champion, is 26-6 on the season.

Sophomore Dave Tomasette (Sewell, NJ), who has battled an ankle injury the past two months, will be making his second NCAA Championship appearance in two weeks. This time, he will go as the CAA champion after defeating Bryan Lashomb from Old Dominion 8-7 in the 125-pound title match. Tomasette, who was a CAA finalist in 2005, is 13-6 on the year. Senior Chris Vondruska (Bay Village, OH) earned his first trip to the NCAA Championships with a CAA championship at 165-pounds. He defeated Steven Tisdell from George Mason in the title match to improve to a career-best 23-9 this season.

Junior Chris Weidman (Baldwin, NY) will make his first NCAA Championship appearance after earning a place in the CAA finals at 197-pounds. Weidman, 15-11 this year, lost in the final by fall in 2:54 to Adam Wright of Old Dominion. Junior heavyweight Jon Andriac (Montague, NJ) placed fourth, dropping his semifinal and consolation final matches to finish at 23-14.

2006 CAA Wrestling Championships

Team results:

1. Hofstra 125.00
2. Old Dominion 76.50
3. Drexel 65.00
4. Rider 62.00
5. SHU 45.00
6. JMU 38.00
7. GMU 31.50
8. Boston U 23.50
9. Binghamton 15.00
10. Wagner 5.00
11. Campbell 0.50