2014 Northeast Regional Preview
2014 Northeast Regional
Saturday & Sunday, March 1 & 2, 2014
Wesleyan University – Middletown, Connecticut
Teams
Bridgewater State, Coast Guard, Cortland, Ithaca, Johnson & Wales, Norwich, Oneonta, Oswego, Plymouth State, Rhode Island, Roger Williams, Springfield, Trinity, University of Southern Maine, Wesleyan, Williams, Western New England, WPI
Top Ten Ranked Individuals – 2013 All-Americans in bold
125 – none (Casper was #8, but does not appear to be entered)
133 – #4 Gomez (Ithaca)
141 – #3 Bistis (Cortland), #8 Giacolone (Ithaca)
149 – #1 Dierna (Cortland)
157 – #9 Desilets (JWU), #10 Biscaha (Springfield), HM Lopez (Williams)
165 – #4 Schimek (Ithaca), #10 Crowell (Roger Williams)
174 – #4 Puca (Cortland), #8 at 184 Lenhardt (JWU)
184 – #3 Welch (Roger Williams), #7 Deupree (Southern Maine)
197 – #3 Giaramita (Cortland)
285 – none
Top 30 Teams
#4 Cortland
#12 Ithaca
#25 Springfield and Roger Williams (tie)
Once again, Cortland and Ithaca provide a lot of the top level talent in the Northeast Region, but Springfield and Roger Williams both have strong top to bottom teams, while Johnson & Wales has a few excellent individuals that will vie for All-American awards.
The top wrestler here is Bobby Dierna of Cortland at 149. He finished 3rd in a very tough weight last year, and has handled all DIII competition in an abbreviated season on his way to a #1 ranking. 157 could be the best weight, with a pair of All-Americans including last year’s NCAA champion Biscaha at #10 and Lopez of Williams just outside the top ten. Ahead of both them is #9 Desilets of Johnson & Wales who is undefeated at 157 this year and beat both Biscaha and Lopez this year. Biscaha shocked everyone with his unseeded run to the championship last year and hopes for a repeat performance. 157 gets some competition from 174 this year, as #4 Puca was an All-American a year ago, and Colin Lenhardt, a 184 placewinner in 2013, made a late drop to 174 this season to make things very interesting. Add Ithaca’s Toribio, who has been ranked this year, into the mix, and 174 is looking quite good.
A pair of Cortland wrestlers to watch are #3 Bistis at 141 and #3 Giaramita at 197. Both were All-Americans in 2012 and are situated well to repeat the feat after a year off the podium. #8 Giacolone will challenge Bistis at 141, while Ayen of Springfield and 2013 NCAA qualifier Parcel or Roger Williams will make a run at Giaramita. Roometua of Wesleyan qualified at 197 last year as well, but he has fallen completely out of the d3wrestle.com Rankings this season.
A last interesting note is that with Casper apparently not entered at 125, all three qualifiers from the Northeast at that weight will be wrestlers who do not appear anywhere in the last d3wrestle.com Rankings.