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Binghamton University Athletics

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Bob Lombardo

Wrestling brings win streak to the West Gym

| By: Sydney Harbaugh (sharbau1@binghamton.edu)

Bearcats host American, Sacred Heart as they look to remain undefeated in conference

VESTAL, NY - Following a four-match win streak that's fueled an unblemished 5-0 EIWA record, the Binghamton wrestling team finally returns home for two conference matchups this weekend. The Bearcats will face American University Friday, February 2 at 7 p.m. before matching up with Sacred Heart University on Saturday, February 3 at 2 p.m. in the West Gym.

Binghamton is coming hot off the mats, after two dominating wins against last weekend's competition. The Bearcats made program history with a first-ever win over EIWA foe UPenn in a 19-18 victory before dominating a nationally-ranked Drexel program 21-12. Binghamton also defeated five nationally ranked wrestlers over the course of the two matches.

Making Moves

Following the recent victories over conference and nationally-ranked competitors, Binghamton wrestling received votes in the latest NCAA/NWCA Coaches Poll released on January 31. This marks the first time in six years the Bearcats have seen their name in the national rankings.

New & Noteworthy

Redshirt junior Anthony Lombardo earned his first career win over a nationally ranked opponent over the weekend with a 6-1 decision over Drexel's No. 30 Austin Rose. Lombardo also notched a major decision against UPenn, pushing him to 2-0 on the weekend. With those wins, Lombardo moves to 17-8 overall on the season and 9-3 in duals.

No Rest for the 184

Senior Steve Schneider continues to lead the Bearcats this season, going into this weekend riding a seven match win streak with an 11-4 overall record. In the most recent rankings, Schneider sits at No. 12/13/14 on The Open Mat, Track Wrestling, and FloWrestling, respectively. On the first NCAA Coaches Poll released on January 18, Schneider earned a shared No. 10 spot with conference opponent Cornell's Maxwell Dean. The two were ranked the highest of all EIWA wrestlers at 184 pounds.

Continuing his rapid approach to a career milestone of 100 wins, Schneider currently holds a career record of 97-42 at 184 pounds.

Eyeing the Eagles

American University wrestling heads into tomorrow's match with a 4-5 overall record and 1-2 against EIWA competition. The Eagles most recently lost a pair of duals to Navy, 25-9 and ODU, 27-10. Senior Jeric Kasunic leads the charge for American, riding a 16-match win streak with a 26-3 overall record at 197 pounds. In the NCAA Coaches Panel, Kasunic was ranked No. 10 at his respective weight, along with 133-pounder Josh Tereo who is 23-4 overall. Also in the rankings are Michael Sprague, No. 17 at 149, and heavyweight Brett Dempsey at No. 25. The Bearcats have walked away with victories the past two seasons against the Eagles, with a 22-17 win in 2016 and 25-11 win in 2017. In the all-time series matchups, however, American leads Binghamton 7-4.

Prepping for the Pioneers

Sacred Heart wrestling enters this weekend's dual 2-6 overall. The Pioneers most recently split action with a 27-13 win over VMI before falling 29-13 to Bloomsburg. In the all-time series against Sacred Heart, Binghamton leads 10-5, coming away with a dominating 34-7 win last season.

A Look Into EIWA

An updated list of EIWA rankings were released this past Wednesday, January 31 by FloWrestling, where multiple BU wrestlers climbed from their original preseason spots.

125 | Joe Nelson, previously unranked, is No. 5 out of 16
133 | Jacob Nicholson, previously 8th, is No. 7 out of 16
141 | Joe Russ, previously 9th, is No. 6 out of 16
149 | Frankie Garcia, previously 9th, is No. 8 out of 16
157 | Tristan Rifanburg is No. 10 out of 16
165 | No. 29 Vincent DePrez, previously 8th, is No. 6 out of 16
174 | Anthony Lombardo is No. 7 out of 16
184 | No. 10 Steve Schneider is No. 3 out of 16  
197 | Alex Melikian, previously unranked, is No. 14 out of 16
HWT | Sean Dee, previously unranked, is No. 15 out of 16

Follow along with @BearcatsWrestle on Twitter and Instagram for live, match-by-match results.












 
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