Centenary College News: Athletics: Wrestling

Cyclones Ride Three Pins To Win Over Scranton

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:36:00 -0500

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (February 7, 2012) – The Cyclones won their fourth consecutive dual, taking down Metropolitan Conference foe, University of Scranton 35-15 to improve to 4-1 in conference play.

Senior Nick Priest (Edgewater Park, N.J./Burlington City) got Centenary off to a strong start, defeating Kevin Guenther by a 6-2 decision at the 141 pound weight class.

The Cyclones then got a dominant performance from freshman Joe Bartolini (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) as Bartolini recorded a 12-1 major decision over Joseph Florenzo to put Centenary ahead 13-6.

Centenary quickly bounced back after the Royals got three points by way of a decision in the 157 pound bout when junior Nick Bach (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany) registered a pin 1:19 into the 165 lb. bout. Freshman Khalid Shakir (Bordentown, N.J./Bordentown Regional) followed Bach with a major decision to put the Cyclones in the lead 23-9 heading into the final three matches.

Scranton closed the gap to 23-15 with a pin at 184 pounds until senior Tim Lutke (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) and Sophomore Brian Grise (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Hills) posted back-to-back under a minute pins. Lutke heard the mat slap at :50 seconds with Grise flattening his opponent at the :55 second mark to finish the match in grand fashion.

The Cyclones return to action Friday, February 10th at 7 pm as Centenary hosts #30 TCNJ in a Metropolitan Conference match.

Results:   Centenary - 35     Scranton - 15
125 - Kyle McCall (Scranton) forfeit   (S, 6-0)
133 - Adam Swift (Centenary) forfeit (T, 6-6)
141 - Nick Priest (Centenary) decision over Kevin Guenther (Scranton) DEC 6-2 (C, 9-6)
149 – Joe Bartolini (Centenary) major decision over Joseph Florenzo (Scranton) MD 12-1 (C, 13-6)
157 – Shawn Flesche (Scranton) decision over Evan Miles (Centenary) DEC 10-3 (C,13-9)
165 - Nick Bach (Centenary) fall over Paul Rajan (Scranton) FALL 1:19 (C, 19-9)
174 - Khalid Shakir (Centenary) major decision over Joseph Weitemeyer (Scranton) MD 13-3 (C, 23-9)
184 - Matthew Terry (Scranton) fall over Jon Acosta (Centenary) FALL 2:38 (C, 23-15)
197 - Tim Lutke (Centenary) fall over Nicholas Genovese (Scranton) FALL 0:50 (C, 29-15)
285 - Brian Grise (Centenary) fall over Luke Genovese (Scranton) FALL 0:55 (C, 35-15)

Come "Black Out" The Gym On Friday!

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:37:00 -0500

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (February 7, 2012) – The Centenary College Sports Management Association invites everyone in attendance at Friday night’s wrestling match to participate in a “Black Out.”

Those who attend wearing Centenary apparel will receive a free, limited edition “Black Out” t-shirt. The match on Friday, Feb. 10th at 7pm features The Cyclones hosting #30 TCNJ. The Cyclones are coming off a win over East Stroudsburg University last Friday.

Cyclones Take Down Div. II Warriors 25-13

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:03:00 -0500

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. (February 2, 2012) – The Centenary College wrestling team dominated the East Stroudsburg University Warriors on Friday night 25-13 to bring their overall record to 5-5.

Junior J.D. Zitone (Montague, N.J./Port Jervis) continues his undefeated season with a 4-0 decision over Joe Blaes to improve his record to 21-0. Freshman Chris Parker (Dover, Del./Caeser Rodney) started the night out for the Cyclones with a pin over Nick Kaiser in the first round to put Centenary up 6-0 early on. After a major decision by Adam Swift (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus), the Cyclones dropped the next two matches. Chris Burdge (Newton, N.J./Kittatinny) scored a 2 point take down to take the match 3-1 with :02 left in the third round at 157 pounds.

The Cyclones continued to dominate with wins by Nick Bach (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany), and Khalid Shakir (Bordentown, N.J./Bordentown Regional), including a pin by Bach late in the first round. After losses at 184 and 197, Zitone sealed the victory with a decision.

The win for the Cyclones came with four decisions and two falls to give the Cyclones a total 25 points and a victory against the Div. II Warriors in their first ever meeting. . With the win, the Cyclones return home next Tuesday when they host the University of Scranton at 7:00pm.

CENTENARY COLLEGE 25, EAST STROUDSBURG UNIVERSITY 13
125 -  Chris Parker (CEN) 2:35 by fall over Chris Kaiser (ESU)
133 -  Adam Swift (CEN) by decision over Chris Davis (ESU) 12-3
141 -  Adam Hluschak(ESU) by decision over Craig Montgomery (CEN) 5-3
149 -  Andrew Ritchie (ESU) by decision over Joe Bartolini 15-5
157 -  Chris Burdge (CEN) by decision over Braden Turner, 3-1 (13-7)
165 -  Nick Bach (CEN) by fall over Michael Honeywell, 1:56
174 -  Khalid Shakir (CEN) by decision over Tony Vordran, 5-3
184 -  Will Esposito (ESU) by decision over James Valcius, 7-6
197 -   Ed Ebewo (ESU) by decision over Tim Lutke, 5-2
285 -  J.D. Zitone (CEN) by decision over Joe Blaes, 4-0

No. 22 Cyclones Take Down Green Terror 34-6

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:00:00 -0500

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (January 29, 2012) – The No. 22 ranked Centenary College wrestling team defeated the McDaniel College Green Terror on Sunday afternoon 34-6 for their fourth dual win of the season.

The Cyclones jumped out early when freshman Chris Parker (Dover, Del./Caesar Rodney) took down McDaniel’s Drew Brehm for one of two Cyclone pins on the day at 2:30 to put the Cyclones up 6-0. Centenary continued to battle through with back-to-back victories at 133 and 141 lbs. as Adam Swift (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) and Craig Montgomery (Roselle Park, N.J./Roselle Park) took home a 10-1 major decision and a 5-4 decision respectively.

Montgomery’s win came at the benefit of the riding time clock as him and McDaniel’s Mason Goretsas ended regulation with the score tied 4-4, but Montgomery was able to tack on an extra point due to riding time to take home the victory and put the Cyclones up 13-0 over the Green Terror.

Following a loss at 149 lbs, the Cyclones bounced back with another threesome of victories to put Centenary ahead 26-3. The run all began as sophomore Chris Burdge (Newton, N.J./Kittatiny) took home a 14-1 major decision over one of McDaniel’s top wrestlers, Brent Lowe.

Junior Nick Bach (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany) also responded back for the Cyclones as he took down James McGarry early into the third round for Centenary’s second pin of the day. Freshman Khalid Shakir (Bordentown, N.J./Bordentown Regional) sealed the deal for the Cyclones as he took away a 4-1 decision over Jacob Reik to put Centenary up 26-3.

After dropping a bout at 184 lbs., the Cyclones turned to senior Tim Lutke (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) who is coming off an injury but looked to jump back out on the mat. Lutke wasted no time in his first match back, almost landing a pin early on over McDaniel’s Sule Marquez-Monsanto, but ended up taking home a 17-2 technical fall with back points to put Centenary up 31-6.

Junior J.D. Zitone (Montague, N.J./Port Jervis) continues his undefeated streak as he ended the day with a 6-2 decision over the 6’5” Joe Camlin, improving his record to 20-0 on the season.

With the win, the Cyclones improve to 4-4 on the season and look to bounce back into action on Friday when they travel to take on East Stroudsburg at 7:00pm.

Results: Centenary - 34 McDaniel - 6
125 – Chris Parker (Centenary) by fall over Drew Brehm (McDaniel) FALL 2:30 C-6.0
133 – Adam Swift (Centenary) major decision over Sean Ensign (McDaniel) MD 10-1 C-4.0
141 – Craig Montgomery (Centenary) decision over Mason Goretsas (McDaniel) DEC 5-4 C-3.0
149 – Logan Yox (McDaniel) decision over Joe Bartolini (Centenary) DEC 8-2 M-3.0
157 – Chris Burdge (Centenary) major decision over Brent Lowe (McDaniel) MD 14-1 C-4.0
165 – Nick Bach (Centenary) fall over Sean McGarry (McDaniel) FALL 5:15 C-6.0
174 – Khalid Shakir (Centenary) decision over Jacob Reik (McDaniel) DEC 4-1 C-3.0
184 – Scott Forrester (McDaniel) decision over Jon Acosta (Centenary) DEC 4-3 M-3.0
197 – Tim Lutke (Centenary) technical fall over Sule Marquez-Monsanto (McDaniel) TF5 17-2 C-5.0
285 – J.D. Zitone (Centenary) decision over Joe Camlin (McDaniel) DEC 6-2 C-3.0

Three Cyclones Top Podium At Will Abele Invitational

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 22:43:00 -0500

Collegeville, Pa., (January 14, 2012) – Three Cyclones won their weight class, and another two took second as Centenary finished second as a team at the 2012 Will Abele Invitational on the campus of Ursinus College.

Sophomore Chris Burdge (Newton, N.J./Kittatinny) went 4-0 with three pins and a major decision on the day to win the 157 pound weight class. Of the three pins, Burdge flattened two opponents in under a minute en route to the 157 pound championship.

Following Burdge was junior Nick Bach (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany) who did not yield a single point on the day as he won two decisions and registered a tech. fall over scoreless opponents on the way to winning the 165 pound bracket.

Junior J.D. Zitone (Montague, N.J./Port Jervis) was the third Cyclone to win his weight class, with Zitone going 3-0 at the 285 pound division. Zitone pinned one opponent, and recorded an 8-3 decision to remain undefeated on the season, pushing his overall record to 18-0.

Centenary’s second place finish, coming in behind only the host school Ursinus, was aided by impressive efforts from freshman Joe Bartolini (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) and senior James Valcius (Orange, N.J./Orange) who took second place finishes at the 149 pound and 165 pound weight classes respectively.

Centenary will next head to Delaware Valley College on Friday, Jan. 20th to take on the Aggies at 7 pm in Metropolitan Conference action.

Team Scores

Bracket Results

#25 Cyclones Fall To Elizabethtown 23-22 At Home

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:49:00 -0500

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (January 10, 2012) – Despite a late effort by the still undefeated junior J.D. Zitone (Montague, N.J./Port Jervis), the #25 ranked Centenary College wrestling team was unable to take down the Elizabethtown College Blue Jays as they fell 23-22 on Tuesday night. Prior to the match, the 10th ranked Phillipsburg High School squared off against ninth ranked St. Peter’s Prep in an intense high school showdown.

The Cyclones came out strong early on, taking away decisions at the 125 and 133 lb. classes by Alex Reeves (Irvington, N.J./Irvington) and Adam Swift (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) respectively. Swift’s victory came after being down 3-2 late in the match when a last second takedown put him ahead 4-3 at the final buzzer of the bout for the victory.

Up 4-0, senior Craig Montgomery (Roselle Park, N.J./Roselle Park) was able to blow open the Cyclones lead with a quick pin only 1:58 into the match at 141 lbs. to put the Cyclones up 10-0 over the Blue Jays.

At 149 lbs, the Blue Jays fought back as Tye Boyer was able to take a 10-1 major decision, but sophomore Chris Burdge (Newton, N.J./Kittatiny) was able to send the Cyclones right back with a pin at 5:35 to keep the Cyclones up 18-4.

The Blue Jays responded quickly as they recorded two consecutive pins at 165 and 174 lbs. and an 8-4 decision at 184 lbs. to put them ahead 19-18 over the Cyclones. With an injury to one of Centenary’s top wrestlers, Tim Lutke (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) at 197 lbs, the Cyclones were faced with a decision as a forfeit would lose them a vital six points in the dual.

With the match only a one point differential, the Cyclones sent out 149 lb. Joe Bartolini (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) to take on the 197 lb. Bill Meaney in hopes of keeping the Cyclones in the dual for the final match of the night. Despite a strong effort by Bartolini, Meaney was able to take away a 21-6 technical fall in the third round of the bout to put the Blue Jays up 23-18 with only one match remaining.

With Centenary in need of a pin to win the dual, the Cyclones turned to the undefeated junior Zitone in hopes of a quick fall at 285 lbs. Unfortunately, the 8-0 major decision was not enough for Zitone and the Cyclones as they fell to the Blue Jays by a final tally of 23-22. With the win, Zitone moves to 15-0 on the season, including six major decisions on the year.

The Cyclones return to action on Saturday when they travel to Collegeville, Pa. to compete in the Ursinus Invitational set to begin at 9:00am.

Results

Cyclones Accepting Contributions For United Way/N.Y. Giants “Snackpack Program”

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:36:00 -0500

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (January 9, 2012) – Centenary College Athletics, in conjunction with the United Way of Northern N.J./Warren County and the N.Y. Giants Snackpack Program are accepting contributions of sealed individual snacks at the Tuesday, Jan. 10 wrestling matches.

Centenary College, ranked 25th in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) poll will host Elizabethtown College in a Metropolitan Conference match at 7 pm with the 10th ranked Phillipsburg High School squaring off versus the 9th ranked St. Peter’s Prep. preceding the Centenary match, at 5:30 pm.

Donations of individual sealed snacks such as chips, pretzels, raisins and other such foods will be collected in the lobby of the John M. Reeves Student Recreation Center during both matches and the Cyclones Athletic Department asks for anyone planning to attend to help those in need by making a contribution.

The Snackpack Program is a program that aims involve children and young adults in helping to feed some of the less fortunate children in the area. Warren County is the first United Way that the N.Y. Giants selected to participate in the program, with the area already involved in the “Backpack Program,” assisting children with food for weekends, holidays and summers that are identified as needy by their teachers/schools.

All snacks collected will be used locally in Warren County through the United Way backpack program. Spectators making contributions may place them in the N.Y. Giants snack box located at the entrance of the Reeves Student Recreation Center.

The Cyclones thank everyone who donates for their generosity.

Cyclones Drop Second Bout Vs. St. John’s

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 17:03:00 -0500

SPRINGFIELD, ILL. (January 7, 2012) – The Cyclones dropped their second dual of the day, falling 32-11 to St. John’s at the NWCA / Cliff Keen National Duals.

Centenary was once again led by sophomore Chris Burdge (Newton, N.J./Kittatinny) and junior J.D. Zitone (Montague, N.J./Port Jervis) who picked up wins for the Cyclones. Senior Nick Priest (Edgewater Park, N.J./Burlington City) contributed with the only other win for the 13th seeded Cyclones versus the 12th seeded St. John’s squad.

Centenary wrestled well early, yet still came away without points as freshmen Alex Reeves (Irvington, N.J./Irvington) and Adam Swift (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) lost 8-4 at 125 pounds and 7-5 at 133 pounds respectively. The Cyclones would pick up their first points when Priest delivered a 4-0 decision at the 141 pound weight class. Burdge added four points by earning an 11-2 major decision at 157 pounds before Zitone completed the bout with his 9-1 major decision at 285 pounds.

With the loss, the Cyclones are elimnated from the competition. Centenary will be in action next on Tuesday, Jan. 10 as the Cyclones host Elizabethtown College at 7 pm.

Div III - St. John`s (SJU) defeated Centenary (CENT) (Bout 12)

125 Brian Waldron (St. John`s) over Alex Reeves (Centenary) Dec 8-4
133 Chad Henle (St. John`s) over Adam Swift (Centenary) Dec 7-5
141 Nick Priest (Centenary) over Scott Padrnos (St. John`s) Dec 4-0
149 Joseph Hessing (St. John`s) over Don Miller (Centenary) Pin 3:37
157 Chris Burdge (Centenary) over Brandon Seppelt (St. John`s) Maj 11-2
165 Nicholas Schuler (St. John`s) over Nick Bach (Centenary) TF 16-0
174 Mathew Pfarr (St. John`s) over Khalid Shakir (Centenary) TF 20-3
184 Mitchell Hagen (St. John`s) over James Valcius (Centenary) Maj 14-6
197 Dustin Baxter (St. John`s) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf 6.00
285 Joseph Zitone (Centenary) over John Scepaniak (St. John`s) Maj 9-1

Dual Meet Score 32.0 11.0

Cyclones Fall In First Match To UW-La Crosse

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 13:18:00 -0500

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (January 7, 2012) – The #13 seeded Centenary College wrestling team fell to The #4 University of Wisconsin – La Crosse 31-9 in the first round of the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals at the Prairie Capital Convention Center this morning.

The Cyclones came away with three wins in the duals as sophomore Chris Burdge (Newton, N.J./Kittatinny), and juniors Nick Bach (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany) and J.D. Zitone (Montague, N.J./Port Jervis) each took home a victory at their respective weight classes.

At 157 lbs, Burdge took down UW-La Crosse’s James Lewis in a 4-2 OT decision for the Cyclones first win of the morning. At 165 lbs, Bach was able to defeat Mike Minske in a 4-2 decision while Zitone received an 8-3 decision at the 285 lb. matchup to remain undefeated this season.

Cyclones To Take On UW-La Crosse In First Round

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:00:00 -0500

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (January 5, 2012) – The Centenary College Wrestling Team is set to take on The University of Wisconsin – La Crosse in the first round of the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals according to brackets released on Tuesday.

The Cyclones, coming into the Duals as the #13 seed, look to take on the #4 Eagles on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 9:00am at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield, Ill. The two-day tournament is a double-elimination tournament, guaranteeing all participating teams to wrestle in at least three matches.

The winner of the dual will move on to take on the winner of the #5 St. John’s vs. #12 Mt. Union match at 1:00pm. The loser will take on the loser of the same match, also starting at 1:00pm.

Leading the way for the Cyclones are three stars that have continuously found themselves among the top ten individually ranked wrestlers this season. The Cyclones have two fourth-ranked wrestlers in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) DIII latest poll in sophomore Chris Burdge (Newton, N.J./Kittatinny) at 157-lbs. and junior J.D. Zitone (Montague, N.J./Port Jervis) at the 285-lb. division. Joining Zitone and Burdge is also seventh ranked senior Tim Lutke (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) at the 184-lb. division.

Last year, Lutke and Burdge were named as two of Centenary’s three All-Americans while Zitone joined them as part of the National Qualifying team that finished ranked eighth in thenation.

For more information on the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, click here.

Lutke, Zitone Move Up In NWCA Rankings

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:55:00 -0500

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (December 15, 2011) - Two Cyclones moved up a spot while a third held his spot in the most recent National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division III Brute-Adidas Individual Rankings.

Senior Tim Lutke (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) moved up from the seventh spot to sixth in the 184 pound weight class, while junior J.D. Zitone (Montague, N.J./Port Jervis) elevated from fifth to fourth place in the 285 pound weight class. Sophomore teammate Chris Burdge (Newton, N.J./Kittatinny) holds onto his fouth place ranking in the 157 pound weght class.

The Cyclones remain in the team rankings, dropping to 25 from 19 since the last rankings. Centenary is next in action on January 7-8th at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in Springfield, Illinois.

NWCA Individual Rankings

NWCA Team Rankings

Wrestling Trio Remains Ranked on D3Wrestle.com

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:34:00 -0500

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (December 7, 2011) – Three members of the No. 19 ranked Centenary College Wrestling team remain in the rankings according to the latest poll by D3Wrestle.com.

Senior Tim Lutke (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) and junior J.D. Zitone (Montague, N.J./Port Jervis) moved up in their respective weight classes as both wrestlers remain undefeated on the year following first-place finishes at this past weekend’s Bob Quade Open on Sunday.

Lutke moved up three places to fifth in the rankings at 184 lbs. after his 3-0 performance on Sunday which included a pin in the first round at only eight seconds into the match. On the year, Lutke is 10-0 including two pins and four major decisions for the Cyclones.

Zitone moved up one place to sixth at the heavyweight division after a 4-0 finish in the tournament Sunday to improve his record to 12-0 on the year for the Cyclones, four of which were won by pins.

Sophomore Chris Burdge (Newton, N.J./Kittatiny) remained ranked third in the 157 lb. division after his first-place finish in the tournament on Sunday which included back-to-back pins to open up the tournament.

Two other Cyclones, Craig Montgomery (Roselle Park, N.J./Roselle Park) and Nick Bach (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany), remain contenders at 141 lbs. and 165 lbs. respectively as they sit just outside the top ten in their divisions.

The Cyclones return to action following the holiday break when they travel out to the 2011-2012 NWCA National Duals on Jan. 7-8, 2012 in the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield, Ill.

Rankings

Cyclones of the Week

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:37:00 -0500

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (December 5, 2011) - Sophomore Chris Burdge (Newton, N.J./Kittatiny) and senior Tim Lutke (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) were named Cyclones of the Week for the week ending on Dec. 4 following a first-place finish in the Bob Quade Open on Sunday at 157 lbs. and 184 lbs. respectively.

Burdge finished the day in first-place atop the 157 lb. division after back-to-back pins in his first two matches, including one at only 1:14 into the bout. Burdge finished the day 4-0 with a 5-1 decision over Delaware Valley College's Emmanual Ajagbe in the championship round.

Lutke finished the open as the champion of the 184 lb. division after going 3-0 on the day. Lutke's success came early with a pin in only eight seconds over Delaware Valley College's Joseph Richard in the opening round. Following a 17-6 major decision in the semi-finals, Lutke took home the first-place trophy with a 5-2 win over Dan Sutherland in the championship bout. With his wins, Lutke remains undefeated on the season at 10-0 for the Cyclones.

Lutke and Zitone Remain Undefeated After Bob Quade Open

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 16:52:00 -0500

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (December 4, 2011) – The Centenary College wrestling team wrapped up the third-annual Bob Quade Open on Sunday with six place winners, including three first-place finishes on the day.

Junior J.D. Zitone (Montague, N.J./Port Jervis) and Tim Lutke (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) remain undefeated as they took home the first place crown at 285 and 184 lbs. respectively. Zitone finished 3-0 on the day, including a close match with Nassau Community College’s Yasseen Mudassar that finished in a 3-0 ultimate tie breaker for Zitone.

Lutke also went 3-0 on his way to a first-place finish, including a pin over Yeshiva’s Boris Shulkin only eight seconds into the bout. Also taking home a first-place trophy was sophomore Chris Burdge (Newton, N.J./Kittatinny) who continues to dominate at 157 lbs., finishing the day 4-0 with two pins in his first two bouts.

Senior Craig Montgomery (Roselle Park, N.J./Roselle Park), junior Nick Bach (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany) and freshman Bill Miller (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial) were named place winners, each taking home a third-place victory at 141 lbs, 165 lbs, and 197 lbs. respectively.

The Cyclones also got to honor another member of the team, this time on the coaching staff, as volunteer assistant coach and former two-time All-American Will Livingston was the recipient of this year’s 2011 Bob Quade Open Outstanding Wrestler Award for his first place finish at 141 lbs.

The Cyclones look to return to action following the holiday break when they travel out to the 2011-2012 NWCA National Duals on Jan. 7-8, 2012 in the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield, Ill. Only the elite 16 teams from Division II, Division III, NAIA, NJCAA and Women are selected to compete, and the Cyclones were honored to have the opportunity to be invited.

The Cyclones are honored and humbled to have been chosen to represent their Division and they are working hard to fundraise for the trip. Their goal is to raise $16,000 to allow for 20 wrestlers and two coaches to attend this great tournament. All donations are tax deductable as permitted by law.

For more information on how you can help the Cyclones reach their fundraising goal, contact Head Coach John Garriques at 908-852-1400 ext. 2197, or garriquesj@centenarycollege.edu.

Defending Champs Defeat Hunter 26-9

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:30:00 -0500

NEW YORK, N.Y. (December 2, 2011) – The defending 2010-2011 Metropolitan Conference champion Centenary College wrestling team took home their first conference match of the year as they defeated Hunter College 26-9 Friday night.

The Cyclones struggled in the lighter divisions with two close decisions in the Hawks favor, but were able to bounce right back with back-to-back wins of their own by Craig Montgomery (Roselle Park, N.J./Roselle Park) and Don Miller (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial), including a pin by Montgomery over no. 4 seeded Sean Messina in 3:40.

Centenary continued to extend their lead as top-seeded sophomore Chris Burdge (Newton, N.J./Kittatiny) was able to take home a 4-2 decision at 157 lbs. to put the Cyclones up 12-6. The Cyclones continued to push forward with a 13-9 Nick Bach (Parsippany, N.J./Parsippany) decision at 165 lbs. before dropping the 174 lb. matchup.

The heavier divisions were dominated by the Cyclones as Tim Lutke (Chatham, N.J./Chatham), Bill Miller (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial), and J.D. Zitone (Montague, N.J./Port Jervis) each received a major decision at the 184, 197, and 285 lb. weight classes respectively.

The Cyclones return to action on Sunday as they host the third-annual Bob Quade Invitational starting at 9:00am.