From NYU Athletics
The New York University wrestling team completed day one of the NCAA Division III East Regional Championships on Saturday, February 27. The event is being hosted by Washington & Lee University at the Warner Center in Lexington, VA.
The squad is currently in fifth place of 18 teams. NYU currently sits 26 points behind first-place Stevens Institute of Technology (66.5 points). The top three finishers in each weight class advance to the NCAA Division III National Championships, which will take place on March 11-12 in Cedar Rapids, IA.
Three NYU grapplers have made it to the semifinals of the brackets of their respective weight classes: junior Nathan Pike (133), sophomore Raymond Jazikoff (157), and junior William Gockel-Figge (184). Additionally, junior captain John Messinger (174), senior captian Dylan Lojac (165), and junior Nick Matthews (149) have secured places in the consolation semifinals of their brackets and are still able to finish in third place and qualify for nationals.
"We won the matches we were supposed to win. Matthews and Lojac have been wrestling tough and have put themselves in position to place tomorrow," said Senior Assistant Coach Corey Luce. "The goal is to finish 3-0 in the semifinals tomorrow and for the guys in the wrestlebacks to build momentum and give themselves the opportunity to wrestle for third.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Pike, ranked #1 in the nation at 133 pounds by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), went 2-0 on Saturday, winning by a 16-1 technical fall and a 14-6 major decision.
- Jazikoff, who also won both of his matches, was victorious by a 16-1 technical fall and by a 7-4 decision.
- Gockel-Figge triumphed by fall in both of his bouts.