From NYU Athletics
The New York University wrestling team opened up competition at the 2018 NCAA Division III Northeast Regional on Saturday, February 24. The two-day event is being hosted by Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Worcester, MA, and the top-three placewinners at each weight class will earn a berth to next month's NCAA Divison III Championships in Cleveland, OH.
NYU sent eight wrestlers to the tournament and four went undefeated on Saturday to secure a spot in Sunday morning's semifinal round. Matt Noble (133 pounds), Sean Lyons (141 pounds), Evan Drill (149 pounds), and Raymond Jazikoff (157 pounds) all swept their opponents and can qualify for the NCAA Championships with a victory in the semifinals tomorrow.
Additionally, James Murdoch (165 pounds) and Jack La Corte (197) remain alive in their respective consolation brackets and will look to finish in third place and move on to NCAA's.
Lyons was the only NYU grappler who competed in a preliminary match, a bout which he won via major decision. The sophomore followed it up with a win via fall in the round of 16 and a tight, 4-2 victory in the quarterfinals.
Noble and Jazikoff each won both of their bouts with bonus point victories. Noble earned a win via fall and another by technical fall and Jazikoff earned a pair of victories by major decision.
Drill won his first match of the day with a 12-3 major decision and followed it up with a 9-4 quarterfinal victory.
Although only eight wrestlers are competing for NYU instead of the normal 10, the grapplers currently sit in fifth place of 17 teams with 49.5 points. Johnson & Wales University leads the competition with 81.0 points, while Wesleyan University (54 points), WPI (54 points) and Roger Williams University (50.5 points) round out the top four and are in striking distance for NYU heading into day two.