Wrestling Sixth After Day One of Super Region One Tournament

2/27/2015 11:07:00 PM

WEST LIBERTY, W. Va. (Feb. 27, 2015) - Competing against the best grapplers in the region, the LIU Post wrestling team is currently in sixth place after Day One of the NCAA Super Region One Tournament. The Pioneers tallied 34.5 points on Friday in West Liberty, which is a full 28 points back of first-place Mercyhurst. Furthermore, five Pioneers have moved onto Day Two of the championships, three of whom have advanced to the semifinals of the winner's bracket.

Freshmen Joe Calderone (Huntington Station, N.Y.) and James Louison (Hauppauge, N.Y.) won two matches on Friday at the 133- and 285-lb. weight classes, respectively. Additionally, senior Chris DiIorio (Holtsville, N.Y.) advanced to the 197-lb. semifinals with victories in both the Round of 16 and quarterfinals.

Calderone, the No. 2 seed in the 133-lb. bracket, won his first match-up by a 17-1 technical fall over Ohio Valley's Hagan Root. In the quarterfinals, the freshman met seventh-ranked Aaron Smith of Gannon. Calderone recorded a pinfall just 30 seconds into the second period to advance to Saturday's semifinals. The second-seeded wrestler is the highest seed remaining in the bracket, as No. 1 Corey Bush of Pitt-Johnstown fell to eighth-ranked Nolan Whitely of Wheeling Jesuit in the quarters. Calderone will square off with third-seeded Sam White of Notre Dame (Ohio) in the semifinals.

At 197, DiIorio drew the third seed and faced Forrest Tuttle of Pitt-Johnstown in the first round. With an 18-6 major decision over Tuttle, the senior advanced to the quarterfinals, where he met sixth-seeded Jalal Paige of Shippensburg. Paige held a 3-2 advantage late in the third period, but DiIorio scored a match-winning takedown to turn back the upset attempt and advance to Saturday's semifinal bout. The Holtsville native will face the second-seed, Ohio Valley red-shirt senior Chase Long, in the semis.

The biggest surprise of the tournament thus far has been the performance of Louison at the 285-lb. weight class. Unranked at the beginning of competition, the freshman heavyweight pinned No. 7 Soslan Khamitcaev of AIC in the first round. Louison would then record a stunning 9-1 major decision over second-seeded Blake Lucas of Ohio Valley to advance to the semifinals. Improbably, Louison is the only non-seeded wrestler remaining in any winner's bracket at the Super Regional, and he can finish no lower than sixth. He will face third-seeded Nick Budd from Gannon in the semifinals on Saturday.

Junior Jesse Meaney (Toms River, N.J.) and freshman Ronnie King (Islip, N.Y.) have recorded just one loss and can still place in the consolation bracket, which will also conclude tomorrow at West Liberty.

Team Scores After Day One
1. Mercyhurst - 62.5 Points
2. Notre Dame (Ohio) - 62.0
3. Gannon - 41.5
4. Kutztown - 39.0
5. Pitt-Johnstown - 36.5
6. LIU Post - 34.5
7. Wheeling Jesuit - 33.5
8. Seton Hill - 32.0
9. Shippensburg - 29.0
10. East Stroudsburg - 21.5
11. Ohio Valley - 15.0
12. West Liberty - 14.5
13. Millersville - 13.0
14. Alderson-Broaddus - 12.0
15. American International - 6.0

LIU Post Results

125 - Tyler Walsh (West Islip, N.Y.)
Round of 16: Evan Link (UPJ) def. Walsh (LIU) by pinfall (1:51)
Consolation: Dustin Warner (WJU) def. Walsh (LIU) by major decision, 13-3

133 - Joe Calderone (Huntington Station, N.Y.)
Round of 16: Calderone (LIU) def. Hagan Root (OVU) by technical fall, 17-1 (5:00)
Quarterfinals: Calderone (LIU) def. Aaron Smith (GU) by pinfall (3:30)
Semifinals: Calderone (LIU) vs. Sam White (NDC) - Saturday

141 - Jesse Meaney (Toms River, N.J.)
Round of 16: Meaney (LIU) def. Sam Jones (A-B) by pinfall (2.18)
Quarterfinals: Pat Owens (SHU) def. Meaney (LIU) by pinfall (1:58)
Consolation: Meaney (LIU) def. Matt Benvenuto (KU), 1-0
Consolation: Meaney (LIU) vs. Dalton George (OVU) - Saturday

149 - Matt Langan (Wantagh, N.Y.)
Round of 16: Jackson Stabile (KU) def. Langan (LIU), 8-5
Consolation: Langan (LIU) def. Craig Dawson (UPJ) by technical fall, 16-1 (7:00)
Consolation: Tyler Green (OVU) def. Langan (LIU), 5-3

157 - Jackson Mordente (Farmingville, N.Y.)
Round of 16: Francis Mizia (MU) def. Mordente (LIU), 5-4
Consolation: Keith Stednitz (A-B) def. Mordente (LIU) by pinfall (1:56)

165 - Ed Ramirez, Jr. (Massapequa, N.Y.)
Round of 16: Louden Gordon (OVU) def. Ramirez (LIU), 15-8
Consolation: Arthur Watkins (SU) def. Ramirez (LIU) by pinfall (4:14)

174 - James Sinclair (Smithtown, N.Y.)
Round of 16: John Blankenship (UPJ) def. Sinclair (LIU) by pinfall (6:33)
Consolation: Cody Spinks (A-B) def. Sinclair (LIU) by pinfall (1:02)

184 - Ronnie King (Islip, N.Y.)
Round of 16: King (LIU) def. Danny Doyle (WLU) by pinfall (7:31)
Quarterfinals: Garrett Lineberger (NDC) def. King (LIU) by technical fall, 16-0 (2:02)
Consolation: King (LIU) def. Adam Greenman (GU), 2-1
Consolation: King (LIU) vs. Jabari Irons (OVU) - Saturday

197 - Chris DiIorio (Holtsville, N.Y.)
Round of 16: DiIorio (LIU) def. Forrest Tuttle (UPJ) by major decision, 18-6
Quarterfinals: DiIorio (LIU) def. Jalal Paige (SU), 4-3
Semifinals: DiIorio (LIU) vs. Chase Long (OVU) - Saturday

285 - James Louison (Hauppauge, N.Y.)
Round of 16: Louison (LIU) def. Soslan Khamitcaev (AIC) by pinfall (6:02)
Quarterfinals: Louison (LIU) def. Blake Lucas (OVU) by major decision, 9-1
Semifinals: Louison (LIU) vs. Nick Budd (GU) - Saturday