DiIorio Wins 197-Lb. Title at Super Region One Tournament

3/1/2015 9:37:00 AM

WEST LIBERTY, W. Va. (Feb. 28, 2015) - The LIU Post wrestling team completed an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Division II Super Region One Tournament on Saturday in West Liberty, scoring 57.5 points in the competition. Additionally, senior Chris DiIorio (Holtsville, N.Y.) stood alone as the champion of the 197-lb. bracket, becoming the first Pioneer wrestler to win a Super Regional since the program was disbanded following the 1987-88 season.

DiIorio had to wrestle the top two seeds in today's semifinals and championship match to claim the title. First, the senior faced second-seeded Chase Long of Ohio Valley, and the bout went to a tie-breaker. DiIorio scored a two-point takedown to win by a 6-4 decision, and advance to the finals. In the championship match, he faced top-seed Tyler Richardson, a sophomore from East Stroudsburg. After a scoreless first period, DiIorio earned an escape point in the second frame to take a 1-0 lead. He started the third period in the top position, but Richardson escaped to level the score at 1-1. Just when it seemed the match was destined for overtime, DiIorio scored a key two-point takedown with less than thirty seconds to go. Richardson earned another escape point to make it a 3-2 bout, but the clock ran out as DiIorio celebrated a stunning, emotional victory on the mat.

In addition to DiIorio, four other Pioneers wrestled on Day Two of the Super Region One Tournament. At 133, freshman Joe Calderone (Huntington Station, N.Y.) finished in fourth after being in the semifinals. The freshman lost a 6-2 decision to eventual champion Sam White of Notre Dame (Ohio), before pinning Kutztown's Travis Roper in the third period of their consolation match. Calderone advanced to the third-place match, but lost to Shippensburg's Karl Lightner by an 8-2 decision.

In the 285-lb. bracket, freshman James Louison (Hauppauge, N.Y.) finished his Cinderella run with a fifth-place showing. Louison was bested by Gannon's Nick Budd in the semifinals, 2-0, before being pinned in the consolation bracket by Damon Sims of Pitt-Johnstown. Because Louison reached the semis, he was to wrestle in the fifth-place match. East Stroudsburg's Tyson Searer, however, was unable to compete, and Louison earned a fifth-place finish.

Freshman Ronnie King (Islip, N.Y.) placed sixth in the 184-lb. bracket. King was in the consolation bracket to start the day, and he earned a 5-4 decision over Jabari Irons of Ohio Valley in his first match of the afternoon. In the consolation semifinals, King was pinned by Mercyhurst's Dakota DesLauriers in the second period, relegating the freshman to the fifth-place match. There, he lost a 7-2 decision to Ryan Winslow of Wheeling Jesuit, culminating in a sixth-place finish.  Also, in the 141-lb. consolation bracket, junior Jesse Meaney (Toms River, N.J.) was pinned by Ohio Valley's Dalton George in the first period of their match.

Notre Dame (Ohio) won the Super Region Tournament, accumulating 133 total points. The Falcons had five first-place showings in the tournament to edge out second-place Mercyhurst. The Lakers totaled 126 points in winning the 125-lb., 149-lb. and 165-lb. weight brackets. Kutztown came in third with 92.5 points, as heavyweight Ziad Haddad won his second-consecutive Super Regional for the Bears. Wheeling Jesuit (74.5) and Gannon (69.0) rounded out the Top-5 teams in the region.

Super Region One Tournament Final Scores
1. Notre Dame (Ohio) - 133.0 points
2. Mercyhurst - 126.0
3. Kutztown - 92.5
4. Wheeling Jesuit - 74.5
5. Gannon - 69.0
6. Pitt-Johnstown - 68.0
7. Shippensburg - 64.5
8. LIU Post 57.5
9. Seton Hill - 51.0
10. East Stroudsburg - 38.5
11. Ohio Valley - 28.0
12. West Liberty - 21.0
13. Millersville - 16.5
14. Alderson Broaddus - 12.0
15. American International - 6.0


LIU Post Results - Day 2

133 - Joe Calderone (Huntington Station, N.Y.)
Semifinals: Sam White (NDC) def. Calderone (LIU), 6-2
Consolation: Calderone (LIU) def. Travis Roper (KU) by pinfall (6:58)
Third-Place Match: Karl Lightner (SHIP) def. Calderone (LIU), 8-2
Calderone finishes in 4th

141 - Jesse Meaney (Toms River, N.J.)
Consolation: Dalton George (OVU) def. Meaney (LIU) by pinfall (2:36)

184 - Ronnie King (Islip, N.Y.)
Consolation: King (LIU) def. Jabari Irons (OVU), 5-4
Consolation: Dakota DesLauriers (MERC) def. King (LIU) by pinfall (4:19)
Fifth-Place Match: Ryan Winslow (WJU) def. King (LIU), 7-2
King finishes in 6th

197 - Chris DiIorio (Holtsville, N.Y.)
Semifinals: DiIorio (LIU) def. Chase Long (OVU), 6-4 (TB-1)
Final: DiIorio (LIU) def. Tyler Richardson (ESU), 3-2
DiIorio wins Super Region One

285 - James Louison (Hauppauge, N.Y.)
Semifinals: Nick Budd (GU) def. Louison (LIU), 2-0
Consolation: Damon Sims (UPJ) def. Louison (LIU) by pinfall (6:39)
Fifth-Place Match: Louison (LIU) def. Tyson Searer (ESU) by medical forfeit
Louison finishes in 5th