ERIE, Pa. (Feb. 25, 2017) - On Saturday, freshman Anthony Sparacio (North Babylon, N.Y.) placed fourth in the 133-lb. weight class to lead the LIU Post wrestling team at Day Two of the 2017 NCAA Division II Super Region I Championships at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center in Erie.

Sparacio's finish punched his ticket to the NCAA Division II National Championships, which are slated to be held Mar. 10-11 at the CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala.

He is also the second Pioneer freshman in the last three years to qualify for the national meet (Calderone, 2015).

Sparacio, who lost in the championship semifinals to top-seeded Carmine Ciotti of Gannon, quickly rebounded in the wrestlebacks with a 4-2 decision over Seton Hill's Tyler Kenney.

He then lost 3-1 to No. 3 seed David Bavery of Notre Dame (Ohio) in the third-place bout, before defeating West Liberty's Bryce Humphreys via rule in the fourth-place match.

Meanwhile, in the 149-lb. bracket, senior T.J. Fabian (Wading River, N.Y.) dropped a hard-fought 9-7 decision to Wheeling Jesuit's Dominick Nania in his only bout of the day.

For complete results from the 2017 NCAA Division II Super Region I Championships, please click here.