Nov. 23, 2008
What: Bucknell (0-1, 0-0 EIWA) vs. Army (2-1-1, 1-0 EIWA)
Where: Davis Gym, Lewisburg, Pa.
When: Monday, Nov. 24, 2008, 7 p.m.
Internet Video: Bison Vision
Match Notes
Bucknell-Army Matchup
Eight days after hosting one of the most exciting matches Davis Gym has seen since the return of wrestling at Bucknell, the Bison will entertain EIWA rival Army Monday night at 7 p.m. Since that thrilling match with No. 5 Missouri that featured a win by Andy Rendos over No. 1 Nick Marable at 165 pounds, Bucknell has competed at the Navy Classic and came away with a third-place finish in the competitive field. Monday's match will be just the second dual of the season for the Bison, but it will be Army's fifth. The Black Knights are 2-1-1 with three matches coming at the Fighting Scot Duals at Edinboro. Army competed at the Body Bar Invitational at Cornell this past weekend and finished fourth of 11 teams.
Bucknell-Army Series
• Army leads 7-0.
• Army and Bucknell have met each of the last two Novembers with the Black Knights winning 36-6 in 2006-07 and 19-14 in 2007-08.
• Andy Rendos is the only Bison to post wins against Army each of the last two years
Last Meeting: Army 19, Bucknell 14^ (Nov. 20, 2007) - West Point, N.Y.
125 - No. 16 Fernando Martinez (A) maj. dec. José Matos, 15-3.
133 - No. 14 David Marble (B) dec. Whitt Dunning, 14-13.
141 - Matt Kyler (A) maj. dec. Eric Harris, 13-3.
149 - Kevin LeValley (B) dec. Casey Thome, 9-3.
157 - Christian Snook (A) maj. dec. Ryan Ochalek, 11-1.
165 - No. 17 Andy Rendos (B) dec. Brian Rowan, 7-1.
174 - Shane Riccio (B) dec. Dean Gaier, 4-2.
184 - David Thompson (B) dec. Ryan Mergen, 5-3.
*197 - Richard Starks (A) dec. Sean LoCurto, 6-0.
285 - Nathan Thobaben (A) maj. dec. George Hingson, 12-1.
* - Starting weight
^ - Bucknell docked one team point for unsportsmanlike conduct by bench.
National Rankings
Monday's matchup between Bucknell and Army features a total of four wrestlers that show up in the latest USA Today/InterMat/NWCA individual rankings. The Bison have two (David Marble, Andy Rendos), while a pair of Black Knights (Matt Kyler, Richard Starks) are ranked.
Milestones Approaching for Wirnsberger
Bucknell head coach Dan Wirnsberger needs just two victories to move into second place on the Bison all-time wins list. He has helped Bucknell to a 21-21-2 record in his four years. Bob Ferraro holds the program record with 169 wins, while Bill Wrabley and Rich Schumacher are tied for second with 22. Wirnsberger is also just three wins shy of 50 in his career.
Navy Classic
Seventeen Bison competed at the Navy Classic on Saturday and nine of them earned medals for their performances as the team placed third in the 12-team field. Nationally ranked grapplers David Marble and Andy Rendos both won their weight classes. It was the third consecutive year Rendos claimed the Navy Classic title, while it was the second straight crown for Marble.
Big Win for Rendos
Junior co-captain Andy Rendos, who was ranked 17th nationally at the time, upset Missouri's No. 1-ranked Nick Marable last Sunday. The bout went to overtime and Rendos prevailed with a late reversal to win 3-1 as the Davis Gym crowd erupted. It marked the first time since the Bison program returned in 2006-07 that a Bucknell wrestler defeated a No. 1 ranked opponent. In fact, it was just the third time a Bucknell wrestler has defeated a top-10 foe over the last three years. David Marble posted an 8-6 win over Navy's No. 10 Joe Baker in 2006-07 and he also defeated No. 9 Tyler McCormick from Missouri by a 16-9 margin last January.
Double-Figure Wins
Thanks to a number of early season tournaments, five Bison wrestlers have already surpassed the 10-win total for the season. Last year 12 Bison had more than 10 wins the entire year. Leading the squad with 11 victories apiece are freshman Adam Healey and sophomore Jose' Matos. Jay Hahn (8 wins) and Gavin Johnston (1 win) have already eclipsed their win totals from 2007-08.
Winning Streaks
Bucknell's three 2008 NCAA qualifiers - David Marble, Andy Rendos, Shane Riccio - enter Monday's match with the longest individual winning streaks for the Bison. Marble has won six straight, including three in a row on the way to his second consecutive Navy Classic title. Rendos's nine straight victories, the second-longest streak of his career, is the most among Bison. Rendos won 14 in a row as a freshman. Riccio logged four consecutive wins at the Navy Classic to claim third at 174 pounds after dropping his second match of the tournament.
Return of Bucknel Wrestling
Bucknell is in its third season after a four-year hiatus as a club-varsity program. Dan Wirnsberger has guided the team to a 21-21-2 record over that span and has helped four different wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Championships a total of six times. That quartet of grapplers has combined for six NCAA victories, including two each by junior captains David Marble and Andy Rendos.
Bucknell Schedule
Last year Bucknell faced five nationally ranked teams and this year it is likely to have at least that many on its schedule. In addition to last Sunday's matchup with No. 5 Missouri, the Bison will travel to No. 1 Iowa and No. 22 Lehigh. No. 20 Old Dominion is also on the home slate, while No. 17 Central Michigan and No. 24 Virginia will be opponents at the Northeast Duals later this month.
Rendos Moving Up Pair of Lists
Thanks to a 10-1 record this season junior Andy Rendos is moving up a pair of lists in Bucknell's record book. Rendos now has 65 career victories, which ranks ninth all-time. He is just six wins behind eighth-place Ed Curran. Rendos' career record of 65-18 (.783) ranks him sixth on the career winning percentage list. He started the year in seventh on that ledger. Classmate David Marble now stands 10th on that list thanks to his 8-1 mark this season. He has a career record of 59-23 (.720).
Up Next
Bucknell will travel to Troy, N.Y., for the Northeast Duals this Saturday. The Bison will face nationally ranked Central Michigan and Virginia at the event. Additionally, Appalachian State will be an opponent for Bucknell, which posted an 0-3 record against a competitive slate in 2007.
Live Video/Photo Store
Monday's match between Bucknell and Army will be broadcast live on Bucknell's Web site BucknellBison.com via Bison Vision. Additionally, photos of Monday's match will be available for viewing and for purchase through BucknellBison.com. Click on the Photo Gallery associated with the recap of the match or visit the BucknellBison.com Photo Store by clicking on the "Shop" tab at the top of the BucknellBison.com home page.
Ben Askren Auction
Two-time national champion and 2008 Olympian Ben Askren conducted a wrestling clinic prior to last week's Bucknell-Missouri match. He signed a program and a rally towel from the event that is currently up for auction on BucknellBison.com. Click here to view the auction.
