Lakers Take 9th at NCAA Regional; Lamancusa and Shields Advance to National Championships
Lauren Packer Webster, Director of Athletic Communications
2/27/2010 6:33:44 PM
Josh Shields won his second-straight Super Region I title at 165 lbs.
Complete Results - .pdf
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. -- Behind two national qualifiers in defending national champion Josh Shields and Andy Lamancusa, Mercyhurst College placed ninth as a unit at the NCAA Super Region I Championships, hosted by Pitt-Johnstown.
Newberry College won the team title with 120 points while Gannon finished as runner-up with 103.5 points. Host Pitt-Johnstown took third with 99 points and Kutztown finished fourth with 83.5 points. North-Carolina Pembroke rounded out the top five with 75 points.
Shields went undefeated en route to his second-straight regional crown, blanking Jake Varilek of Belmont Abbey 7-0 in the title match.
The junior improves to 34-3 on the year, has yet to lose to a Division II opponent and is a winner of 18-straight matches.
Lamancusa, who was seeking his fourth-straight title, fell in double-overtime of the semifinals to Sean Byrnes of Newberry College, 3-2. The senior then rebounded with a 9-3 decision over Zach McKendree in the consolation bracket before falling in the third-place match by a slim 4-3 margin to Jonathan Jackson of Anderson.
The two-time All-American is now 34-7 on the year.
With their 34 ictories each, the duo now moves into a four-way tie for the second-most single-season victories. Brian Pogel and Hudson Harrison each accomplished 34 wins in the 2007-08 season. Lamancusa holds the single-season record, going 37-10 a year ago en route to a third-place finish at the national meet.
Also competing for the Lakers on the second day of competition was Eric Lundgren at 184 lbs., Chris Nocchi at 197 lbs. and Fred Hale at heavyweight.
Both Lundgren and Hale lost in the wrestleback quarterfinals while Nocchi advanced to the wrestleback semifinals.
Championship Semi-Finals
133 #5 Sean Byrnes (NC) dec. #1 Andy Lamancusa (MC), 3-2;SV2
Wrestleback Semi-Finals
#1 Andy Lamancusa (MC) dec.#3 Zack McKendree (GU), 9-3
Finals - Third Place
#6 Jonathan Jackson (AU) dec. #1 Andy Lamancusa (MC), 4-3
Championship Semi-Finals
#1 Josh Shields (MC) maj. dec. Bret Terry (GU), 10-0
Finals - First Place
#1 Josh Shields (MC) dec. #6 Jake Varilek (BA), 7-0
Wrestleback Quarterfinals
#5 Landon Hall (LC) dec. #8 Eric Lundgren (MC), 4-2
Wrestleback Quarterfinals
Chris Nocchi (MC) dec. #5 Eddie Ebewo (ESU), 10-6
Wrestleback Semifinals
#6 Scott Snyder (KU) dec. Chris Nocchi (MC), 3-2
Wrestleback Quarterfinals
#2 Kevin Bolinsky (KU) dec. #3 Fred Hale (MC), 4-0