March 6, 2004
Results
Slippery Rock, Pa. - Two Duquesne University wrestlers grabbed NCAA Regional Championships in the NCAA Division I East Regional Wrestling Championships Saturday afternoon at Slippert Rock University's Morrow Field House. The Dukes finished second overall.
Gaining a trip to the NCAA national event are senior Mike Frank (Pittsburgh, PA / Fox Chapel) and junior Marc Allemang (Bethel Park, PA / Bethel Park). This is Frank's first trip to the national competition while Allemang is heading west to Missouri for the second straight season. (Last year's championship was held in Kansas City, Mo.)
In addition, Allemang was named this year's East Regional "Outstanding Wrestler."
Frank (left) pinned Millersville's Mark Knock 6:36 into their 184 pound match. The #3 seed in his weight defeated Slippery Rock's Jeremiah Frederick (9-6) to gain the final match. Frank was the only number 3 or 4 seed to advance past the regional event.
Allemang gained a 5-0 decision over Millersville's Mike Davidowich in the 285 pound (aka heavyweight) class. The #1 seed pinned Slippert Rock's Mike Bromley 1:50 into their semifinal encounter.
Allemang's season record is 26-3 including 11 pins while Frank raised his final season mark to 19-14 with four pins.
Sophomore Keith Pavlekovsky (133) and freshman Brandon Baldini (157) made it the regional finals. Pavlekovsky was named as an alternate.
Five Dukes, three of them freshman, won final matches in the consolation round:
- Freshman Bradley Cipriani took an 8-5 decision over Gardner-Webb's John Neal
- Fellow frosh Cory Midlam grabbed a 12-3 major decision over SR's Brad Shrum in the 141 pound match
- Junior Jon Denk won by 7-5 over Millersville's Shawn Blanchard at 149 pounds
- The third freshman, Jared Ricotta, pinned Gardner-Webb's Sheldon Sisk 2:17 into the 165 competition
- Senior Chandler Carranza pinned SR's Marcus Bartley (time n/a)
This year's NCAA finals will be held March 18-20 at Savvis Center in St. Louis. The University of Missouri, Columbia, and the St. Louis Sports Commission will serve as hosts.
