Wrestling Team Places 13th at NCAA Eastern Regionals

Final Brackets; Final Standings

Johnstown, Pa. - The American International College wrestling team is 13th out of 13 teams after the first day of the 2008 NCAA Eastern Regionals, hosted by the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown. Sophomores Sam Gauvine (Enfield, Conn.) and Jeff Haddad (Old Saybrook, Conn.) and freshman Carlos Lara (Avon, Conn.), seeded sixth at 141, 133 and 125 lbs., advanced to the quarterfinals in the consolation bracket quarterfinals at their respective weight classes.

Gauvine opened the regional with a 4-2 decision over Mercyhurst's Braxdon Scaletta before falling to third-seeded Doug Surra of West Liberty State, 3-1. Gauvine rebounded to post an 8-4 victory over Kutztown's Jamie Soupik before being pinned by Belmont Abbey's Kevin James in 6:54.

Haddad received a first-round bye before losing by technical fall to third-seeded Corey Bowers of Gannon, 18-2 in 4:36. He then defeated St. Andrew's Casey Gashaw, 10-6, in his first consolation bout, but then lost a 14-7 decision to seventh-seeded Reimark Neidermeier of Belmont Abbey.

Lara fell to second-seeded Lucas Huffman of West Liberty State, 2-0, in the first round of the championship bracket. He then recorded a 10-6 win over eighth-seeded Ian Barker of Limestone before falling to fifth-seeded Derrek Bosso of Pittsburgh-Johnstown, 6-5.

Junior Derrick Sandiford (Windsor, Conn.) was pinned in the first round of the 149 lb. bracket 36 seconds into the second period and was then lost by technical fall, 17-1 in 4:28, to fourth-seeded Chris Chambers of Kutztown. Sophomore 157 pounder Martin Thompson fell to seventh-seeded Dave Zeek of Kutztown

Sophomore 174 pounder John Mullinix (Baltimore, Md.) lost by technical fall to Pittsburgh-Johnstown's Kyle Keane, 17-0 in 3:25, and then dropped a 3-1 decision to Belmont Abbey's Isaac Banks, who was seeded seventh. Sophomore Nick Laurino (Merrick, N.Y.) was majored by eighth-seeded David Hoggard of Belmont Abbey, 14-4, and was then majored by seventh-seeded A.J. Sayles of Gannon, 20-7.

Eighth-seeded Eric Fulmer of St. Andrews recorded a 9-5 win over freshman Yaakob Bloch (Ashkelon, Israel) in the 184-pound bracket. Bloch was then pinned by seventh-seeded Kyle Davis of Kutztown in 6:31. Junior Morgan Wanzer (Enfield, Conn.) lost a pair of major decisions in the 197-pound brackets, first to fourth-seeded Mitch Knapp of West Liberty State (12-3) and then to sixth-seeded Jacob Tazzi of Gannon (12-2)  

Graduate student Dan Dalle-Molle (Kotzbue, Alaska) was seeded fifth at heavyweight and received a first round bye before getting pinned by fourth-seeded Frank McGrath of Gannon in 45 seconds. He then suffered a 5-2 loss to Erik Stancil of UNC-Pembroke.