DUBUQUE, IOWA — Two Baldwin-Wallace College wrestlers, senior 285-pounder Bryan Kmetz (Brunswick) and junior 165-pounder Gino Russo (Northfield Center), each earned All-America status and the Yellow Jackets finished 14th as a team at the 2007 NCAA Division III National Wrestling Championship Tournament at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa.
Kmetz, the number three seed, finished with a 3-1record. In the championship match, Kmetz was defeated, 4-0, by Blake Gillis of Luther (Iowa) College. In his first match, Kmetz pinned Josepf Tartar of Muhlenberg (Pa.) College in 42 seconds, and then shut out No.6 seed Jacob Taylor of Oswego State (N.Y.), 5-0, in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Kmetz defeated 28-year-old Russian and #2 seed Arkadiy Levitin of Hunter (N.Y.), 3-0. Kmetz ran his season record 18-1 with 10 falls and his career mark to 90-14 overall with 29 falls.
Russo finished sixth as he lost to Wartburg (Iowa) grappler #5 Jason Knipp, 15-5, in his final match and had a 3-3 mark at the two-day national tourney. After being pinned in 1:56 of his first match by #6 seed Michael Guenter of the College of New Jersey, Russo battled back to beat Derek Ricker of Messiah (Pa.) College, 3-2, and then defeated Zach Bogardus of Cortland State (N.Y.), 7-4, to make the final eight. Then he beat Phil Kruzel of the University of Chicago (Ill.), 9-5, and then lost to Brockport State's (N.Y.) Shaheim Bradshow by pin at 6:58. Russo finishes this season with a 24-7 record and is now 65-25 in his career.
The trio was joined at the national tourney by sophomore 197-pounder Paul Burger (Mentor), who despite having an 0-2 mark at his first national tourney, wrestled well. He lost his first match to #3 seed James Swanson of UW LaCrosse (Wisc.), 5-4, and was eliminated by a late pin by #6 seed Tyler Wozniak of UW Stevens Point (Wisc.) in 6:58. Burger ends his season at 9-3 overall.
For complete NCAA Division III Championship results, please visit the B-W Web site at www.bw.edu/athletics. Then click on the link to the 2007 NCAA Division III National Championship Web site and go to the Championship Results and brackets.
Local Collegiate Aggate Results at the
NCAA Division III National Championships
Loras, College; Dubuque, Iowa
FINAL TEAM SCORES: 1. Augsburg (Minn.), 135.5; 2. Wartburg (Iowa), 99.5; 3. UW LaCrosse (Wisc.), 92.5; 4. Luther (Iowa), 86.0; 5. College of New Jersey, 46.5. Ohio Schools: 14. Baldwin-Wallace, 25.0; 19. Mt. St. Joseph, 22.5; 22. Heidelberg, 17.5; 37. John Carroll, 4.5; 47. Case Western Reserve, 1.0; 50. Ohio Northern, 0.5.
Ohio College Results By-Weight Class:
125 pounds: #4 Heilman (Cornell) TF Penny (Ohio Northern), 17-0 (5:00); Quieroz (Wilkes) def. Penny, 6-2; 133 pounds: #7 Cullen (Lycoming) def. Pizzurro (John Carroll), 8-1; Nothern (Cornell) def. Pizzurro, 3-1 (SV1); 141 pounds: Sanchez (Heidelberg) MD Marsh (Bridgewater), 14-6; #7 Manoogian (Case Western Reserve) def. Sanchez, 11-5; #2 Laforge pinned Manoogian, 0:48; #8 LaCroix (Roger Williams) def. Sanchez, 7-4; Chambers (UW Platteville) def. Manoogian, 13-9; 149 pounds: #3 Pflug (Heidelberg) MD Kobilansky (NYU), 12-1; #4 Roush (Mt. St. Joseph) pinned Young (Scranton), 3:44; Pflug def. #6 Ooton (Brockport), 10-6; Roush def. #5 Larsen (UW LaCrosse), 2-1 (TB1); semifinals: #4 Roush def. #1 Evans (Augsburg), 2-1; #2 Pyle (Luther) def. Pflug, 6-2; Pflug def. #5 Larsen (UW LaCrosse), 11-3; Third place: Pflug def. #1 Evans, 6-3; Championship Match: Pyle (Luther) pinned Roush, 2:04; 157 pounds: #6 Galante (New Jersey) MD Coleman (Ohio Northern), 16-6; Milks (UW Platteville) pinned #5 Spence (Mt. St. Joseph), 5:44; Andrews (Olivet) pinned Coleman, 2:55; Spence def. Forness (Buena Vista), 11-7; Spence MD deLalla (Wesleyan), 14-3; 165 pounds: #6 Guenther (New Jersey) pinned Russo (Baldwin-Wallace), 1:56; Russo def. Ricker (Messiah), 3-2; Russo def. Bogardus (Cortland State), 7-4; Russo def. Kruzel (U/Chicago), 9-5; #7 Bradshaw (Brockport State) pinned Russo, 6:58; Fifth Place: Knipp (Wartburg) MD Russo, 15-5; 174 pounds: #3 Vanderhyde (Olivet) def. Plowman (Ohio Northern), 8-2; Plowman def. Larson (Dubuque), 6-4; Dorner (UW Oshkosh) def. Plowman, 3-2; 184 pounds: Summers (John Carroll) def. #7 Lynaugh (Augsburg), 3-2; #2 Sair (Cortland State) def. Summers, 6-3; Summers def. Mueller (Luther), 5-4; 197 pounds: #3 Swanson def. Burger (Baldwin-wallace), 5-4; Wozniak (UW Stevens Point) pinned Burger, 6:58; 285 pounds: #3 Kmetz (Baldwin-Wallace) pinned Tartar (Muhlenberg), 0:42; Bowers (Heidelberg) def. #8 Laurent (UW LaCrosse), 3-2; Kmetz def. #6 Taylor (Oswego State), 5-0; #1 Gillis (Wartburg) MD Bowers, 16-3; Rutledge (Knox) def. Bowers, 8-5; Semifinals: Kmetz def. #2 Levitin (Hunter), 3-0; Championship Match: Blake Gillis (Wartburg) def. Kmetz 4-0.
275 Eastland Rd.