Rader Takes Sixth at NCAA Tournament
By Scott Castleman
WVU Sports Information Office
March 16, 2006
OKLAHOMA CITY – Freshman 141-pounder Brandon Rader wrapped up his NCAA tournament run with a sixth-place finish on March 16, at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City.
The Parkersburg, W.Va., native dropped his consolation semifinal bout to No. 3-seeded, and three-time All-American, Cory Cooperman by way of a 12-4 major decision. The Lehigh grappler took a 3-1 lead through the first two periods on a takedown and an escape, while Rader’s lone point came on an escape. Cooperman pulled away in the third on a takedown and two separate sets of points for near falls. Rader would score on an escape and a reversal in the third.
In his bout for fifth-place Rader fell to Michigan State’s Andy Simmons, 11-2. Simmons led from the start, posting a 4-1 lead after one period. Three takedowns over the final two periods would be all that it would take for Simmons to come out on top.
“It’s not a surprise to me that Brandon wrestled at such a high level this weekend because he has done so all season,” said head coach Craig Turnbull. “He is a very hard worker and it showed in this tournament.”
As the program’s first-ever true freshman All-American, Rader finished his freshman season with a 30-6 record to tie current assistant coach Shane Cunanan for most wins in a season by a 141-pounder in WVU history.
The Mountaineers finished 27th with 23 team points.
The Mountaineers have now had at least one All-American every season since 2002.
WVU Session I Results:
141: No. 9 Brandon Rader (WVU) FALL Cesar Grajales (Penn), 5:24
149: Robert Sanduers (Nebraska) DEC David Jauregui, 6-3
157: No. 4 Matt Lebe (WVU) MAJOR Michael Savino (Brown), 11-2
165: Larry Hall (WVU) MAJOR No. 12 Marc Harwood (Nebraska), 11-3
174: Kurt Brenner (WVU) DEC Joseph Lowe (UNC-G), 5-3
197: Jared Villers (WVU) DEC Andrew Anderson (No. Iowa), 5-0
WVU Session II Results:
141:No. 9 Brandon Rader (WVU) FALL No. 8 Derek Moore (UC Davis), 2:17
149: David Jauregui (WVU) DEC James Woodall (PSU), 12-5*
157: Michael Chandler (Missouri) DEC No. 9 Matt Lebe (WVU), 3-2
165: Joey Bracamonte (Oregon) DEC Larry Hall (WVU), 5-2
174: No. 4 Jacob Klein (Nebraska) DEC Kurt Brenner (WVU), 4-1
197: No. 2 Kyle Cerminara (Buffalo) DEC Jared Villers (WVU), 2-1
*Consolation bout
WVU Session III Results:
141: No. 1 Nate Gallick (Iowa St.) DEC No. 9 Brandon Rader (WVU), 3-0
149: Keith Dickey (Cornell) DEC David Jauregui (WVU), 7-2
157: No. 7 Dustin Manotti (Cornell) DEC No. 4 Matt Lebe (WVU), 6-3
165: Larry Hall (WVU) DEC Brian Busby (Cal St. Bakersfield), 7-3
165: No. 10 Patrick Pitsch (Arizona St.) DEC Larry Hall (WVU), 7-2
174: Kurt Brenner (WVU) DEC No. 10 Gabriel Dretsch (Minnesota), 8-4
174: Matthew Herrington (Penn) MAJOR Kurt Brenner (WVU), 11-2
197: Nathan Moore (Purdue) DEC Jared Villers (WVU), 3-0
Session IV Results:
141: No. 9 Brandon Rader (WVU) DEC Ron Tarquinio (Pitt), 5-3 sv
141: No. 9 Brandon Rader (WVU) DEC Dave Hoffman (Virginia Tech), 11-7
Session V Results:
141 Consolation Semifinals: No. 3 Cory Cooperman (Lehigh) MAJOR No. 9 Brandon Rader (WVU), 12-4
141 Fifth-Place Bout: No. 4 Andy Simmons (Michigan St.) MAJOR No. 9 Brandon Rader (WVU), 11-2
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