Mountaineers Win Two Titles at WVU Open

By Ira Green
WVU Sports Information Office

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (November 15, 2008) – The West Virginia University wrestling team competed in the 26th annual WVU Open on Saturday afternoon in the Shell Building. Redshirt-senior David Jauregui and redshirt-freshman Mark Tsikerdanos split the 149-pound crown and freshman Lance Bryson and redshirt-freshman Robert Desano split the 184-pound title.

Complete brackets AT THIS LINK

In the 149-pound bracket, Jauregui and Tsikerdanos started the morning on opposite sides of the bracket. Jauregui reeled off three straight victories, including a 13-5 major decision against Navy’s Cory Vernon. Tsikerdanos won his first match by a 10-0 major decision against Pitt’s Kyle Potton. The Frederick, Md., native went on to defeat Navy’s Luke O’Neil, 8-3, and won another match against Clarion’s Chris Lascari, who wrestled unattached, to reach the championship bout against Jauregui.

Bryson, who advanced to the second bout after a bye, defeated Pitt’s Brock Mantella, 5-3, and then knocked off Navy’s Greg Prioleau in a close 2-1 decision. Desano, who also earned a bye, beat Washington & Jefferson’s Adam Stroud, 6-1, and then followed it with a victory against Mercyhurst’s Eric Lundgren, wrestling unattached, 5-0, to meet Bryson in the finals.

Heavyweight freshman Justin Haines also had a good showing at the tournament. After falling to Navy’s Joseph Breaux in a close 3-2 decision, Haines went on to post three straight victories, including a pin fall at 1:57 against Washington & Jefferson’s Kyle Prudence.

Also in the heavyweight division was senior Dustin Rogers, who notched three wins, including a pin 31 seconds into the match against Pitt’s Dan Nickli. Rogers, a Corning, Calif., native, reached the championship bout, but withdrew due to injury.

Freshman Danny Cox (174) and redshirt-freshman Kyle Eason (157) earned third-place finishes at the event. Eason defeated Navy’s Dustin Packard, 5-2, to place third.

The Mountaineers will have six days off before traveling to Annapolis, Md., for the Navy Classic on Saturday, Nov. 22. WVU follows with a dual meet against Columbia and North Carolina at the “Sprawl + Brawl” Duals on Sunday, Nov. 23, in Vestal, N.Y.

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