Ground Report

For Immediate Release:

From Brown University Athletic Communications

December 29, 2014

Brown Wrestling’s Staudenmayer Advances to Semis at Midlands Championships

Release Link: http://brownbears.com/sports/m-wrestl/2014-15/releases/20141229e5ak4s

EVANSTON, Ill. – Brown University wrestling sophomore Justin Staudenmayer won four consecutive bouts to advance to the semifinals in the 157-pound weight class at day one of the 52^nd Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships on Monday at Northwestern University’s Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Staudenmayer (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.) – seeded third at 157 lbs. and ranked 18^th in the country – began his day with a 2-0 victory over Princeton’s Kevin Moylan. He then defeated Northwestern’s Benjamin Sullivan, 6-2, and topped Indiana’s Alex Gregory, 3-2.

In the quarterfinals, Staudenmayer outlasted sixth-seeded Reece Lefever of Wabash College, 3-2, in the first tiebreaker period. He will face second-seeded and 14^th-ranked Cody Park of South Dakota St. in tomorrow’s semifinals.

Seniors Billy Watterson (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) and Ophir Bernstein (Allen, Texas) reached the quarterfinals of their weight classes, 125 pounds and 184 pounds, respectively. Both performers will continue competition tomorrow.

Watterson, the No. 11 seed, defeated Columbia’s Penn Gottfried and bested Maryland’s Josh Polacek, 7-3, in a tiebreaker session to make it to the quarterfinals before falling to third-seeded and 14^th-ranked Joshua Rodriguez of North Dakota St.

Bernstein, ranked 13^th and seeded sixth, opened action with a 9-4 triumph over Mitch Sliga of Northwestern. He followed with a 7-6 win over Riley Lefever of Wabash prior to succumbing to third-seeded and eighth-ranked Sam Brooks of Iowa, 12-3, in the quarters.

Senior Ricky McDonald (Carson City, Nev.) won a bout at 174 lbs. over Conner Lefever of Wabash, 3-2, while sophomore Steven Galiardo (Chicago, Ill.) captured a major decision win at 149 pounds – 10-2 over Columbia’s Connor Sutton. Freshmen Brendan O’Connor (Monroe, Mich.) and Austin Pfarr (Marysville, Ohio) competed for the Bears at 133 and 197 pounds respectively.

Through quarterfinal action, Brown ranks tied for 18^th out of 59 competing teams with 18.0 points as a team.

Next, Brown continues competition at the Midlands Championships tomorrow before heading to the Franklin & Marshall Open on Saturday.

Brown Results:

125 Pounds

No. 11 Seed Billy Watterson

Defeats Penn Gottfried (Columbia), injury forfeit

Defeats Josh Polacek (Maryland), 7-3 (TB-1)

No. 3 Seed/No. 14 Ranked Joshua Rodriguez (North Dakota State) defeats Watterson, 6-1 (Quarterfinals)

Vs. No. 7 Seed Shayne Wireman (Eastern Michigan)/Garrison White (Northwestern)

133 Pounds

Brendan O’Connor

No. 12 Seed Dominick Malone (Northwestern) defeats O’Connor, Fall 2:40

Brance Simms (South Dakota St.) defeats O’Connor by major decision, 22-8

149 Pounds

Steven Galiardo (Unattached)

No. 1 Seed/No. 1 Ranked Jason Tsirtis (Northwestern) defeats Galiardo by major decision, 11-3

Defeats Connor Sutton (Columbia) by major decision, 10-2

Gustavo Martinez (Grand View U.) defeats Galiardo, 3-2

157 Pounds

No. 3 Seed/No. 18 Ranked Justin Staudenmayer

Defeats Kevin Moylan (Princeton, unattached), 2-0

Defeats Benjamin Sullivan (Northwestern), 6-2

Defeats Alex Gregory (Indiana), 3-2

Defeats No. 6 Seed Reece Lefever (Wabash College, Unattached), 3-2 (TB-1) (Quarterfinals)

Vs. No. 2 Seed/No. 14 Ranked Cody Pack (South Dakota St.), (Semifinals)

174 Pounds

Ricky McDonald

Defeats Conner Lefever (Wabash College, Unattached), 3-2

No. 4 Seed Brock Gutches (Southern Oregon) defeats McDonald, Fall 2:29

Josef Johnson (Harvard) defeats McDonald, 3-2

184 Pounds

No. 6 Seed/No. 13 Ranked Ophir Bernstein

Defeats Mitch Sliga (Northwestern), 9-4

Defeats Riley Lefever (Wabash, Unattached), 7-6

No. 3 Seed/No. 8 Ranked Sam Brooks (Iowa) defeats Bernstein by major decision, 12-3 (Quarterfinals)

Vs. TBD

197 Pounds

Austin Pfarr

No. 5 Seed/No. 13 Ranked Nathan Rotert (South Dakota St.) defeats Pfarr by major decision, 10-2

Ian Solcz (Davidson) defeats Pfarr, 3-1

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