Wrestling 2/21/2017 4:03:00 PM Chris Myers

Super Region Preview -- Cardinals Wrestling Sets High Super Region Expectations

Super Region I Information Page
ERIE, Pa. – All the hours in the wrestling room come down to this weekend. The Wheeling Jesuit wrestling team has set high expectations heading into fourth appearance at the NCAA Division II Super Region I.

For the second year in a row, WJU makes the trip to the Mercyhurst University Athletic Center in Erie, Pa., Friday afternoon through Saturday evening, Feb. 24-25. The opening sessions begin Friday at noon and run until 7 p.m. with the quarterfinals and two rounds of consolations. Saturday will have two sessions with the semifinals and consolation semifinals beginning at 11 a.m., before the Regional finals starting at 3 p.m.

With a National Duals runner-up finish to start the new year, the Cardinals have their sights set on their best regional run. The Cardinals have finished fourth place in each of the last two years, but feel their team can do more. WJU has been rated either second or third in the Super Region I's team rankings all season of the 18 teams.

"Although, we do not make it a focal point, I feel winning a regional championship is within grasp for us if we have a good weekend," said WJU head coach Sean Doyle. "We have at least nine guys that can finish in the top six (of their weight classes). We don't have the firepower at the top (of the lineup) as some teams have, but we have great depth through our team."

WJU can boast each of its 10 regional entries enter the weekend ranked within the top eight in each of their weight classes. Notre Dame College, Pittsburgh-Johnstown and Mercyhurst, again, will be the top dogs as all three have ranked wrestlers one, two or three in the country.

"Our next step (as a program) is positioning guys to finish high at the national tournament and have multiple guys do it (the same year)," continued Doyle.

In arguably the toughest DII Super Region, no matter the wrestler on any team has to excel to clinch a top four finish and trip to the NCAA DII National Championships in Birmingham, Ala., on March 10-11.

"Our region is so good not one person is getting out of the region if they don't wrestle well," stressed the Cardinals coach.

With this regional gauntlet of top grapplers, WJU aims to increase its top four regional finishers for the third year in a row. Last season, the Cardinals saw a program-best four wrestlers qualify for the National Championships after top-four regional placings – Dominick Nania (149) took third, while Nolan Whitely (133), Sawyer Leppla (184) and Logan Bowman (285) were all fourth.

"We could send six or seven this year, but we hope to build off last year and send at least five," Doyle pointed out.

Both Nania and Whitely will have the chance to wrestle their way to National Championships return trips. Whitely has the unique opportunity to become WJU's first three-time national qualifier. After finishing fifth last year, 2015 All-American Dustin Warner seeks redemption and a second trip of his own.

WJU Weight Class Breakdown:

125

Since January 1, the hottest Cardinals wrestler is undoubtably 125-pounder Jacob Donahue. After he made the cut from 133, the freshman started slow, but has been virtually an unstoppable 10-1 since the New Year.

Donahue (15-5) started with a perfect 4-0 National Duals performance, including an impressive 6-2 decision over defending national champion Brett Velasquez of St. Cloud State. The Massillon, Ohio product's lone second-half loss came to No. 1 in the nation, Willie Bohince of Mercyhurst by a 3-0 final.

Donahue enters the Regional as the No. 4 ranked wrestler. He will try to challenge No. 1 Bohince, No. 2 Ivan McClay of Notre Dame College and Kutztown's Austin Petril.

"Coming off recent time off, I look forward to Jake getting back. If he wrestles to his ability, he could win the tournament. I look for him to have a good tournament," said Doyle.

133

Moving up to his more natural 133-pound level, DJ Warner seeks his second national-qualifying regional. The junior looks to take the bad taste out of his mouth after he finished a disappointing fifth at 125 in last March's regional.

Since he moved up to 133, Warner (15-2) is 12-2 with the two defeats coming by a combined three points. DJ should be seeded No. 3 behind Gannon's Carmine Ciotti and Notre Dame College's David Bavery.

"We believe DJ can win a national championship. It is just a matter of him having seven minutes of focused wrestling every time he steps on the mat," pointed out Doyle.

141

Sliding up a weight class in the second part of the year, Nolan Whitely will try to become the Cardinals first three-time national qualifier. The three-time 20-win junior is 2-1 against 141-pound regional competitors.

Whitely (20-10) will get a 141 seed around No. 6, but he is fully capable of moving up to the top four. The weight classes' top wrestlers will be No. 1 Joey Alessandro of Seton Hill, Notre Dame's Cobey Fehr and East Stroudsburg's Dylan Nace.

"Nolan is confident in this setting as he has done it twice already. He will have to be very clean being up a weight and will have no room for anything less," said the WJU coach. "It will be a good opportunity for him."

149

Ranked among the best of DII for the majority of the season, Dom Nania seeks his best regional finish in his final attempt. The senior pinned his way to third in the region a year ago and earned his first trip to the national championships.

With a few setbacks late this season, Nania (22-8) has slid down to No. 6 in the region and out of the national individual rankings. He seeks to rebound after two good weeks in the wrestling room. TJ Fabian of LIU Post, Logan Grass (Mercyhurst), Seton Hill's Ty Lydic, Mike Spring (Shippensburg) and Notre Dame's Juwan Edmond run down the very deep 149-pound weight class.

"Dom had a little set back the last five weeks, but he looks good now. He has progressed every year and we expect him to place and nothing less," noted Doyle.

157

The Cardinals' second freshman Greg Brusco aims to continue his strong opening year at this weekend's regional action. Brusco (23-8) has faired well against the nation's best in his weight class, including a 12-6 dual match mark.

Brusco enters the regional tournament with a 4-2 record against regional foes with the lone two defeats coming at the hands of two of the top three seeded opponents – No. 1 in the nation and region Cody Law of UPJ and Eric Lewandowski from Gannon. Brusco should enter the weekend at No. 4.

"Greg is wrestling the best he has all year and looks good. We brought Greg here knowing he could compete at a high level and we are excited to see him compete this weekend," explained Doyle.

165

First-year Cardinal Nic Skonieczny makes his first trip to the Super Region I tournament. The fifth-year senior (17-9) earned All-GLIAC Second Team honors last year at Findlay, before he took over the 165-pound WJU spot this year.

Skonieczny finished the regular season with four-straight wins, but he will most likely draw around the No. 7 spot in the loaded 165-pound field. No. 1 ranked nationally Francis Mizia of Mercyhurst lead a weight that has four of the top five in the nation, including Tyler Reinhart of UPJ, Notre Dame's Isaiah White and TC Warner from Kutztown.

"It is Nic's last time. He has always been lingering, but just not been able to beat the top guys. His training, though, has been the best and he will be ready in a good weight class," said Doyle.

174

In his third trip to the Super Region I field, Reyse Wallbrown will challenge for his national championship spot. Wallbrown posted a 6-1 mark in his last seven bouts to finish the season, which took the junior over the 20-win plateau for the first time at 20-12.

Reyse is projected to enter the weekend at No. 6 of the 174-pound field. He will battle top seed Justan Rivera of Notre Dame, UPJ's John Blankenship and Jake Stratton (Gannon).

Doyle noted, "Reyse is in a good spot. We believe he can beat anyone in the region. He is another who needs to focus seven minutes and wrestle to his strengths. If he does that, Reyse can earn his national championship spot."

184

'Mr. Reliable' Anthony 'TJ' Smith steps into a challenging spot he will gladly take on. A true 165-pounder, Smith will wrestle up two weight classes. TJ is 1-1 in two 184-pound February matches, but he has the athletic ability and will to make him a tough matchup for any opponent.

TJ will enter unseeded at the Regional, which will see Garrett Linebarger of Notre Dame, who place at 197 last year, Tyler Richardson of East Stroudsburg, Gannon's Nick Costa and Alderson Broaddus' Cody Spinks as the top four.

"TJ is as reliable of a wrestler as we have on the team," explains the WJU director. "We get all he has in his performance and he will represent us well."

197

Other than Donahue, Terrance Fanning has been the top WJU performance in the 2017 calendar year. The redshirt sophomore has not lost since the National Duals against No. 8 ranked Vince Getz of St. Cloud State and takes an eight-bout win streak into the Regional competition.

Like Warner, Fanning seeks redemption this weekend. He garnered fifth place last March, one spot short of a trip to the National Championships.

The No. 12 nationally-ranked Fanning (16-7) enters the Regional as the No. 2 seed behind Shippensburg's Evan Ramos. The two were scheduled to wrestle at Shippensburg on Feb. 4, but Fanning received the forfeit win.

"I am really excited about Terrance. He has found a great place, he's confident and looks good. Terrance will be tough to beat and he is wrestling as good as anyone in the country right now," said Doyle.

285

The WJU lineup anchor Maxwell Lacey looks to cap a solid four-year career with a Regional placing this weekend. Similar to Fanning, Lacey (24-9) has lost only one bout since the National Duals match against the 285-pound top-ranked Austin Goergsen of St. Cloud State. Since the Georgsen match, the WJU senior is 10-1 with his lone defeat coming to the Region's No. 1 seeded Andy Welton of Mercyhurst.

Lacey will receive the No. 3 position behind Welton and Notre Dame's Kameron Teacher with D.J. Sims (UPJ), Nick Budd (Gannon) and Ryan Appleby (Kutztown) in the mix of the strong heavyweight group.

"Heavyweight is fun. There are a lot of good kids. It will come down to who's ready," added Doyle. "Max is wrestling really well and he knows what he's good at and does it well."

-GoCards-

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