2005 CAA CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT PREVIEW: Hofstra University, ranked 14th in the nation, will seek its fourth consecutive Colonial Athletic Association Championship and its fifth straight conference title this weekend at the CAA Wrestling Championship Tournament, hosted by Boston University on Friday and Saturday, March 4-5. Hofstra has nine wrestlers who are a first or second seed in this year's championship, including defending CAA champion Chris Skretkowicz, who is currently ranked third in the nation at 197. Included in the nine are six top-seeded wrestlers. Number one-ranked conference Pride wrestlers include 17th-ranked freshman Charles Griffin (22-4, 6-0) at 133, eighth-ranked senior Ricky LaForge (22-5, 4-0) at 141, HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY 14th-ranked junior Mike Patrovich (10-3, 4-0) at 165, 11th-ranked senior Paul Siemon (21-7, 5-0) at 174, WRESTLING freshman Joe Rovelli (19-7, 5-0) at 184 and senior Chris #14 Hofstra Pride (13-5, 6-0) Skretkowicz (23-2, 4-0) at 197. Freshman Dave at the Tomasette (16-11, 5-1) at 125, ninth-ranked junior Jon Masa (17-9, 4-1) at 149, and sophomore James Strouse CAA Wrestling Championships (18-10, 4-1) at 157 are all seeded second in the CAA. Last Friday-Saturday, March 4-5, 2005 year, Hofstra recorded four conference champions and Boston University • Case Gymnasium four finalists and sent a school record-tying eight wrestlers to the NCAA Division I Championships in St. 2004-05 HOFSTRA Louis. The CAA Championships will advance 24 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships March 17-19 in WRESTLING SCHEDULE/RESULTS St. Louis, MO. Nov. 19 at #3 Nebraska 17-21 L Nov. 20 at The Omaha Open --------- CAA Wrestling Championships Schedule Nov. 28 #2 LEHIGH 23-10 W Friday, March 4 Dec. 3-4 at Cliff Keen/Las Vegas Invitational 3rd pl. Noon – First round Dec. 11 at Boston University* 36-9 W 4 p.m. – Quarterfinals Dec. 11 at Harvard 39-6 W 8 p.m. – First round consolations Jan. 9 at Sacred Heart* 42-6 W Jan. 15 #23 ARMY 28-9 W Saturday, March 5 (Hofstra Wrestling Alumni Day) 10 a.m. – Second round consolations Jan. 16 at #22 Pennsylvania Noon – Semifinals Jan. 22-23 at NWCA-CK National Duals 2 p.m. – Third round consolations Jan. 22 vs. #14 Northern Iowa 14-22 L 4 p.m. – Consolation finals Jan. 22 vs. Cal Poly 23-16 W 6 p.m. - Finals Jan. 22 vs. #4 Michigan 18-19 L Jan. 29 at #22 West Virginia 23-18 W PROJECTED HOFSTRA COMPETITORS: Here are Jan. 30 at Old Dominion* 27-12 W Hofstra's projected competitors at the CAA Feb. 5 #17 CORNELL 12-20 L Championships: (Chief Ray Downey Memorial Scholarship Day) Feb. 12 at Drexel* 33-3 W Class Name Record InterMat/AWN/WIN Feb. 12 at Wagner* 33-9 W 125 Dave Tomasette 15-11 NR/NR/NR Feb. 13 #1 OKLAHOMA STATE 10-30 L 133 Charles Griffin 24-4 17/17/19 Feb. 15 RIDER* 35-6 W 141 Ricky LaForge 21-5 7/8/8 Feb. 18 Columbia 28-9 W 149 Jon Masa 17-9 9/9/9 Mar. 4-5 at CAA Championships All-Day 157 James Strouse 18-10 NR/NR/NR (at Boston, MA) 165 Mike Patrovich 10-3 14/14/14 Mar. 17-19 NCAA Championships All Day 174 Paul Siemon 21-7 11/11/12 (at St. Louis, MO) 184 Joe Rovelli 18-7 NR/NR/NR * - CAA match 197 Chris Skretkowicz 24-2 3/3/3 HWT Gian Villante 2-7 NR/NR/NR (Note: Records indicated above include only NCAA Championship- approved matches. The record may not indicate all matches that were wrestled) 285 2. Carmelo Marrero-Rider dec. 4. Dan Garay-Hofstra, LAST YEAR... 3-1 2004 CAA Wrestling Championships- Final Results CAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONS: Here is the list of CAA Wrestling champions since 1992: Team Standings Points Titles 2nd 3rd 4th Hofstra 111 4 4 0 1 1992 George Mason Rider 69.5 2 1 2 0 1993 Virginia Tech Boston 67 0 2 3 1 1994 Old Dominion George Mason 59.5 1 0 1 3 1995 George Mason Sacred Heart 56.5 2 0 1 1 1996 George Mason Drexel 46.5 0 2 2 0 1997 George Mason Old Dominion 29 0 1 1 1 1998 Virginia Tech Binghamton 27.5 1 0 0 1 1999 James Madison Campbell 12.5 0 0 0 2 2000 James Madison James Madison 8.0 0 0 0 0 2001 George Mason Wagner 4.5 0 0 0 0 2002 Hofstra 2003 Hofstra Championship Finals 2004 Hofstra 125 1. Tom Noto-Hofstra dec. 2. Jose Leon-Boston, 6-2 133 1. Mike Messina-Sacred Heart dec. 2. Don Fisch- Note: Hofstra joined the CAA in 2001-2002. Rider,6-4 141 3. Josh Ruff-Binghamton dec. 4. John Manarte- HOFSTRA'S CONFERENCE HISTORY Hofstra 5-3 Hofstra has competed in three wrestling conferences since 149 1. Adrian Austin-GMU dec. 3. James Strouse- 1974 – the East Coast Conference (1974-90), the East Hofstra, 8-4 Coast Wrestling Association (1990-2001) and the 157 2. Dave Miller-Rider wbf 1. Paul Siemon-Hofstra, Colonial Athletic Association (2001-present). The Pride 2:47 has captured 12 conference championships since 1975The 165 1. Ralph Everett-Hofstra dec. 2. Leighton Brady- following is a list of Hofstra’s conference champions. Boston, 7-2 174 1. Noel Thompson-Hofstra wbf 2. Nick Kozar- TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS Drexel, 1:52 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 2001, 184 1. Nick Catone-Rider dec. 2. Brad Christie- 2002, 2003, 2004 Hofstra, 2-1 197 1. Chris Skretkowicz-Hofstra dec. 2. Chris Jones- TEAM CHAMPIONS Drexel, 4-0 EAST COAST CONFERENCE 285 1. Payam Zarrinpour-Sacred Heart dec. 3. Derrel 1975 Hofstra Lorthridge-ODU, 4-2 o.t. 1976 Hofstra 1977 Hofstra Consolation Finals 1978 Hofstra 125 4. Rob Rebmann-Drexel major dec. 6. Andy Bricker- 1979 Hofstra Campbell, 12-3 1980 Hofstra 133 3. Joe Cristaldi-Drexel dec. 4. David Emison-GMU, 1981 West Chester 6-0 1982 Hofstra 141 2. Joey Rivera-Boston dec. 1. Rob Becker-GMU, 1983 Hofstra medical forfeit 1984 Rider 149 2. Rayes Gonzales-Boston dec. 6 Beau Bruno- 1985 Drexel Binghamton, 3-2 1986 Rider 157 5. Robert Belville-Sacred Heart dec. 4. Jesse Pearce- 1987 Bucknell ODU, 6-1 1988 Rider 165 6. Sean Early-GMU tech fall 3 Sherwood Fendryk- 1989 Rider Sacred Heart, 18-3 (5:00) 1990 Rider 174 4. Ben Schliens-Boston dec. 6 Nick Webster-GMU, EAST COAST WRESTLING ASSOCIATION 6-4 1991 Rider 184 3. Adam Wright-ODU dec. 4. Lantz Nixon- 1992 Central Connecticut Campbell, 8-3 1993 Rider 197 3. Jared Terrell-Rider dec. 4 John DaCruz-Boston, 5- 1994 Rider 3 1995 Bucknell 1996 Rider 1997 Rider Jon Masa - 2002, 2003 1998 Rider Ralph Everett – 2003, 2004 1999 Rider Noel Thompson – 2003, 2004 2000 Rider Chris Skretkowicz – 2003, 2004 2001 Hofstra COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION HOFSTRA'S MOST INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCE 2002 Hofstra CHAMPIONS: The Hofstra school record for conference 2003 Hofstra champions in a single championship tournament is six, set 2004 Hofstra in 2003. The Pride had five conference champions in 2001, 1999, 1983 and 1980. Hofstra had four conference CONFERENCE COACH OF THE YEAR champs in 2004, which equaled 2000 and 1975. Tom Ryan - 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002 (co-coach), 2003, 2004 HOFSTRA HEAD COACH TOM RYAN: Tom Ryan is in his 10th season as Hofstra Head Wrestling Coach. CONFERENCE WRESTLER OF THE YEAR During that time he has rebuilt the Pride into a Top 20 Chris Skretkowicz - 2003, 2004 caliber program. He is 98-74-1 at Hofstra but has posted a 91-49-1 mark during the past seven seasons. Ryan has CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT received the Coach of the Year award six times, including MOST OUTSTANDING WRESTLER five straight times dating back to 2000, and has won four Marty Willigan - 1968 consecutive conference championships. Don Mayorga - 1975 Lou Dionisio - 1980 HOFSTRA NOTES, STREAKS AND TIDBITS: Ed Pidgeon - 1981 • Hofstra has won 13 of its last 17 duals and 21 of its last Peter Capone - 1983, 1985 27 dual matches dating back to last season. Mike Arena - 1986, 1988 Eric Schmiesing - 2001 • Hofstra is undefeated in 41 consecutive dual conference Jason DeBruin - 2002 matches posting a 40-0-1 record during that time. The last Ricky LaForge - 2003 time Hofstra dropped a conference match was February 17, 1999 when the Broncs of Rider beat the Pride, 28-10 FOUR-TIME CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS in an East Coast Wrestling Association (ECWA) match. Jason DeBruin - 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 • The Pride has won seven of their last nine home matches THREE-TIME CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS dating back to the start of the 2003-04 season. Hofstra Aurel Balaianu - 1977, 1979, 1980 dropped a 30-10 decision to #1 Oklahoma State last Mike Hogan - 1978, 1980, 1981 Sunday, and a 20-12 decision to #17 Cornell on February Ed Pidgeon - 1981, 1982, 1983 5 at the Hofstra Arena. Before that, the last home dual Tony Arena - 1982, 1983, 1985 match that the Pride dropped was on November 29, 2003 Mike Arena - 1986, 1987, 1988 when the ninth-ranked Cornhuskers of Nebraska downed Roman Fleszar - 1999, 2000, 2001 Hofstra, 30-10. Eric Schmiesing - 1999, 2000, 2001 Tom Noto - 2001, 2002, 2004 • This is Hofstra’s 57th season of intercollegiate wrestling. The Pride has had nine coaches direct the TWO-TIME CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS wrestling program, beginning with Walter “Brick” Stone Art Strunk - 1952, 1953 in 1947 and currently with Tom Ryan, who is in his 10th Dan Notine - 1956, 1957 season.