March 17, 2007

Final Team Results

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - The Navy wrestling team concluded its season with a 18th-place showing at the 77th NCAA Championship following the weight-class finals on Saturday night in the Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan.

Minnesota won the 2007 national championship with a team score of 98 points, edging second place Iowa State's 88.5 points. Missouri finished third with 80 points, followed by Northwestern's 71.5 fourth-place points and Oklahoma State's 69-point total for fifth place. Meanwhile, Navy tallied 32 points over the three-day championship to place 18th out of the 74 teams at this year's championship.

The 18th-place showing is the highest during Navy head coach Bruce Burnett's seven-year tenure in Annapolis and the best by the Midshipmen since a 13th-place finish at the 1990 NCAA Championship.

The Midshipmen concluded their scoring earlier in the day when junior Matt Stolpinski (Westfield, Mass.) finished fourth in the 174-pound weight class and earned All-America status. Stolpinski pinned Oklahoma State's Brandon Mason in the seventh round of wrestlebacks to open his day and advance to the third-place bout, where he was edged in a 3-2 decision by Iowa's Eric Luedke.

Navy sent six wrestlers to the national championship this season, matching the contingent sent to the 2005 NCAA Championship. Sophomore 133-pounder Joe Baker (Poway, Calif.), senior 149-pounder John Cox (Grand Haven, Mich.), senior 157-pound team captain John Jarred (Kansas City, Mo.), Stolpinski, senior 184-pounder Antonio Miranda (Eugene, Ore.) and junior heavyweight Ed Prendergast (St. Louis, Mo.) each won at least one bout and advanced to Friday's action.

Capped by their performance at the national championship, the Midshipmen concluded the 2006-07 campaign with an 11-4 dual-meet record, including a 7-0 mark in EIWA contests and a second-place finish at the EIWA Championship.

Navy Wrestlers at the 77th NCAA Wrestling Championship
March 15-17, 2007 - The Palace of Auburn Hills - Auburn Hills, Mich.

133 Pounds - Joe Baker (2-2 NCAA Tourney Record; Season: 21-9; Career: 33-15)
Joe Baker (Navy) dec. #10 Evan Sola (North Carolina), 5-1
#7 Mack Reiter (Minnesota) dec. Joe Baker (Navy), 12-5
Joe Baker (Navy) dec. Conor Beebe (Central Michigan), 4-3
Andrae Hernandez (Indiana) dec. Joe Baker (Navy), 7-5

149 Pounds - John Cox (1-2 NCAA Tourney Record; Season: 29-9; Career: 112-38)
#10 Lance Palmer (Ohio State) major dec. John Cox (Navy), 10-2
John Cox (Navy) WBF Derek Kipperberg (Oregon State), 5:31
#8 Aaron Martin (UT-Chattanooga) dec. John Cox (Navy), 8-1

157 Pounds - John Jarred (1-2 NCAA Tourney Record; Season: 32-12; Career: 77-31)
John Jarred (Navy) major dec. Victer Crenshaw (Cleveland State), 8-0
#4 C.P. Schlatter (Minnesota) dec. John Jarred (Navy), 1-0
Jacob Yost (UT-Chattanooga) dec. John Jarred (Navy), 8-2

174 Pounds - Matt Stolpinski (6-2 NCAA Tourney Record; Season: 44-7; Career: 99-35)
Nick Hayes (Northwestern) dec. #8 Matt Stolpinski (Navy), 6-5 TB1
#8 Matt Stolpinski (Navy) dec. Doug Umbehauer (Rider), 9-4
#8 Matt Stolpinski (Navy) dec. Joey Hooker (Cornell), 4-0
#8 Matt Stolpinski (Navy) dec. #6 Kenneth Cook (UC Davis), 7-2
#8 Matt Stolpinski (Navy) dec. Rudy Rueda (American), 4-2
#8 Matt Stolpinski (Navy) dec. #9 Matt Palmer (Columbia), 11-8
#8 Matt Stolpinski (Navy) WBF Brandon Mason (Oklahoma State), 4:55
#5 Eric Luedke (Iowa) dec. #8 Matt Stolpinski (Navy), 3-2

184 Pounds - Antonio Miranda (1-2 NCAA Tourney Record; Season: 33-11; Career: 67-31)
Antonio Miranda(Navy) WBF Jared Ricotta (Duquesne), 3:20
#1 Jake Herbert (Northwestern) major dec. Antonio Miranda (Navy), 16-6
Jack Jensen (Oklahoma State) dec. Antonio Miranda (Navy), 6-3

Heavyweight - Ed Prendergast (2-2 NCAA Tourney Record; Season: 37-7; Career: 67-24)
#6 Ed Prendergast (Navy) WBF David Zabriskie (Iowa State), 1:20
Dustin Rogers (West Virginia) dec. #6 Ed Prendergast, 8-3
#6 Ed Prendergast (Navy) WBF Jared Rosholt (Oklahoma State), 6:32
Matt Koz (UT-Chattanooga) dec. #6 Ed Prendergast (Navy), 6-2