| Wrestling team rested and ready heading into EIWA Championships BY MIKE UNGER
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Photos by Larry French
Adam LoPiccolo, above left, Josh Glenn, above right, and Muzaffar Abdurakhmanov are three of AU's leading contenders at the upcoming Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championships.
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The AU wrestling team heads into this weekend’s Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championships with a most important ally on its side. Momentum. The Eagles have won four straight dual meets leading up to the conference championships, which begin Saturday at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. The team’s top wrestlers, Josh Glenn, Muzaffar Abdurakhmanov, and Adam LoPiccolo have excelled all year, but Coach Mark Cody has been especially pleased with the way his other athletes have performed in wins over Rutgers, East Stroudsburg, South Dakota State, and North Dakota State. “Tom Kniezewski looked really good,” Cody said of the senior from Boyertown, Pa. “He’s been so consistent the whole time he’s been here. He wrestles so hard every time out, win or lose. He was definitely a factor in us winning at North Dakota State particularly. The kid he wrestled was relentless, but so was Tom. Tom ended up beating him by a point.” The victories have paid dividends for AU’s wrestlers’ personal rankings. Following three impressive wins, LoPiccolo moved up to No. 9 in the country among heavyweights according to the Intermat rankings released last week. In addition, the Eagles rose to No. 16 in last week’s WrestlingReport.com rankings based on NCAA Tournament projections. Abdurakhmanov was ranked No. 4 at 165 pounds, and Glenn remained the top-ranked wrestler in the 184-pound weight class, a fact that Cody believes is providing a lift for the entire team. “It’s been great because he’s been getting a lot of great publicity for our program,” Cody said. “That helps what we’re trying to build here. The more the word gets out, it helps recruiting-wise and with our fan base. Him winning [the conference title] surely would be great for us.” AU enters the conference tournament ranked eighth out of 14 schools, but will be competing with a full slate of 10 wrestlers for the first time. Last year, with only seven wrestlers, AU finished sixth. Cornell is ranked first in the conference this year. “Seeding is going to be important for us,” Cody said. “I’m looking for a good performance from all our guys. We’re as prepared now as we’re going to be. We needed to stay sharp for the conference tournament, and for us as coaches and for them [as wrestlers] to realize we’re ready. We’ll practice about half an hour, 45 minutes [today] and Thursday and Friday we’ll back off and do nothing. Hopefully we’ll be rested and it will be a big plus for us.” The top three finishers in each weight class at the EIWA Championships qualify for the NCAAs, along with 15 wild cards. Cody is hoping six AU wrestlers will qualify for the national tournament, scheduled to begin March 16 in Oklahoma City. |
