FULL CHAMPIONSHIP AGATE
HAMPTON, VA. -- It must be something with hometown advantage.
After participating in the National Collegiate Wrestling
Association National Championships for 11 years, the Apprentice
School brought home its first-ever team national championship on
Saturday night at Hampton University Convocation Center. The
Builders amassed 118.5 points to outdistance three-time defending
champion Grand Valley State who scored 109 points in the 84-team
event.
The national championship for the wrestling team marked the
first ever team championship for the Builders who have now won nine
individual national champions.
"I thought we had potential with this young team," said
Apprentice School Head Coach Bruce Shumaker. "Right now it's
amazing, they did a tremendous job this weekend and we got a
championship now." He was honored at the post-event banquet
as the 2009 National Coach of the Year.
What helped the Builders as they had four wrestlers wrestling
for third place or higher, while the Lakers had four wrestlers
wrestling for fifth place and one for a national
championship. The advancement point victories helped the
Builders clinch the national championship halfway through the final
round.
| Builder National Champions
| Year
| Weight
|
| Reuben Waites
| 1999
| 125
|
| Maurice Lacy
| 1999
| 133
|
| Darrick Walker
| 1999
| 235
|
| Sinque Holmes
| 1999
| 285
|
| Darrick Walker
| 2000
| 235
|
| Shawn Gillispie
| 2000
| 141
|
| Jon Peters
| 2002
| 141
|
| Sinque Holmes
| 2002
| 285
|
| Cecil Lee
| 2009
| 285
|
Senior Cecil Lee became the first individual champion for the
Apprentice School as he won the 285 pound championship match with a
4-1 decision over Tim Rose of Amerhst College. Lee iced the
championship with a two-point takedown with 1:25 left in the third
period and held on for his school record 46th victory on
the season. Earlier Saturday he defeated Chris DeScantis of
Pittsburgh 1-0 to advance to the finals. His 46 wins set the
school single-season victory record that was held by current
assistant coach Micah Amrozowicz with 45. The last individual
champion for the Builders was York High graduate Sinque Holmes who
won the heavyweight championship in 2002.
" To do this in our area is quite a way to finish my career,"
said Lee. "It felt like I was at home with all the fans
cheering in the finals."
Freshman Marcus Chevres fell behind early in his match with
Steven West for the 133 pound championship and lost a 16-7 major
decision. On the season he finished with a 26-17 record and
went 4-1 in the tournament. Earlier on Saturday the Norfolk,
Va. native advanced to the finals with a 10-5 win over Joey
Heersche of Kansas State.
Senior Ty Holley lost 5-1 for third place at 141 pounds to Mike
Girodano of Northampton Community College. Giordano put
Holley into the losers bracket on Friday in a 3-2 decision.
Holley finished 23-16 on the year. Earlier on Saturday he scored a
15-5 major decision over Jason Mustall of Mott Community College
and defeated Mark Burchardt by injury default from Hudson Valley
Community College.
Junior Matt Perry finished eighth at 149 pounds after having to
take a default in his match against Lance Goodell of Mott Community
College. He finished his season with a 22-18 record and
earned his second All-American honor. In his first match on
Saturday, the Chesapeake, Va. native lost a 6-5 decision to Jeffrey
Slaughter of Louisiana State University.
| Year
| Builder All-Americans
| Team Finish
|
| 2009
| 6
| 1st
|
| 2008
| 3
| Tied 10th
|
| 2007
| 7
| 3rd
|
| 2006
| 6
| 2nd
|
| 2005
| 6
| 3rd
|
| 2004
| 5
| 4th
|
| 2003
| 8
| 2nd
|
| 2002
| 5
| 3rd
|
| 2001
| 3
| 10th
|
| 2000
| 7
| 2nd
|
| 1999
| 7
| 2nd
|
Sophomore Will Harcum won 9-3 over Steve Bauer of Mott Community
College to take fifth place at 165 pounds. That win avenged
an earlier loss to Bauer in the quarterfinals on Friday for the
Williamsburg native. He opened with a flurry taking an early
4-1 advantage and won his 34th match of the
season. Earlier Saturday he won by fall in 1:43 over Michael
Wright of Delaware and then lost an 11-4 decision to Nick Newell of
Kansas State University.
Freshman Charles Mills lost 14-6 to Oscar Huntley from U.S.
Naval Academy Prep for third place at 174 pounds. Mills, a
freshman from Republic, Washington, finished the year 28-14 and
went 4-2 in the event. Earlier Saturday he lost a 4-2
decision to Richard Doherty of Grand Valley State in the semifinals
and scored a win in 5:56 over Michael Bard of Delaware in the
consolation semifinals.
The championship was the sixth for the Apprentice School as the
women's basketball team won the U.S. Collegiate Athletic
Association National Championship in 2000-01 and 2001-02, while the
men's team won championships in 2001-02 and 2002-03. The
baseball team won the U.S.C.A.A. national championship in 2007 in
St. Petersburg, Florida.
2009 NATIONAL COLLEGIATE WRESTLING ASSOCIATION
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
HAMPTON UNIVERSITY CONVOCATION CENTER
HAMPTON, VA.
Top 10 Teams (out of 84): Apprentice School
118.5; Grand Valley State 109; U.S. Naval Prep 96.5; Marion
Military Institute 96; Central Florida 85.5; U.S. Military Prep 69;
U.S. Air Force Prep 64.5; Mott CC 63, Northampton CC 56.5, Kansas
State 56.5.
