Wrestling Caps EIWAs in Fourth, Send Four to NCAAs

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Army West Point

EIWA Championships

Wrestling Caps EIWAs in Fourth, Send Four to NCAAs

March 06, 2016 | Wrestling

PRINCETON, N.J. – The Army West Point wrestling team placed six Black Knights on podiums, including championship appearances from seniors Brian Harvey, at 174, and Bryce Barnes, at 197, en route to a fourth-place finish at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Championships at Jadwin Gymnasium on Sunday.

"I'm really proud of our guys for how hard they fought today," said head coach Kevin Ward. "Being able to come to a tournament this tough and beat multiple opponents who had beaten us earlier in the year says a whole lot about this team's character. The guys dug deep and gutted out some tough wins."

The Black Knights' team finish was their best since coming in third at the 2006-07 EIWA Championships.

Of the six to place at the tournament for Army, four have qualified for the NCAA Championship. Barnes and Harvey Will be joined by juniors Russell Parsons Jr. (157) and Samson Imonode (184) at Madison Square Garden on March 17-19. Barnes qualified for the NCAAs for the fourth time in his career, becoming the first Cadet to do so since Matthew Kyler with his last coming in 2010. Harvey qualified for the third-consecutive season while Parsons Jr. is headed to his second straight national tournament. Imonode qualified for the first time in his career.

"I'm excited to have four guys guaranteed to go to the NCAA Championships," Ward commented. "For Bryce to qualify all four years tells you what a talent he is. I'm proud for him that he made history, and even more excited to what he will accomplish in the future. His best wrestling is still ahead of him."

Both Barnes and Harvey opened the day with wins in the semifinals, marking the first time since 2009 that the Black Knights had a pair of wrestlers in championship bouts. A pair of take downs in the first period set the tone for the 197-pounder from Virginia Beach, Va., as he earned a 7-2 decision in his semifinal match. Harvey never trailed in his 6-5 victory over 21st-ranked Rustin Barrick of Bucknell, but had to cling to a one-point lead for the final 16 seconds after Barrick scored a late takedown.

"Brian and Bryce were both just tough as nails this weekend," added Ward. "They fought until the very end and their senior leadership really makes a difference on our team. They are both dangerous wrestlers, and their experience at the NCAA tournament will benefit them at the tournament."

In the finals, Barnes faced top-seeded Brett Harner of Princeton, who is ranked 11th nationally. Harner made it tough for Barnes to score, taking the title by a 14-4 major decision.

Harvey was opposed by top-seeded Brian Realbuto. The New Palestine, Ind., native met the reigning 157-pound EIWA champion twice earlier this season: in the championship match at the New York State Championships and at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Harvey got the first takedown of the match and battled hard throughout, but was unable to hold off the second-best wrestler in the nation, dropping a 12-6 decision.

Parsons Jr. battled through the consolation bracket to the third-place match on his way to his second-consecutive NCAA berth. A 17-4 major decision over Lehigh's Ian Brown clinched the Clinton, N.J., native's trip to the Garden; a task that he accomplished for the first time this season after facing him twice at the Southern Scuffle earlier this season. A 6-1 decision over Penn's fifth-seeded May Bethea avenged a 2-1 loss in the dual from Army's dual against the Quakers earlier this season pushed Parsons Jr. into the consolation finals where he dropped a 9-5 decision to 19th-ranked Markus Scheidel.

Andrew Mendel topped Navy's Michael Coleman, 6-4, to start the final day of the conference finals. He bounced back to take down the sixth-seed Mitchell Wightman of American for the second time in the tournament to take home fifth-place honors after dropping a 6-0 decision to 12th-ranked Ryan Preisch.

Imonode punched his ticket to MSG with an 8-2 upset over No. 24 Tom Sleigh, and rebounded in the fifth-place match with a thrilling 9-6 victory in the second tiebreaker.

Parsons Jr., Harvey, Imonode and Barnes will compete at the NCAA Championships at the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, in New York City March 17-19 to compete against the nation's best wrestlers.

For up-to-date information on Army wrestling visit GoArmyWestPoint.com or follow @ArmyWP_Wres on Twitter.

RESULTS (Place):

149: Matt Kelly (8th)
Consolation Round of 4: L, 16-14 v. #26 4-seed Steven Galiardo (Brown)
7th Place: L, TF, 15-0 v. 8-seed Mike D'Angelo (Princeton)

157: #24 7-seed Russell Parsons Jr. (4th)
Consolation Round of 4: W, MD, 17- 4 v. 6-seed Ian Brown (#9 Lehigh)
Consolation Semifinals: W, 6-1 v. #26 5-seed May Bethea (Penn)
3rd Place: L, 9-5 v. #19 4-seed Markus Scheidel (Columbia)

165: Andrew Mendel (5th)
Consolation Round of 4: W, 6-4 v. Michael Coleman (Navy)
Consolation Semifinals: L, 6-0 v. #12 2-seed Ryan Preisch (#9 Lehigh)
5th Place: W, 3-2 v. #25 6-seed Mitchell Wightman (American)

174: #16 3-seed Brian Harvey (2nd)
Semifinals: W, 6-5 v. #21 7-seed Rustin Barrick (Bucknell)
Finals: L, 12-6 v. #2 1-seed Brian Realbuto (#18 Cornell)

184: Samson Imonode (5th)
Consolation Round of 4: W, 8-2 v. #24 7-seed Tom Sleigh (Bucknell)
Consolation Semifinals: L, Fall at 3:37 v. #16 4-seed Lorenzo Thomas (Penn)
5th Place: W, TB-2, 9-6 v. #19 5-seed Steven Schneider (Binghamton)

197: #25 6-seed Bryce Barnes (2nd)
Semifinals: W, 7-2 v. 7-seed Jeric Kasunic (American)
Finals: L, MD, 14-4 v. #11 1-seed Brett Harner (Princeton)