By Tim Robertson
Pride wrestling earned a stifling team victory in the 2006 CAA Championships in Philadelphia. It continued its consecutive title streak to six, having won all five CAA titles it has competed for since joining the league in 2002. In addition to the team success, a record-tying seven Pride wrestlers captured individual conference championships.
“I told the guys, ‘The invitation to the NCAAs has to be earned if we want to dominate and the CAAs can not be taken lightly,'” Pride head coach Tom Ryan said. “But the goal of the program is to be a national contender.”
Tying another team record was Pride senior and co-captain Jon Masa with his fourth conference title. Masa became only the second player in Pride history to accomplish the feat.
“He is the best talent I have ever coached,” Ryan said. “He could become the best this university has seen.”
If Masa places in the NCAA tourney, he will become the only three-time All-American for the Pride. Masa added an exclamation point in the final as he pinned Drexel’s Chris Renninger at 2:42 on Renninger’s own mat. He also picked up his 30th victory against only five losses and good for second on the team in the win column.
At the top of that list is senior Mike Patrovich. As the CAA 174-pound title winner, Patrovich notched his 31st win of the season. On the path to his second straight individual CAA championship, Patrovich won by a pin, a tech fall and two decisions.
James Strouse also gathered his second CAA title in a row at 157 pounds with a 7-3 championship decision over Drexel’s Ryan Hluschak. Strouse, along with Patrovich, will be making his second straight NCAA Championship appearance.
Sophomore Joe Rovelli followed suit by successfully defending his 2005 CAA title with one in 2006. His 6-0 decision over Joe Maroney of Rider at 184 pounds gave Rovelli his 25th win of the season.
Rounding out an impressive five repeat victors, Charles Griffin supported his rookie campaign in 2005 with a 7-3 win in the 2006 championship match at 141 pounds. Griffin will return to the NCAA Championships with a 26-6 record.
Newly crowned conference winners include Dave Tomasette and Chris Vondruska.
Tomasette only wrestled in 19 matches this season due to an ankle injury that has kept him off the mat for the better part of two months. His 125-pound decision over Bryan LaShomb upped his record to 13-6.
Vondruska, a senior, will be making a cameo in Oklahoma City for the first time in his wrestling career as he took out Steven Tisdell of George Mason in the final match. He now has a career-best 23-9 record.
Joining the seven conference winners in Oklahoma City will be Chris Weidman, who finished second at 197 pounds in the CAA Tournament. In placing, Weidman avenged a late season loss against Rider’s T.J. Morrison in a thrilling win for both Weidman and Ryan.
With high national rankings, Masa and Patrovich will have the best chance at bringing home All-American awards and possibly NCAA titles in Oklahoma City on March 16-18.
“If they wrestle to their ability and prepare well mentally, they very well could be on the podium,” Ryan said.