Saturday, March 8, 2003

TRINITY'S BLAIR FINISHES SEVENTH AND EARNS
ALL-AMERICAN HONORS AT NCAA WRESTLING MEET

Ada, Ohio – Freshman Michael Blair (Plymouth, N.H.) edged his opponent in the seventh-place match, 4-3, in the heavyweight division to lead the Trinity College Bantams to a 34th-place finish in the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships at Ohio Northern University this afternoon. 

Blair rebounded from a heartbreaking, 4-3 loss in the consolation quarterfinals against the nation's No. 4 heavyweight earlier in the day.  In all, he won three out of five matches in two days, losing by just four points against the No. 1-ranked heavyweight wrestler in the quarterfinals and posting a win of 12-7 against the No. 8-ranked grappler and a 10-2 triumph to clinch his All-American status in his third match yesterday.

TEAM RESULTS
1. Wartburg                        152.5
2. Augsburg                        76.5
3. Montclair State               64
4. Wisc.-Stevens Point      61
5. Luther                            52.5
6. Brockport State                48.5
7. Wisc.-LaCrosse                40.5
8. College of New Jersey        37.5
9. King's                                30
10. Upper Iowa                    29.5
11. Loras                               28.5
12. Coe                                  26
13. Delaware Valley                23.5
14. Simpson                            23
15. Manchester                        20.5
16. Buena Vista                        18
17. Rochester Tech                    15
17. Roger Williams                    15
19. Williams                              13.5
20. Baldwin-Wallace                13
20. Olivet                                   13
22. Wheaton (Ill.)                        12.5
23. John Carroll                        12
24. Ithaca                                   11.5
25. Lycoming                            10
26. Central                                9
26. Messiah                               9
26. Wabash                                9
29. Cortland State                        8
29. Springfield                            8
29. Wisc.-Eau Claire                    8
32. Augustana (Ill.)                        7
33. Oswego State                            6.5
34. Milwauke Engineering                6
34. Ursinus                                        6
36. Case Western Reserve                5.5
36. Trinity (Conn.)                            5.5
38. Wisc.-Platteville                            5
39. Scranton                                      4.5
40. Muhlenberg                                4
40. Chicago                                    4
42. Mount Union                               3
42. Worcester Tech                            3
44. Wilkes                                        2.5
45. Bridgewater State                        2
45. Ohio Northern                            2
45. Oneonta State                              2
48. Dubuque                                    1.5
48. Washington and Jefferson           1.5
50. McDaniel                                    1
50. St. John's (Minn.)                        1 
52. Concordia (Wisc.)                        0
52. Heidelberg                                    0
52. Hunter                                           0
52. Millikin                                            0
52. Pacific Lutheran                            0
52. Plymouth State                               0
52. Rhode Island College                    0
52. St. Olaf                                           0  

TRINITY MATCH RESULTS
Heavyweight
Division
First Round
Michael Blair (TC) d. #8 Matt Schoenherr (Milwaukee Engineering) 12-7
Quarterfinals
#1 Leroy Gardner (Wartburg) d. Blair 4-0
Consolation Fourth Round
Blair (TC) d. Drew Reinecker (McDaniel) 10-2
Consolation Quarter-Finals
#4 Brian Black (Upper Iowa) d. Blair (TC) 4-3 (sv)
Seventh Place Match
Blair (TC) d. Jim Pennise (Brockport State) 4-3