Wrestling's Galiardo Joins Staudenmayer as NCAA Qualifier
3/8/2016 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Junior Steven Galiardo has earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships in the 149-pound weight class joining classmate Justin Staudenmayer as an NCAA qualifier, the NCAA announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Galiardo (Chicago, Ill.) will make his debut at the NCAA Championships while Staudenmayer (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.) will make his second consecutive appearance at the national tournament at 157 lbs.
Both wrestlers earned fifth-place finishes at this past weekend's EIWA Championships. With his placing, Staudenmayer earned one of the conference's automatic qualifying spots at 157 lbs. while Galiardo fell just one place shy of gaining an automatic bid.
Galiardo placed at EIWAs for the second straight year after gaining an eighth-place finish in 2015. He has posted a 21-8 record on the season, ranking second on the team in wins.
Staudenmayer paced the Bears with 29 wins as part of a 29-8 overall record. He leads the team in wins, dual wins (13), technical falls (six), dual EIWA wins (10), and dual points (48). Last year at NCAAs, Staudenmayer won a bout in the wrestle-backs.
The NCAA Championships will take place from Thursday, March 17 to Sunday, March 19 at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y. The NCAA will announce the tournament's full bracket on Wednesday, March 9 at 6 p.m. on NCAA.com.
