Wrestling's Staudenmayer, Galiardo Learn of NCAA Bracket Placements
3/9/2016 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Brown University wrestling juniors Justin Staudenmayer and Steven Galiardo have learned of their first round opponents at the NCAA Championships as the NCAA announced the brackets for the field on Wednesday night.
Staudenmayer (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.) will meet No. 12 seed Brian Murphy out of Michigan in the first round at 157 lbs. A sophomore who earned All-America honors at NCAAs a year ago, Murphy went 9-7 this past season. He placed third at 157 lbs. the 2016 Big Ten Championships.
Galiardo (Chicago, Ill.) will square off with No. 14 seed Mitch Finesilver of Duke in the opening round at 149 lbs. A sophomore who qualified for NCAAs in 2015, Finesilver finished the season with a 28-7 record. He came in second at 149 lbs. at the 2016 ACC Championships.
Galiardo will make his debut at the NCAA Championships while Staudenmayer will make his second consecutive appearance at the national tournament at 157 lbs.
The NCAA Championships will take place from Thursday, March 17 to Sunday, March 19 at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y.
Both Galiardo and Staudenmayer earned fifth-place finishes at the 2016 EIWA Championships. With his placing, Staudenmayer earned one of the conference's automatic qualifying spots at 157 lbs. while Galiardo gained an at-large bid.
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.
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.
