LaFragola Punches Ticket to NCAAs to Lead Brown Wrestling on Day One of EIWAs

Friday, March 8

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LaFragola Punches Ticket to NCAAs to Lead Brown Wrestling on Day One of EIWAs

3/8/2019 10:59:00 PM | Wrestling

Day 1 Results

VESTAL, N.Y. – Senior CJ LaFragola earned two wins to punch his ticket to the NCAA Championships at 184 pounds to lead Brown University wrestling on the first day of the 115^th Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championships on Friday at Binghamton University's Events Center.

"It was great to see CJ punch his ticket to the NCAAs for the third straight year and to have six guys place," Brown head coach Todd Beckerman said. "We're looking forward to getting back on the mat tomorrow and seeing how high our six remaining wrestlers can place."

LaFragola (Little Egg Harbor, N.J.) will make his third consecutive appearance at the NCAA Championships – which will take place from Mar. 21-23 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa. – after going 2-0 on the day. Competing at EIWAs for the third time, LaFragola – the No. 4 seed at 184 – will wrestle in the semifinals on Saturday and place at the conference tournament for the second time.

The NCAA will announce the full field for the championship on Mar. 12 and unveil the bracket on Mar. 13 at 6:00 p.m.

Senior Ian Butterbrodt (North Andover, Mass.) also gained two wins and will wrestle in the semifinals of 285 pounds on Saturday. Competing at EIWAs for the third time, Butterbrodt – the No. 6 seed at 285 – will place at the event for the second time.

Overall, the Bears had six wrestlers earn place-winner status and remain in contention on Saturday. Seniors Christian LaBrie (Exeter, R.I.), Jon Viruet (Springfield, Mass.), and Tucker Ziegler (Myersville, Md.) and sophomore Hunter Kosco (Canal Fulton, Ohio) join LaFragola and Butterbrodt on the list. Butterbrodt, LaFragola, LaBrie, and Viruet all reached the quarterfinals.

At 157 pounds, LaBrie went 2-1 on the day, including an 11-6 victory over No. 4 seed Dan Reed of Columbia. He will place at EIWAs for the first time. Making his fourth EIWA appearance and placing for the third time, Viruet – the No. 2 seed at 165 pounds – notched a 2-1 record.

Kosco finished 2-1 on the day – including a 3-2 win over No. 6 seed Matt Kazimir of Columbia – at 133 pounds to place for the first time, and Ziegler – the No. 10 seed at 197 pounds – went 2-1 to place at EIWAs for the second time in three appearances.

In the team standings, Brown ranks eighth out of 16 schools with 37 points. Lehigh leads the field with 85 points while both Cornell and Princeton sit in a tie for second with 82 points apiece.

The Bears return to the mat tomorrow, Saturday, Mar. 9, with Session III beginning at 10:00 a.m. an Session IV starting at 3:00 p.m.

Brown Results:

125 Pounds (Top 4 to NCAAs)
No. 8 Trey Keeley (1-2)
Friday
No. 9 Jakob Campbell (Bucknell) def. Keeley in First Round, Dec. 8-7 TB2
Keeley def. Jacob Allen (Navy) in Consolation, Dec. 8-1
Gage Curry def. Keeley in Consolation, MD 10-2

133 Pounds (Top 4 to NCAAs)
Hunter Kosco (2-1)
Friday
No. 4 Casey Cobb (Navy) def. Kosco in First Round, Dec. 4-3
Kosco def. Alex Salas (Drexel) in Consolation, Fall 3:48
Kosco def. No. 6 Matt Kazimir (Columbia) in Consolation, Dec. 3-2

141 (Top 3 to NCAAs)
No. 9 Theo Powers (0-2)
Friday
No. 8 Wil Gil (Franklin & Marshall) def. Powers in First Round, MD 15-3
Ryan Friedman (Harvard) def. Powers in Consolation, Dec. 4-0

149 (Top 5 to NCAAs)
Zach Krause (0-2)
Friday
No. 4 Jared Prince (Navy) def. Krause in First Round, Dec. 5-0
No. 5 Michael Sprague (American) def. Krause in Consolation, Dec. 6-0

157 (Top 6 to NCAAs)
Christian LaBrie (2-1)
Friday
LaBrie def. No. 4 Dan Reed (Columbia) in First Round, Dec. 11-6
No. 5 Lucas Weiland (Army) def. LaBrie in Quarterfinals, Dec. 10-8 SV
LaBrie def. Christopher Barker (Binghamton) in Consolation, Dec. 7-2

165 (Top 4 to NCAAs)
No. 2 Jon Viruet (2-1)
Friday
Viruet def. Tyler Tarsi (Harvard) in First Round, Dec. 6-0
No. 10 Leonard Merkin (Princeton) def. Viruet in Quarterfinals, Dec. 9-7 SV
Viruet def. No. 8 DJ Hollingshead (Bucknell) in Consolation, Dec. 9-3

174 (Top 5 to NCAAs)
AJ Pedro (1-1)
Friday
No. 5 Vincent DePrez (Binghamton) def. Pedro in First Round, MD 11-3
Pedro def. Connor Allshouse in Consolation, Dec. 15-11
No. 3 Ben Harvey (Army) def. Pedro in Consolation, Medical Forfeit

184 (Top 6 to NCAAs)
No. 4 CJ LaFragola (2-0)
Friday
LaFragola def. Anthony Walters (Drexel) in First Round, Dec. 7-2
LaFragola def. No. 5 Noah Stewart (Army) in Quarterfinals, Dec. 2-1 TB2

197 (Top 6 to NCAAs)
No. 10 Tucker Ziegler (2-1)
Friday
No. 7 John Jakobsen (Lehigh) def. Ziegler in First Round, Fall 7:00
Ziegler def. Pierce Bausano (Harvard) in Consolation, MD 10-2
Ziegler def. No. 9 Nezar Haddad (Hofstra) in Consolation, Dec. 3-1

285 (Top 4 to NCAAs)
No. 6 Ian Butterbrodt (2-0)
Friday
Butterbrodt def. Daniel Herman (Columbia) in First Round, Dec. 3-0
Butterbrodt def. No. 3 Jeramy Sweany (Cornell) in Quarterfinals, Dec. 6-4

Team Standings:
1. Lehigh: 85
T2. Cornell: 82
T2. Princeton: 82
4. Army West Point: 78
5. Navy: 54
6. Binghamton: 45.5
7. American: 42.0
8. Brown: 37
9. Columbia: 33.5
10. Drexel: 27.5
11. Penn: 26.5
12. Bucknell: 22.5
13. Franklin & Marshall: 22
14. Harvard: 11
15. Hofstra: 9
16. Sacred Heart: 0