Virginia's Joe Alexander, Greg Francesca and Jimi Massey Compete In Second Round Of The 2001 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships

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March 16, 2001

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Three University of Virginia wrestlers, Joe Alexander (Franklin, N.J./Delsea Regional), Greg Francesca (Union, N.J./Blair Academy) and Jimi Massey (Williamsport, Md./Williamsport), competed in the second round of the 2001 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500) on the campus of the University of Iowa. The trio of Virginia wrestlers moved to the wrestle-back bracket after each wrestler suffered an opening round loss in the first session of events.

UVa’s Alexander (133 lbs.) dropped a 12-3 major decision bout to Purdue’s #8 seeded Evan Robinson in the first round, but bounced back and posted Virginia’s first win of the tournament with a 20-12 major decision victory over Princeton’s Juan Venturi in the 133 lbs. wrestle-back bracket. Alexander will now face Ben Richards of Oregon State in the next round of the 133 wrestle-back bracket.

The Cavaliers’ Francesca (165 lbs.) dropped a very close 7-6 decision to American’s Denis Alampiev in the first round and then fell by the score of 9-3 to Hofstra’s Noel Thompson in the 165 lbs. wrestle-back bracket. Virginia’s Massey (184 lbs.) lost a tough 3-1 tie-breaking bout to Boise State’s Cash Edwards in the first round before dropping a 13-8 decision to Pittsburgh’s Dan Stine in the 184 lbs. wrestle-back bracket.

The NCAA Wrestling Championships are schedule to run from March 15-17.

Wgt.	Opponents						Results

133 Evan Robinson (Purdue) def. Joe Alexander (UVa) MD, 12-3133 Joe Alexander (UVa) def. Juan Venturi (Princeton) MD, 20-12

165 Denis Alampiev (American) def. Greg Francesca (UVa) 7-6165 Noel Thompson (Hofstra) def. Greg Francesca (UVa) 9-3

184 Cash Edwards (Boise State) def. Jimi Massey (UVa) TB, 3-1184 Dan Stine (Pittsburgh) def. Jimi Massey (UVa) 13-8