Albright, Caponi, Jones Place at Southern Scuffle
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Dec. 30, 2006
GREENSBORO, N.C. – – Sophomore wrestler Eric Albright led Virginia with a fourth place finish while teammate Rocco Caponi placed fifth to lead the Cavaliers on the final day of the Southern Scuffle hosted by UNC Greensboro at the Greensboro Coliseum. Brent Jones, who wrestled unattached in the tournament, finished seventh.
Virginia scored 49 team points and sat in 17th place with the tournament finals scheduled for Saturday evening. Top-ranked Missouri sits in first place heading into finals with 167.5 points. Minnesota was second followed by Cornell, Edinboro and Navy.
Albright was the bright spot for the Cavaliers on the second day. He upset No. 3 seed and eighth-ranked Drew Headlee of Pittsburgh with a 10-2 major decision win to advance to the semifinals where he was edged by No. 2 seed Eric Sola of North Carolina, 4-0. Headlee was a 2006 All-American and finished second at the 2006 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite. Albright knocked off No. 5 seed and 15th ranked Ricky Deubel of Edinboro, 6-1, to advance to the consolation semifinals. Navy’s Joe Baker won by fall over Albright in the consolation finals.
Caponi went 3-2 on the day after dropping a close match to Kent State’s Eric Chine, 4-3, in the quarterfinals. Caponi then earned a major decision over Lock Haven’s Tom Kocher, 8-0. He defeated Lehigh’s David Craig, 5-2. Edinboro’s Alex Clemsen won by major decision over Caponi, 9-1, before Caponi avenged an earlier loss to Chine with an 11-2 major decision win to take fifth place.
Jones fell to top-seed Max Askren of Missouri by fall in 3:19. He bounced back to win two of his three matches to take seventh place. He had wins over Ohio’s Larry Reichard, 7-2, and Edinboro’s Pat Bradshaw, 10-5.
Virginia returns to action next weekend when the Cavaliers take part in the Virginia Intercollegiates in Norfolk, Va.
125 pounds
Consolation 2 of 8
Matthew Fisk (Lehigh) dec. Ross Gitomer (UVa), 1-0
133 pounds
Quarterfinals
Eric Albright (UVa) major dec. Drew Headlee (Pittsburgh), 10-2
Semifinals
Evan Sola (North Carolina) dec. Eric Albright (UVa), 4-0
Consolation Semifinals
Eric Albright (UVa) dec. Ricky Deubel (Edinboro), 6-1
Consolation Finals
Joe Baker (Navy) fall Eric Albright (UVa), 1:31
141 pounds
Consolation 1st of 8
Drew Lashaway (Kent State) dec. Kellon Balum(UVa), 5-2
184 pounds
Quarterfinals
Eric Chine (Kent State) dec. Rocco Caponi (UVa), 4-3
Consolation 2 of 8
Rocco Caponi (UVa) major dec. Tom Kocher (Lock Haven), 8-0
Consolation 1 of 4
Rocco Caponi (UVa) dec. David Craig (Lehigh), 5-2
Consolation Semifinals
Alex Clemsen (Edinboro) major dec. Rocco Caponi (UVa), 9-1
Consolation Finals
Rocco Caponi (UVa) major dec. Eric Chine (Kent State), 11-2
197 pounds
Quarterfinals
Max Askren (Missouri) fall Brent Jones (UVa-unattached), 3:19
Consolation 2 of 8
Brent Jones (UVa-unattached) dec. Larry Reichard (Ohio), 7-2
Consolation 1st of 4
Ryan Goodman (NC State) dec. Brent Jones (UVa-unattached), 9-4
Consaltion Finals
Brent Jones (UVa-unattached) dec. Pat Bradshaw (Edinboro), 10-5