Nov. 8, 2007

Erie, Pa. - The National Catholic Wrestling Invitational, hosted by Mercyhurst College, is set to begin on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 9 a.m., at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center. This year's event features nine programs and 150 wrestlers.

Along with Mercyhurst, Duquesne and Sacred Heart, both Division I squads, will be in action. From the Division II ranks, Belmont Abbey, Seton Hill and Gannon will be in attendance. Wrestlers from Mercyhurst North East, Notre Dame College and No. 13 John Carroll of Division III are also competing.

All 10 championship bouts will be broadcast live on the Internet via the B2 Networks. Video coverage is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. For more information on the B2 Networks, visit www.b2livetv.com. It is the first time in the network's history that NCAA wrestling has been broadcast.

Following the completion of each round, an updated bracket will be posted on www.hurstathletics.com, so fans can track the progress of each weight class. Complete results and a photo gallery will be posted at the conclusion of the event, as well.

On the strength of three first-place finishes, Mercyhurst took top team honors at the invitational in 2006, edging Sacred Heart and Duquesne. Only one of Mercyhurst's three individual champions, however, is competing in this year's event. Sophomore Andy Lamancusa, the No. 4-ranked wrestler at 157 pounds in Division II, earned a 9-3 decision over Notre Dame College's Jason Spencer, who will also return to the mats this weekend with an opportunity to better his runner-up finish.

Other returning champions include Duquesne's Jon Bittinger, who won the 125-pound division last year over Mercyhurst's Payne Lint, who will also be in action this weekend. Also, last year's 149-pound champ, Christopher Davis of Sacred Heart, could eventually meet the runner-up, Mercyhurst's Don Cummings.

INVITATIONAL INFORMATION
Admission Adults, $5 Students, $3 Children under five, FREE

Broadcast Information
Championship Round (Beginning at 4 p.m.) - B2 Networks

GALLERY

Brackets
Individual Brackets
Team Standings

TEAM PREVIEWS
Mercyhurst
The defending champs have a new look this year as Tony Cipollone stepped down from the coaching ranks to take a position with the school's administration. Former West Liberty boss, Mike Wehler, takes over and inherits a squad that returns an All-American in 157-pound Andy Lamancusa and a pair of NCAA Division II East Region champions in Payne Lint (125) and Don Cummings (149). The Lakers opened the season ranked No. 14 in the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches' Association Top 20 poll. The team opened its season at the Fighting Scot Duals last weekend and suffered three losses to Division I teams, but 149-pound Brian Pogel posted a 2-0 mark, and Cummings also went 1-0. Both Lamancusa and Cummings are the top-ranked wrestlers in the region at their respective weight classes.

Belmont Abbey
The Crusaders open the season ranked No. 6 in the NCAA Division II East Region. Junior Chris Neidermeier is the No. 4-ranked wrestler in the nation and ranked first in the region at 125 pounds after placing fifth at nationals a year ago. Chris' older brother, Reimark Neidermeier, is ranked fifth in the 133-pound class, and senior Phil Bliss is ranked second at the 165-pound class. Sophomore David Hoggard is ranked second at 174 pounds.

Duquesne
The Dukes opened their 2007-08 season at the Washington & Jefferson Open on Nov. 6 and four of its wrestlers earned runner-up finishes. The list included Bittinger at 125 pounds, Jayk Cobbs at 133 and senior Cody Midlam at 157. Midlam was a national qualifier last season.

Gannon
The Knights opened the season receiving votes in the Division II preseason coaches' poll, and individually, Pino Scavella was ranked No. 7 at 184 pounds after appearing in the national championships for the first time in his career in 2007. Gannon competed at the University of Buffalo Open last weekend, and Tony Petrella finished third at 174 pounds, Zack McKendree placed fifth at 147 pounds and Scavella and heavyweight Frank McGrath earned sixth.

John Carroll
The Blue Streaks were voted No. 13 in the BRUTE/NWCA Division III national preseason poll. Senior Adam Pizzurro is the reigning Ohio Athletic Conference champion at 133 pounds and a 2007 national qualifier. Nine of the team's 10 starters return for 2007-08.

Mercyhurst North East
The Saints, National Junior College Athletic Association members, are off to an excellent start in 2007-08. Shane Nolan took home first place in the 197-pound class at the Washington & Jefferson Open last weekend, and Greg Saumenig took fourth at 125 pounds. The team also defeated Alfred State 30-12 in a dual this week.

Notre Dame College
Notre Dame College enters its second season as a program and saw impressive returns under Frank Romano in year one. The team posted a 10-6 dual meet record and sent five wrestlers to the NAIA Championships. NAIA All-American, Nick Terifaj, returns at 141 pounds. The Falcons also have high hopes for Victor Chrenshaw, who transfers in from Cleveland State, where he posted a 46-26 mark. The team opened its season against No. 8-ranked Ohio State on Nov. 4 and received victories from Crenshaw at 157 pounds and Mike Mahon at 165 pounds.

Sacred Heart
First-year head coach Casey Brewster takes over the reigns of the program and will make his coaching debut at the National Catholic Invitational. The event's reigning 149-pound champion, junior Chris Davis, will be looking for his second-straight title. The Pioneers placed second at last year's event and had three individual winners.

Seton Hill
The Griffins opened their season at the Washington & Jefferson Open on Nov. 4, and heavyweight Ron Oswald posted a 4-2 record to earn fourth place. Quade Miller also posted a 4-2 mark at 165 pounds. In all, 13 of the team's 15 wrestlers earned victories at the event and gained valuable experience heading into this weekend's invitational.