Barczak and Vespa Punch Tickets to NCAA Wrestling Championships

Congratulations to Monroe Woodbury graduates Vinny Vespa and Evan Barczak for qualifying for the 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championships on March 18-20 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO. Competing at the EIWA Conference Championships, Vespa, who wrestles for Hofstra, placed 5th at 141 pounds while Barczak, a junior at Drexel, placed 4th at 165. Vespa and Barczak were both 3X NYSPHSAA place winners while in high school. Warwick graduate Ryan Ferro also wrestled at the EIWAs. Ferro, a redshirt junior who competes at 165 pounds for Long Island University, went 2-2 and took 7th place. Ferro was a 3X place winner and a 2X state champ in high school.

Vinny Vespa (Hofstra, 141)
Quarterfinals: Vespa (Hofstra) dec 8-1 Witham (LIU)
Semifinals: Peters (Army) maj 10-2 Vespa (Hofstra)
Consi Semis: Flores (Drexel) dec 3-0 Vespa (Hofstra)
5th/6th: Vespa (Hofstra) dec 6-1 Witham (LIU) …Vinny takes 5th!!!

Evan Barczak (Drexel, 165)
Quarterfinals: Barczak (Drexel) dec 5-0 Cassella (Binghamton)
Semifinals: Hartman (Bucknell) dec 5-2 Barczak (Drexel)
Consi Semis: Barczak (Drexel) dec 3-2 Stamm (Hofstra)
3rd/4th: Meyer (Lehigh) dec 6-3 Barczak (Drexel)…Evan finishes 4th!!!

Ryan Ferro (Long Island University, 165)
Round 16: Fielder (Army) dec 5-4 Ferro (LIU)
Consi 8: Ferro (LIU) wbf 4:44 Schmidt (Sacred Heart)
Consi 4: Stamm (Hofstra) dec 5-2 Ferro (LIU)
7th/8th: Ferro dec 3-0 Cassella (Binghamton)

Army Crowns 2 Champs; Finish 3rd in Team Race
Congratulations to the Coach Kevin Ward and the Army West Point wrestling program for their outstanding finish at the EIWAs. The Black Knights had 5 finalists and crowned 2 champions in PJ Ogunsanya (149) and Ben Pasiuk (174). The team finished 3rd in the team race with 119.5 points finishing behind Lehigh (158.5) and Navy (129).

125 – Ryan Chauvin – 8th
133 – Mark Montgomery – 5th
141 – Lane Peters – 2nd (NCAA qualifier)
149 – PJ Ogunsanya – 1st (NCAA qualifier)
157 – Markus Hartman – dnp (medical fft)
165 – Clayton Fielden – 6th
174 – Ben Pasiuk – 1st (NCAA qualifier)
184 – Taylor Brown – 4th (NCAA qualifier)
197 – JT Brown – 2nd (NCAA qualifier)
285 – Robert Heald – 2nd (NCAA qualifier)