The Oswego State wrestling team finished in fourth place out of 19 teams with 98.5 team points at the Mideast Regional – hosted by York College – on Sunday afternoon. Oswego trailed only nationally-ranked teams Messiah and Baldwin Wallace followed by Waynesburg. More importantly, three Lakers qualified for the NCAA Championship by claiming a top-three spot in their weight class. Jordan Bushey (184) and Rocco Russo (157) both captured the title in their respective weight classes while Evan Corso was the 133-pound runner-up.
It is the Lakers' first national qualifier since 157-pound Blake Fisher in 2012 and the first time three Oswego wrestler's qualified in the same year since 2006. That year, Joe Jewett (133), Dane LaPlante (149) and John Spinner (125) all qualified, with Spinner earning All-America status, the program's last of 46 All-American citations in its history.
Joining Bushey, Russo and Corso as All-Region competitors – earned by finishing in the top six of a weight class – were Troy Seymour (165) and Trevor Hoffmier (174), both capturing sixth place.
Russo needed to compete just once on Sunday to qualify and claim the 157-pound title. In the semifinal, Russo downed Ian Evans of the University of Scranton by an 8-2 margin. Pitted with a Wilkes University wrestler for the crown, Russo gained the title by medical forfeit. With his four victories at the regional, Russo stands at 11-2 on the year.
After going a perfect 3-0 on day one with two major decisions and a fall, Bushey picked up a pair of victories for the title on Sunday. The freshman started with a 6-3 decision over Baldwin Wallace's Zackery Lehman before shutting out Waynesburg's Ryan Shank 4-0 in the championship bout. Bushey – ranked No. 4 nationally in the latest NWCA poll – moves to 35-0 in his career.
Corso split his duals on the day to earn second place, opening with a 15-8 triumph over Charlie Nash of Baldwin Wallace. The freshman was than faced with York's Ryan Flynn, a senior ranked No. 3 in the country at 133-pounds. Corso battled admirably, falling in a tight 4-2 decision for a runner-up showing. He will enter the national tournament boasting a 24-14 record.
At 165, Seymour won his first two matches in the consolation bracket, one by fall and another by decision. In the bout to get to the third-place match, Seymour fell by decision and then took a medical forfeit in the fifth-place match for sixth place.
Similarly, Hoffmier won his first two bouts in the consolation bracket, both by decision. Trying to wrestle into the third-place match, Hoffmier lost a tough 4-2 sudden victory bout. In the fifth-place bout, Hoffmier found the same fate, dropping a 4-2 decision by sudden victory for a sixth place.
The NCAA Championships will take place in La Crosse, Wisc. on March 10-11.
