Four Ephs Earn Bids to NCAA Championship

Tom Foote '13

HARTFORD, CONN -- Williams College entered this weekend's NEWA tournament ranked fourth in the league. It left with a second place team trophy. A number of stellar individual efforts helped catapult the Ephs up the leader board. The Ephs were able to boast two weight class champions, two runner ups, and a third place finish. All four of the Eph finalists earned bids to the NCAA Championships, a first for the Williams College wrestling team.

125 pounder senior Josh Mattana went 3-3 placing 6th in New Englands. He finished his carear with a 109 wins, 6th on the All-Time Eph win list.  "Josh's work ethic and durability is unmatchable," notes Eh head coach Rich Hasenfus. "He never missed a competition or weigh-in in his four years. In 20 years of coaching I have never had an athlete accomplish this feat."

At 133 sophomore Kaison Tanabe finished the season with a 17-8 record.  "Kaison had a good season," comments Hasenfus. "He beat Billy Cole the 133lb. champ 10-3 the week before, the next week he beat us 9-8.  I am confident that Kaison will be a New England contender next year."

141 pounder Ces Antista had his work cut out for him entering the weekend. Antista battled injuries all year and had not taken to the mats in weeks. Antista put together a remarkable performance and was able to win all five of his matches on the weekend.

At 157 sophomore Rob Brackup had a shortened season due to injuries. "Rob was hampered by injuries all season," Hasenfus notes. "Rob is one of the most talented guys on the team we are looking for him to bounce back and have a great year."

Kyle Martin, a junior, at 165 placed 6th in New England. "Kyle moved up a weight this year from 157 to 165 and got better and better during the year," stats Hasenfus. "He was able to wrestle some of the best kids in the country this year, which I believe helped him in the end. Kyle lost his 1st match to the #1 seed and perservered to come back and place."

Senior Zeb Levine moved up two weight classes to 174 in an attempt to help the Eph team score and standing. It is ually tough to move up one weight, class, but to go up two for the good of the team says alot about Levine. "Zeb Levine bumped up 2 weight classes to help our team try to win the New Englands," marvels Hasenfus. "Zeb exemplifies what a team player is all about.  You get 100% everytime he steps on the mat."

Antista made short work of his opening round matches before matching up against Joe Grippi of Springfield College. In the semifinal round Antista eked out a narrow 2-1 victory over Grippi. However, Grippi battled through the wrestle-back portion of the bracket and earned a second shot at Antista in the finals. This time the match went to sudden victory overtime, where Antista was able to score a takedown earning his first NEWA championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. Grippi's efforts did not go unrewarded. He was named a recipient an large bids to the NCAA Championships by the conference coaches at the end of the tournament.

2011 NEWA Champions: (l. to r.) Corey Paulish (149), coach Rich Hasenfus and Ces Antista (141)

Senior caption Corey Paulish, the 2009 NEWA champion at the 141 pound weight class, added yet another trophy to his impressive collection. Paulish lost in the quarterfinals of the 149 pound weight class to Thomas Webster of Johnson and Wales University, but stormed through the wrestle-back portion of the tournament. In the third place match Paulish was once again matched up against Webster. This time the outcome was in Paulish's favor by a margin of 13-1. This set up a championship duel against Ryan McGilvray of Springfield College. Paulish's experience was too much for McGlivrey, and he was able to cruise to a 6-2 victory. Paulish's four victories on the weekend tied him with Carl Breitenstein '10 for the most victories in Williams College history. Paulish will have the opportunity to become the outright record holder when he wrestles at the NCAA championships.

Kyle Martin lost an early match but was able to recover and battled to a sixth place finish in the 165 pound weight class.

Freshman Mike Lomio capped off an impressive campaign with a hard fought third place finish in the 184 pound weight class. Lomio fell in the quarterfinals to Johnson and Wales' Brennan Ward, but was able to win his next two matches earning himself a third place finish. The conference coaches were so impressed with Lomio's efforts that he was named the conference's co-rookie of the year, an impressive start to what should be a promising career in the Purple Valley.

Ryan Malo, the second ranked wrestler nationally entered the tournament banged up, but was able to gut out a second place finish. Malo avenged a defeat earlier in the tournament to Travis Spenser of University of Southern Maine and earned a place in the 197 pound final. Malo came out on the short end of a 4-3 decision to William Mulligan, but Malo's impressive season was enough to convince the conference coaches that he deserved one of the conferences' at large bids to the NCAA tournament.

Heavyweight sophomore Tom Foote has been turning heads since he arrived in Williamstown. Foote is an accomplished football player and has established himself as one of the best heavyweight wrestlers in Division III. Foote won his first three matches of the tournament, including a sudden victory decision over Nick Cambi to arrive in the final with an unblemished record. Foote wrestled well in the final and the match was tied after three periods of action. Early in overtime Foote was taken down by Ron Fusco and had to settle for second place. However, like Malo, Foote's efforts were enough to earn him one of the coveted at large bids to the NCAA championships.

Foote, Antista, Malo, and Paulish must now prepare to compete on the biggest stage in Division III wrestling the NCAA Championship which will be held at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse on March 11-12.