After two straight years of runner-up finishes, the Binghamton wrestling team will head back to the Colonial Athletic Association Championship on Saturday in search of a return to the top.
The Bearcats, the only team other than Hofstra’s to take the crown in the last 10 years, won the conference title in 2010.
Last year, despite sweeping the championship awards for Most Outstanding Wrestler, Wrestler of the Year, Coach of the Year and Rookie of the Year, Binghamton was again edged out by the Pride, 80.5 to 78.5 at the Events Center.
While Most Outstanding Wrestler and Wrestler of the Year Donnie Vinson returned in 2012-13 for his senior season, Coach of the Year Pat Popolizio departed for North Carolina State and Rookie of the Year Nick Gwiazdowski followed.
Under new head coach Matt Dernlan, Binghamton went 5-13 this regular season under a tough, road-heavy schedule featuring a handful of nationally ranked opponents.
Vinson said he believes the rigor of the regular season will benefit the team in postseason play.
“It can’t hurt us,” he said. “I think I’ve wrestled around 13 or 14 of the top-20 ranked kids. I know that helps me going to nationals. I get a taste of pretty much everybody. It just helps set us up.”
After closing out the regular season with a 27-1 overall record and a perfect dual slate, Vinson now sits atop the program’s all-time wins list. Currently ranked No. 4 in the nation at 149 pounds in both the NCAA’s Coaches’ Panel and RPI rankings, he will look to defend his CAA Championship title this weekend.
Sharing the spotlight with Vinson this season is 184-pound senior Nate Schiedel, who also went undefeated in dual matches and recording a 24-1 overall record. Schiedel heads into the weekend ranked No. 5 in the nation in the Coaches’ Panel rankings, and the RPI rankings determined he faced the 18th-toughest schedule in his weight class. The senior took the conference title in 2010, but placed second last year behind Hofstra’s Ben Clymer, who has since graduated.
“Nate’s a real leader in the wrestling room,” Vinson said. “Everyone looks up to him. He’s been a captain for three years. He keeps great position, wrestling-wise, he doesn’t get scored on. You can always count on him for a big dual … He’s just a guy that you want in the lineup.”
Dernlan named 141-pound sophomore Joe Bonaldi, 174-pound redshirt junior John Paris and 184-pound redshirt junior Cody Reed, heavyweight redshirt freshman Tyler Deuel and 125-pound senior Derek Steeley, if healthy, as some of the other Binghamton wrestlers who have a shot at doing something special at this year’s CAA Championship.
Reed, who closed out the regular season with wins in six of his last seven matches, is the only other BU wrestler to crack the RPI rankings at No. 30.
“I think they all have great opportunities,” Dernlan said. “And for us to carry the weekend and to win the conference tournament, we’ve put it on the guys already. I’m pretty sure it’s going to come down to bonus points at the end of the day on Saturday afternoon. So when the guys have the opportunity to get bonus points … they need to do it for the team because that’s going to be the difference-maker in the team race.”
Action is set to kickoff at 10 a.m. Saturday at Boston University’s Case Gymnasium.