The Binghamton University wrestling team will look to end its regular season on a high note tonight when it squares off against Old Dominion University at home.
The match will mark the last regular season outing in the collegiate careers of three Binghamton seniors: Justin Lister, Matt Kaylor and Mike McKeever. Binghamton University is set to honor each of the outgoing seniors as part of the Senior Night festivities.
Head coach Pat Popolizio noted the importance of the team’s seniors and the crucial roles they have played in the dramatic rise of the school’s wrestling program.
“Their contribution to this program over the last four years has been huge,” Popolizio said. “They are the guys that have elevated us to the level we are today. They have brought a winning attitude which has been something that we have needed here for a long time. They have brought character, work ethic and dedication — the kind of things that go well with us in huge proportions.”
Kaylor has notched up 109 career wins, the second-highest total during BU’s Division I history. Last season, Kaylor was named Colonial Athletic Association champion in his weight class.
Lister is not far behind Kaylor — he has 99 career wins of his own. He earned the CAA title in his sophomore and junior years and was named conference Wrestler of the Year after the 2009-10 season.
Both Lister and Kaylor have represented the Bearcats in the NCAA tournament twice.
The Bearcats held onto their No. 19 ranking in this week’s NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll after their impressive win against Hofstra University last weekend. 149-pound junior Donnie Vinson was named the CAA wrestler of the week following his convincing 9-1 win against the Pride’s Tyler Banks.
Popolizio said he will not be resting his starters for the bout. He believes this is a very crucial stage for his team.
“This is the important part of the season and we need to be ready,” he said. “Come the conference tournament, the only way to get ready is to compete at a high level and that’s what we need to do … because Old Dominion is ranked No. 24 in the country so it is not going to be an easy pass for us. I am confident in our guys, but I know that we have to wrestle at the best of our ability come Friday.”
With the CAA championship and the NCAA tournament in sight, Popolizio said he believes that his team is preparing well, has the right attitude and is ready for solid results in the postseason.
“I think that [Hofstra] was a good sign of that,” Popolizio said. “We didn’t just win, we dominated in the matches we won, so I think our attitude is coming to its best of the season, and peaking at the right time is extremely important … We are still a couple of weeks away from that, but we are elevating our conditioning and the intensity of our wrestling right now.”
The Bearcats’ match against Old Dominion is set for 7 p.m. tonight in the West Gym.