This weekend, the Binghamton wrestling team took down a feat it had yet to since entering the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association in 2013. The Bearcats (9-10, 5-4 EIWA) claimed a champion in senior heavyweight Tyler Deuel at the EIWA Championship at Lehigh University.
Pitted against Bucknell foe Joe Stolfi for the second time in three weeks, Deuel defended his top seed in the heavyweight bracket — dominating his way over Stolfi in the final match by way of a 1:27 pin.
“This time, I was very aware of the positions he liked to get into and I just knew I could win those,” Deuel said. “Pretty much, I was looking to score wherever I was at, give myself a lot of opportunities.”
The win punched Deuel’s ticket to the NCAA Wrestling Championships, set to be held in St. Louis, Missouri, later this month. In clinching a spot, the 6-foot-2 senior became the fourth BU wrestler to represent the EIWA at the tournament, and the first weight-class champion.
“I feel like I’m getting the ball rolling for guys next year and the next couple years — young guys looking to get a title of their own,” Deuel said. “Now, seeing a teammate that’s done it, I think it’s going to be easier for them to do.”
For BU head coach Matt Dernlan, Deuel’s championship was a major notch for a Binghamton wrestling program still working to earn its keep in one of the toughest wrestling conferences in the nation.
“I think it’s huge as far as continuing to establish where we are in the EIWA,” Dernlan said. “For us to come out and establish ourselves the first two years like we have … that’s huge for establishing who we want be and where we want climb to in the upcoming years.”
Also moving on to represent BU at the NCAA Championships will be 184-pound junior Jack McKeever. Despite entering unseeded, the junior won his opening match of the tournament before losing in the second round. Entering the consolation rounds with determination, McKeever won two back-to-back matches before settling for sixth place in the 16-man bracket. Now set to see competition at collegiate wrestling’s biggest stage, Deuel and McKeever won’t look to deviate too much from a strategy that made them both winners at the conference’s highest level.
“The game plan has always been in place to have these guys at their best [by the time of the NCAA tournament],” Dernlan said. “And not just get them to the tournament, but be prepared to do some special things once we get there. I think what both those guys showed, as well as they wrestled this weekend, is they have another level they can get to.”
Deuel echoed his coach’s sentiment on entering St. Louis with a solid game plan. But for the highly touted heavyweight who hasn’t lost a match since Jan. 11, staying in the moment looks to be at the top of his list.
“Take it one match at a time,” Deuel said. “[Try to] not let the lights and the big stage get a hold of me like it does a lot of guys, just really focusing on my first match.”
Finishing ninth overall in the 16-team tournament, the weekend at Lehigh also served as valuable experience for the team’s underclassmen. Despite only one claiming his opening match in 149-pound sophomore Nick Tighe, the success of the underclassmen in their subsequent contests put on display the quality that has seen them through all season.
“They weren’t quite as prepared as they could have been in that first round, but give them credit on the turnaround,” Dernlan said of his underclassman wrestlers. “Following that first round, they did a great job responding to some adversity and they stayed consistent to what’s made us strong this year — they were really resilient.”
With the countdown until the opening match of the NCAA Championships now below 10 days, BU’s two qualifiers have just under a week to prepare for Binghamton’s ninth consecutive NCAA Championship appearance — though, most of that preparation won’t be physical.
“From a physical standpoint, we’re in great shape,” Dernlan said. “But from an execution standpoint, from a mental standpoint, there are a few things we can still tighten up between now and next Thursday.”
“Definitely can’t look past anybody at the NCAA tournament,” Deuel agreed. “We’re all good competitors, we all have goals and everybody’s looking to knock somebody off down there.”
Wrestling at the 2015 NCAA Wrestling Championships is set to begin on March 19 at 6 p.m. at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.