Drexel University Athletics
Drexel University
CAA Championships
Three Dragons Place at 2009 CAA Wrestling Championships
3/7/2009 5:10:08 PM | Wrestling
Final Brackets and Team Scores
Drexel's Jon Oplinger and Kyle Frey took second place at the 197- and 285-pound divisions of the 2009 Colonial Athletic Association Championships, respectively. Freshman Frank Cimato took fourth at 133 pounds as the Dragons finished sixth as a team out of the eight schools competing. With his second-place finish, Oplinger earned a berth in the 2009 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Hofstra won the CAA team title for the eighth straight season.
Oplinger won his first two matches on day one of the championships before facing top-seeded Cayle Byers of George Mason. Byers was able to pull out a 3-0 victory over Oplinger for the CAA title. The pair are two of the four 197-pounders the CAA will send to the National Championships.
Frey was edged 2-1 by No. 1 seed Ed Bordas of Rider in the heavyweight final. The sophomore was seeded third and advanced to the final after an injury default by second-seeded Roy Dragon in the second period of their semifinal match.
Cimato, a No. 5 seed, fought his way to a fourth place finish at 133 pounds after upsetting the fourth seed in the opeing round before being pinned by eventual champion Lou Ruggirello. Cimato then topped third-seeded Denny Herndon in the consolation bracket before dropping the third-place match to Jimmy Kirschner of Rider, the same opponent he defeated in the first round.
Oplinger will represent Drexel at the NCAA Wrestling Championships starting March 19 in St. Louis, Mo.
