2012 NCAA WRESTLING BRACKETS

CLARION'S McCORKLE GETS NCAA WILD CARD SELECTION
CLARION SENDING 4 TO NCAA D-I WRESTLING NATIONALS MARCH 15-17
 
            Clarion University senior heavyweight Quintas McCorkle (Alexandria, Va.) earned a ticket to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Nationals yesterday when he was selected as a “wild card” to compete at the annual event next week.
 
            The 82^nd NCAA Division I Wrestling Nationals will be held March 15-17 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri, with 330 wrestlers looking for gold medals in only 10 individual weight classes and a place on the wrestling alter – the All-America podium, where only 8 wrestlers in each weight class get to be called All-American.
 
            Clarion is sending 4 wrestlers to the nationals next week, the largest contingent for the Golden Eagles since sending 5 qualifiers in 2004.
 
            First year head coach Matt Dernlan was excited for McCorkle, and for the Golden Eagle contingent headed to St. Louis. “I'm really excited for “Q”,” said Dernlan. “He has worked so hard during his career for a chance to get to the nationals. Now that he's headed there, we're going to reset our goals.”
 
            Also headed to nationals are Clarion's top wrestlers James Fleming (Jr. West Mifflin) at 157 and Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (Sr. Tashkent, Uzbekistan) at 165, along with Steven Cressley (Jr. Punxsutawney) at 184.
 
            McCorkle enters the nationals with a record of 24-13 and is unseeded. He has drawn #6 seed Cameron Wade (Penn State) in the opening round. McCorkle placed fourth at the recently completed EWL tournament and has a career record at Clarion of 74-53. He was 1^st at the Oklahoma Invite and 2^nd at the PSU Open this year.
 
            Fleming, who was ranked 4^th in the nation for the last two months, drew a #6 seed at nationals and will wrestle Chattanooga's Daniel Waddell (21-9) in the opening round at 157. If he wins that bout, he would wrestle the winner of #11 James Green (Neb) and Brian Tannen (Lehigh). Fleming is 27-2 this year, was EWL champ, placed second at PSAc's and third at Midlands. He has a career record of 86-14. This is his third trip to nationals.
 
            Abdurakhmonov is seeded fourth at 165 and opens with Gabe Burak (No. Colorado)  who has a record of 22-4. Should he win the opening round he would wrestle the winner of Mike Ottinger (C. Michigan) and Coleman Gacey (Army). Bekzod has a season record 31-4 and a two-year career record of  69-16. He was an EWL and PSAC Champion in 2012 and is making his second trip to nationals and was 3-2, narrowly missing A-A honors a year ago.
 
            Cressley is unseeded at 184-pounds and is making his first trip to nationals with a record of 17-14. Steve opens the tournament against #5 seed Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) who has a record of 27-4. Steve finished third at the recently completed EWL tournament and qualified for nationals via his EWL placing. He was also second this year at PSAC's. Cressley has a three-year record at Clarion of 46-59.
 
            CLARION NOTES: The Golden Eagles were 6-7-1 in dual meets in 2011-12, placed 4^th at EWL's and 3rd at PSAC's…. A full tournament preview will be released next week.