Eastern Michigan Athletics
Thursday, March 17
Philadelphia, Pa.
All Day
Eastern Michigan University
at
NCAA Championships
David Wade and Aaron Sulzer
Sulzer, Wade Prepare for Wrestling Nationals in Philadelphia
3/15/2011 2:41:08 PM | Wrestling
Senior David Wade and sophomore Aaron Sulzer will represent the Eagles at the NCAA Division I National Championships
Weekly Notes (.pdf)
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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University wrestling team is sending two representatives to the NCAA Division I National Championships in the form of automatic qualifier sophomore Aaron Sulzer (157-lbs.) and senior at-large bid David Wade (Hwt). All the hardwork put in by both student-athletes will culminate with the most prestigious tournament of the season as they take on the most elite talent in the country this weekend, March 17-19, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa.
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TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE: Eastern Michigan University wrestlers senior David Wade and sophomore Aaron Sulzer have punched their tickets to the 2011 NCAA Division I National Wrestling Tournament. Wade was ranked as high as 17th in the nation in his weight class and finished the year with a 15-10 overall record bringing his career win total to 81, which puts him sixth all-time at EMU. He was one of five wrestlers to earn at-large bids at heavyweight. Sulzer finished tied for the team lead with 18 wins and placed third at 157-lbs. at the 2011 MAC Championships to earn an automatic bid to nationals.
“I think both these guys have had pretty good season,” Head Coach Derek DelPorto said. “All but two of Aaron's losses on the year were from top-27 ranked opponents.
“David's season is what earned him an at-large bid. He earned as high as a #17-ranking and had a high enough RPI ranking and winning percentage throughout the year.”
TRENDING SUCCESS: For the second straight year, Eastern Michigan boasts two national qualifiers in the same season as David Wade and Aaron Sulzer reached the goal this year. It's the first time EMU has had multiple qualifiers in consecutive years since 1989-90 when the team qualified more than one wrestler for the third consecutive season. Wade is only the sixth wrestler all-time to qualify for nationals more than once and only the second heavyweight at EMU to qualify in consecutive seasons after Rick Setzer did so in 1975-76 and 1976-77.
“I think it's important to set a standard of multiple guys qualifying for the NCAA Championships every year, so it is good that Dave and Aaron came through for us,” Head Coach Derek DelPorto said. 'Our goal is to get five guys to the NCAA's every year.”
EMU has never accomplished that feat before, but it has qualified as many as four wrestlers to the NCAA Championships on two separate occasions. In 1987-88, Doug Harper (118-lbs.), Steve Brown (126-lbs.), Joel Smith (158-lbs.) and Jerry Umin (167-lbs.) each qualified. And the following year, they matched that accomplishment with Harper (118-lbs.), David Beck (126-lbs.), Miles Nilson (134-lbs.) and Brian Schneider (150-lbs.) doing so.
THE BEST AROUND: The NCAA Championships is by far the most coveted event in collegiate wrestling and brings the best wrestlers around to one location to compete against each other. Wade and Sulzer have the opportunity to standout among the most elite wrestlers in the nation and make a name for themselves.
“The best wrestlers in the country are at the NCAA Championships and everything has to go right to place out there,” DelPorto said. “I expect us to win matches and be in a position to wrestle through the weekend. We're not going out there to win just one match, we're going out there to win them all.”
READY TO RUMBLE: Head Coach Derek DelPorto, in his sixth season with the Eagles, is very familiar with the NCAA National Championships as he is a former All-American from his days at Slippery Rock University. He recorded the third-best record in school history with a 116-38 mark and earned NCAA Division I All-American honors in 1999 as a heavyweight.
“I don't think anyone in the building doesn't reminisce about their experience at the NCAA Tournament,” DelPorto said. “I get goose bumps when the national anthem is played and I would do anything for another crack at the NCAA title.
“David Wade and Aaron Sulzer are prepared physically and at this point, all I can do is help them mentally. They have to be ready to wrestle as hard as they can and not hold anything back. For Dave, this is it. For Aaron, this will define his future.”
EMU RANKED 20TH-NATIONALLY IN APR RANKINGS: Eastern Michigan University's wrestling program is tied with Pittsburgh and Princeton in the annual Academic Performance Ratings (APR) as released by Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine's June Issue. It's a new program-best for the Eagle grapplers. EMU ranks ahead of all Mid-American Conference institutions in the highly-regarded poll including Northern Illinois (29th), Buffalo (44th), Kent State (47th), Central Michigan (60th) and Ohio (67th).
EAGLES WRESTLING ON THE WEB: Don't forget to stay up-to-date with EMU wrestling all season long online at EMUEagles.com. Watch live-streamed EMU sporting events via Eagle All-Access and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/EMUAthletics.
Click Here for Live Video Coverage
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University wrestling team is sending two representatives to the NCAA Division I National Championships in the form of automatic qualifier sophomore Aaron Sulzer (157-lbs.) and senior at-large bid David Wade (Hwt). All the hardwork put in by both student-athletes will culminate with the most prestigious tournament of the season as they take on the most elite talent in the country this weekend, March 17-19, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa.
--
TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE: Eastern Michigan University wrestlers senior David Wade and sophomore Aaron Sulzer have punched their tickets to the 2011 NCAA Division I National Wrestling Tournament. Wade was ranked as high as 17th in the nation in his weight class and finished the year with a 15-10 overall record bringing his career win total to 81, which puts him sixth all-time at EMU. He was one of five wrestlers to earn at-large bids at heavyweight. Sulzer finished tied for the team lead with 18 wins and placed third at 157-lbs. at the 2011 MAC Championships to earn an automatic bid to nationals.
“I think both these guys have had pretty good season,” Head Coach Derek DelPorto said. “All but two of Aaron's losses on the year were from top-27 ranked opponents.
“David's season is what earned him an at-large bid. He earned as high as a #17-ranking and had a high enough RPI ranking and winning percentage throughout the year.”
TRENDING SUCCESS: For the second straight year, Eastern Michigan boasts two national qualifiers in the same season as David Wade and Aaron Sulzer reached the goal this year. It's the first time EMU has had multiple qualifiers in consecutive years since 1989-90 when the team qualified more than one wrestler for the third consecutive season. Wade is only the sixth wrestler all-time to qualify for nationals more than once and only the second heavyweight at EMU to qualify in consecutive seasons after Rick Setzer did so in 1975-76 and 1976-77.
“I think it's important to set a standard of multiple guys qualifying for the NCAA Championships every year, so it is good that Dave and Aaron came through for us,” Head Coach Derek DelPorto said. 'Our goal is to get five guys to the NCAA's every year.”
EMU has never accomplished that feat before, but it has qualified as many as four wrestlers to the NCAA Championships on two separate occasions. In 1987-88, Doug Harper (118-lbs.), Steve Brown (126-lbs.), Joel Smith (158-lbs.) and Jerry Umin (167-lbs.) each qualified. And the following year, they matched that accomplishment with Harper (118-lbs.), David Beck (126-lbs.), Miles Nilson (134-lbs.) and Brian Schneider (150-lbs.) doing so.
THE BEST AROUND: The NCAA Championships is by far the most coveted event in collegiate wrestling and brings the best wrestlers around to one location to compete against each other. Wade and Sulzer have the opportunity to standout among the most elite wrestlers in the nation and make a name for themselves.
“The best wrestlers in the country are at the NCAA Championships and everything has to go right to place out there,” DelPorto said. “I expect us to win matches and be in a position to wrestle through the weekend. We're not going out there to win just one match, we're going out there to win them all.”
READY TO RUMBLE: Head Coach Derek DelPorto, in his sixth season with the Eagles, is very familiar with the NCAA National Championships as he is a former All-American from his days at Slippery Rock University. He recorded the third-best record in school history with a 116-38 mark and earned NCAA Division I All-American honors in 1999 as a heavyweight.
“I don't think anyone in the building doesn't reminisce about their experience at the NCAA Tournament,” DelPorto said. “I get goose bumps when the national anthem is played and I would do anything for another crack at the NCAA title.
“David Wade and Aaron Sulzer are prepared physically and at this point, all I can do is help them mentally. They have to be ready to wrestle as hard as they can and not hold anything back. For Dave, this is it. For Aaron, this will define his future.”
EMU RANKED 20TH-NATIONALLY IN APR RANKINGS: Eastern Michigan University's wrestling program is tied with Pittsburgh and Princeton in the annual Academic Performance Ratings (APR) as released by Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine's June Issue. It's a new program-best for the Eagle grapplers. EMU ranks ahead of all Mid-American Conference institutions in the highly-regarded poll including Northern Illinois (29th), Buffalo (44th), Kent State (47th), Central Michigan (60th) and Ohio (67th).
EAGLES WRESTLING ON THE WEB: Don't forget to stay up-to-date with EMU wrestling all season long online at EMUEagles.com. Watch live-streamed EMU sporting events via Eagle All-Access and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/EMUAthletics.
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