CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Ryan Malo's bid to become the first Eph to win an NCAA wrestling title came up one win short as second-seeded Jared Massey of Augsburg won the 197 title with a 10-3 victory. This year Ryan Malo will have to settle for tying the highest finish ever by an Eph at the NCAA Championships.
Malo's efforts tied him with Tom Prairie '05 who posted a second place finish at 125 in the 2005 Championships.
It was a battle of Division I transfers as Massey and Malo fought to determine the 197 champion. Massey had transferred to Augsburg from the University of Wisconsin. The 24-year old Massey, a sophomore, caught Malo twice on his feet to close out the match and secure the title.
The loss was only the second of the year for Malo who fashioned a 38-2 record for the Ephs this winter in his first campaign since transferring from Boston University.
"What was impressive to Raf [Vega, co-head coach] and me was how well our kids performed on the national stage for not having been here before," stated co-head coach Dan DiCenzo. "When you look across all of the weight classes there were a lot of high seeds that did not place. You have to be ready for every one of your matches here, because they are all of All-American quality. Ryan and Corey were focused and ready each time they stepped on the mat."
"Ryan started the year competing at 184 and moved up to 197 later in the season and that is not easy to do," said DiCenzo. "You can prepare much better and be stronger if you are getting ready for just one weight class. For Ryan to come out here and compete for the national title with less than half his season being at 197 was quite an achievement."
With sophomores Corey Paulish finishing 4th and Malo finishing second the Ephs posted their highest national finish ever coming in 10th in a field of 60 teams. A year ago the Ephs finished 47th, providing yet another reason why the 2008-09 season was a special year for Williams wrestling.
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