Stevens Nabs At-Large Bid to NCAA Wrestling Championships
3/10/2010 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 10, 2010
• NCAA At-Large Selections | NCAA Championship Bracket
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- University of Michigan sophomore 133-pounder Zac Stevens (Monroe, Mich./Monroe HS) nabbed one of his weight class' seven at-large bids to the NCAA Wrestling Championships when the 50 at-large selections and brackets were announced today (Wednesday, March 10). Steven's selection ups the Wolverines' qualifying contingent to three.
Stevens carries a 23-16 record in his second collegiate season and owns victories against four members of the NCAA field at 133 pounds, including a win over Lehigh's 13th-ranked Matt Fisk in the Wolverines' dual-meet debut. The NCAA trip will be the first for Stevens, who narrowly missed a berth after placing eighth in 2009. He will face Oklahoma State's fourth-seeded Jordan Oliver in the first round.
Joining Stevens at the NCAA Championships will be U-M's two automatic qualifiers, both of whom placed among their weight classes' allocated number at the Big Ten Championships last weekend (March 6-7). Senior/junior Anthony Biondo (Clinton Twp., Mich./Chippewa Valley HS) placed third in the Big Ten at 197 pounds, while junior/sophomore Justin Zeerip (Fremont, Mich./Hesperia HS) took fourth place at 174 pounds. Both Wolverines will make their second straight appearance at the NCAA event.
Biondo earned the tournament's No. 7 seed and is slated to face Campbell's Parker Brown in the first round, while Zeerip will wrestle George Mason's 12th-seeded Bagna Tovuujav.
The Wolverines are in the midst of their preparation for the NCAA Championships, scheduled for Thursday through Saturday, March 18-20, in Omaha, Neb. The NCAA tournament will be held at the Qwest Center.
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
