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Wrestling
2009 NCAA Division II Championships
Houston, Texas - University of Houston
NCAA Division II
National Championships
Joe Kemmerer, Scott Snyder represent KU at nationals
HOUSTON —
Joe Kemmerer
(sr. Mountain Top/Crestwood) and
Scott Snyder
(jr. Slatington/Northern Lehigh) will compete at the NCAA Division II
national championships at the Division II Festival Friday
and Saturday at the University of Houston.
Kemmerer, who won the 2006-07 national title at
133 pounds, and Snyder will look to bounce back from their losses in
the regional finals.
Both wrestlers
finished as the runner-up in their respective weight
classes at the NCAA Division II Super
Region I tournament at Mercyhurst College on Feb. 28.
For Kemmerer, the runner-up finish represented his first
loss of the season, getting pinned by No. 2 Shane Valko,
of Pitt-Johnstown, in 7:23. Kemmerer was 24-0 heading into the title
bout with Valko.
Kemmerer is making his second trip to the national
competition as a Golden Bear. He went 32-3 en route to his national
title in 2006-07, and before that, he was a national qualifier at
Division I UNC-Greensboro, going 31-7 as a freshman.
Snyder, who was seeded
third
at 197 pounds at regionals, finished as the runner-up after falling to No. 1 Keeno Griffin,
of Newberry College, 5-3. Snyder entered the final after
upsetting No. 2 Pat Walsh, of Pitt-Johnstown, 3-2. Snyder is 23-7 on
the season.
This is Snyder's first trip to nationals. As a
sophomore, he finished 18-11 with a fourth-place finish in the PSAC
tournament and a fifth-place finish at the NCAA East Regionals.
Kemmerer and Snyder will begin competition at 11
a.m. Friday in the first round.
March 14, 2009
NCAA Division II
National Championships
Kemmerer
wins his second NCAA title, named Outstanding Wrestler
HOUSTON —
Kutztown University wrestler
Joe Kemmerer (sr.
Mountain Top/Crestwood) may have caught some luck two
years ago, but now there is no doubt that he is truly a national
champion.
After defeating a two-time national champion and knocking off the
wrestler who beat him in this year’s regional, Kemmerer claimed his
second NCAA Division II title at 133 pounds Saturday at the
University of Houston.
“This one is
better,” said Kemmerer, KU’s only national champion in wrestling
who also was awarded the Outstanding Wrestler Award.
“This was a little vindication. The first time I won the title,
there were two national champions in the bracket, but I missed them
on my way to the title.”
He also avenged his
Atlantic Regional loss to Pitt-Johnstown’s Shane Valko by winning
2-1 in the NCAA final Saturday night.
Coach Robert Fisher said he was confident that Kemmerer could
overcome the loss, especially after what he saw in the championship
quarterfinals Friday night.
“His quarterfinal matchup against Cody Garcia was the greatest match
of my coaching career,” Fisher said.
Garcia, a two-time national champion at 125 pounds from
Nebraska-Omaha, fell
4-2 to Kemmerer. Both wrestlers were tied heading into the final
period, but a takedown by Kemmerer was the difference.
All four of Kemmerer’s bouts at the national championships were
close decisions, but that’s just the way he wrestles.
“They were all
close,” said Fisher, who is in his ninth year at KU. “Joe doesn’t
get himself in bad positions.”
Kemmerer opened the championships with
a 3-0 decision over Mesa State College's Rhett Breed in the first
round Friday morning. Kemmerer scored all three points in the third
period, using an escape and a takedown to secure the win.
On Saturday morning, Kemmerer won 1-0 in the second tiebreaker over
Western State College Marques Bravo, recording an escape to advance
to the championship final.
In the championship final, Kemmerer and Valko each recorded an
escape in the second period. In the first tiebreaker, Kemmerer
picked up another escape, and in the second tiebreaker, he rode out
Valko to win the title.
“You know, it was
just as sweet the second time,” Fisher said. “We were a little more
relaxed. Joe trained so hard these last two weeks to get himself
into the position to win the title.”
Kemmerer set out at
the beginning of the season with the goal of duplicating his 2006-07
national title, and after a few injuries throughout the season, he
admitted that it was not looking so good.
“I had some doubts
with my injuries,” he said, “but you just got to keep working. I
never second guessed myself. I stayed focused on the goal the whole
time.”
Now, Kemmerer will
graduate from KU as one of the best wrestlers to have competed in
the maroon and gold.
The senior wrestler closes out his two-year career at KU with a 60-4
record, two national titles, one regional title and one Pennsylvania
State Athletic Conference title. He is tied for 10th on KU's
all-time wins list. Overall, Kemmerer, who transferred from Division
I UNC-Greensboro, has a record of 91-11.
“It’s been a great
time,” Kemmerer said. “The coaches are great, my teammates have been
awesome and it’s been an amazing experience.”
March 13, 2009
NCAA Division II
National Championships
Kemmerer advances to 133-pound championship semifinals
HOUSTON —
Kutztown University wrestler
Joe Kemmerer
(sr. Mountain Top/Crestwood) won two close decisions Friday to advance
to the championship semifinals of the NCAA Division II national
championships at the University of Houston.
With his two wins,
Kemmerer (26-1) will compete in the 133-pound championship
semifinals.
Scott Snyder
(jr. Slatington/Northern Lehigh) also competed for KU Friday, going 0-2
at 197 pounds in his only two bouts of the NCAA
Championships.
Kemmerer, who won the
NCAA Division II title at 133 pounds in 2006-07, picked up a 3-0
decision over Mesa State College's Rhett Breed in the first round
Friday morning. Kemmerer scored all three points in the third
period, using an escape and a takedown to secure the win.
He then decisioned Cody
Garcia, of Nebraska-Omaha, 4-2 in the championship quarterfinals
during the night session. Kemmerer and Garcia were tied heading into
the final period, but a takedown by Kemmerer was the difference.
Snyder fell to the
consolation brackets after a 6-2 loss to Wisconsin-Parkside's
Malcolm Briggs.
Snyder had two escapes,
but Briggs' two takedowns fueled the victory.
He then lost 11-0 in the
consolation first round to Pat Mahan, of Minnesota
State-Mankato.
Kemmerer's semifinal bout will start at 10 a.m. Saturday
with the winner advancing to the championship final at 6
p.m.
Championship First
Round
133: Joe Kemmerer (KU) dec. Rhett Breed (Mesa St.),
3-0
197: Malcolm Briggs (Wis.-Parkside) dec. Scott Snyder
(KU), 6-2
Championship Quarterfinals
133: Kemmerer (KU) dec. Cody Garcia (Nebraska-Omaha),
4-2
Championship Semifinals
133: Kemmerer (KU) dec. Marques Bravo (Western St.),
1-0
Championship Final
133: Kemmerer (KU) dec. Shane Valko (Pitt-Johnstown),
2-1
Consolation First Round
197: Pat Mahan (Minn. St.-Mankato) maj. dec. Snyder
(KU), 11-0
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