By William Bowman
OMAHA, Neb. -- Andy Rendos picked up right where he left off at last year's NCAA Wrestling Championships.
Rendos, a Bucknell senior and four-time NCAA qualifier, won three matches on the opening day of nationals on Thursday and will now take on the nation's No. 1 165-pounder, Wisconsin's Andrew Howe, in this morning's quarterfinals.
Rendos' three Bucknell teammates fell into the consolation bracket after tough losses on Thursday, including a loss by nationally-ranked Kevin LeValley. In addition to Rendos, one other wrestler with local ties advanced to today's quarterfinals was Oklahoma senior Eric Lapotsky, a Mount Carmel alum, who got two first-period falls to breeze into the quarterfinals.
Rendos was the story of the day for the locals. Despite being seeded ninth entering nationals, he was put into the pig-tail match and promptly toppled Michigan State's Kyle Bounds, 8-2.
He followed that up with an impressive 14-2 major decision over North Carolina-Greensboro's Edwin Hojilla before edging Central Michigan's Tyler Grayson 3-2 in the round of 16.
The victory over Grayson improved Rendos' season record to 31-4 overall and gave him his 119th career victory. The 119 wins sets a new Bucknell record, breaking Bobby Ferraro's marck of 118.
Rendos, fifth nationally a year ago, is trying to join Ferraro as Bucknell's only two-time All-Americans.
To advance to the semifinals, Rendos will have to take down the nation's top-ranked wrestling in Howe.
Howe, 32-0 this year, steamrolled his first two opponents, earning a first-period fall and a 15-3 major decision in his two bouts.
Rendos has now won 11 consecutive bouts and is 31-4 this season.
Whether he wins his quarterfinal bout against Howe or claims a consolation bout, Rendos will join Ferraro as the only two-time All-Americans in program history. Ferraro, who had held the wins record with 118 before Thursday, was an All-American in 1994 and 1995.
LeValley, who is seeded ninth at 149 pounds, opened his day with a 6-3 decision over Northwestern's Andrew Nadhir. However, he then lost to Boise State's eighth-seeded Jason Chamberlain, 5-2. Two of LeValley's seven losses this season are to Chamberlain, who posted a 5-3 victory over LeValley at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December.
Marble, who like Rendos is a four-time NCAA qualifier, posted an 11-1 major decision against Lock Haven's John Trumbetti, nearly mirroring his 12-1 major decision during the regular season, in the opening round. He was then matched against fourth-seeded Jordan Oliver from Central Michigan. Marble lost 6-4, but just missed scoring a takedown in the closing moments of the match that would have tied the score.
Riccio, a three-time NCAA qualifier, was the lone Bison to drop his first match as he lost to Missouri's Dorian Henderson, 3-2. He then came back and faced Utah Valley's Brad Darrington in the consolation bracket and dropped a 7-3 decision after beating Darrington 2-0 during a regular-season meeting in Las Vegas. Riccio ended his impressive Bison career with a 108-49 record, including 33-11 this season.
Sixth-seeded Lapotsky powered his way into the quarterfinals with a pair of first-period pins. He decked Indiana's Matt Powless in 2:19 in the prelims and then came back and flattened Pittsburgh's Matthew Wilps in 2:23 in the second round for his team-leading 11th fall of the season.
Lapotsky, a former national qualifer from Bucknell who transferrerd to OU, will take on third-seeded Hudson Taylor of Maryland in today's quarterfinals.
Bloomsburg advanced two wrestlers to Friday's action. Matt Moley and Rick Schmelyun both won and lost matches. Schmelyun lost to Penn State's Dan Vallimont in the round of 16.
