Wrestling | 3/6/2017 1:51:00 PM
ROCHESTER, NY – Senior
Tory Cain (Ontario, NY/Wayne), junior
Sam Weinger (Blooming Grove, NY/Washingtonville), and sophomore
Dempsey King (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) are set to represent RIT wrestling at the 2017 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championship, which will take place Friday, March 10 and Saturday, March 11 at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse will serve as the host.
Session I begins on Friday at 12 p.m. EST with preliminary rounds one and two, along with consolation first round matches. At 7 p.m. Friday, Session II takes place with the championship quarterfinal matches and consolation second and third round bouts. On Saturday, Session III starts at 11 a.m. EST, with the championship semifinals, consolation quarterfinals, semifinals, and matches for third, fifth, and seventh place. Championship finals wrap up at 8 p.m. Saturday, with awards to follow.
A total of 180 participants will compete in the championships. Student-athletes qualified for the championship by placing top-three in their respective weight classes at one of the six NCAA regional tournaments held on February 24, 25 and 26. RIT competed in the Mideast Regional, placing sixth overall out of 19 teams.
Cain is making his second appearance at the NCAA Championship at 174 lbs. In 2015, Cain earned All-American honors at 174 lbs., placing fifth overall. Cain, who did not wrestle in 2015-16 returned for the Tigers in January, and has enjoyed great success, going 13-2 this season. He qualified for the national championship by earning runner-up honors at the NCAA Mideast Regional on Feb, 25-26. Cain was also the second place finisher at the 2017 Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference Championship and is 91-41 in his RIT career. Cain is the No. 6 seed at 174 lbs. and will take on Logan Walkup of Wheaton College in his opening match.
Weinger, who wrestlers at 285 lbs. is making his first appearance at the NCAA Championship. He qualified for the national championship by earning runner-up honors in his weight class at the NCAA Mideast Regional on Feb, 25-26. Weinger is currently 21-7 this season with nine wins by pin, while battling various injuries. In three seasons, Weinger has a 77-36 career record. He will take on top-seed Zachery Roseberry of Delaware Valley University in the opening round.
King has enjoyed an excellent season at 157 lbs., leading the team with 28 wins, while making his first trip to the NCAA Championship. He qualified for the national championship by placing third in his weight class at the NCAA Mideast Regional on Feb, 25-26. In two seasons, King has a tremendous 50-15 career record at RIT. On Jan. 17, King was named the Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week. He was also the runner-up at 157 lbs. at the ECWC Championship. King will take on No. 7 seed Logan Meister of Ferrum College in his first round match.
RIT has had a long and proud history at the national tournament, as 16 different individuals have earned 25 All-American honors, including national champions Darrell Leslie (1983) and Matt Hamill (1997, 1998, 1999). RIT tied for 14th at the national tournament in 2014-15. In 1998, the Tigers had their best overall finish, placing tied for eighth nationally.
