Colonial Athletic Association Championships Preview
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Bud Focht (CAA Sports Information)
03/06/2002
Twelve teams will compete for the 2002 Colonial Athletic Association Wrestling Championship, held at James Madison University March 8-9. The CAA Championships will send 28 individuals to Albany, NY for the 2002 NCAA Division I Nationals, March 21-23. George Mason University is the defending CAA Champion, having won five CAA titles since 1992, while host James Madison has won two conference titles in the last three years. GMU and JMU will have strong competition for that title this year from conference newcomers Hofstra University, Drexel University, and Rider University, who joined the CAA this season from the defunct East Coast Wrestling Association. Hofstra, currently ranked among the top 22 teams in the nation, and Drexel, each have all 10 of their wrestlers ranked among the top six in the CAA in their respective weight classes. Hofstra won the 2001 and final ECWA team title, and is currently the top ranked team in the CAA. Rider, the winner of 14 ECWA titles since 1984, has nine wrestlers who are ranked in the CAA this season, while Boston University has eight. Old Dominion University is led by the top wrestler in the CAA, Jeff Rusak, who is currently ranked among the top five 174s in the nation. Other CAA wrestlers who are expected to advance to Nationals include: 125 Tom Noto of Hofstra, 133 Jason Cucolo of Sacred Heart, 141 Jon Masa of Hofstra, 149 Jason DeBruin of Hofstra, 157 Derek Jenkins of Rider, 165 John Garriques of Hofstra, 174 Nick Catone of Rider, 184 Chad Grant of Boston U., 197 Chris Skretowicz of Hofstra, 197 Anthony Reynolds of Sacred Heart, and heavyweight Craig Tefft of Binghamton.