Blue Jays finish 5th at Doug Parker Invite

As most of us were gearing up for Thanksgiving break, the Hopkins wrestling team traveled to Springfield College to take part in the 16-team Doug Parker Invitational. The tournament invited some of the top teams in the country including #7 Centenary, #23 Roger Williams, #24 Springfield, and #27 Wesleyan. Despite facing these high ranking opponents, Hopkins competed competed well and proved their spot as one of the top DIII teams. In the 125 lb weight division, sophomore Paul Bewak competed against MIT’s Sam Shames. Shames pulled off the upset to take home first place, defeating Bewak 5-2. Despite the loss, the Greensburg, PA native earned the nation’s number one ranking in the most recent National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Individual Rankings. Bewak becomes the first Blue Jay wrestler to earn a number one ranking. Bewak steadily climbed to the top spot after beginning the season as the nation’s fifth wrestler. Prior to the tournament Bewak claimed a 9-3 overall record including being 9-2 against NCAA competition and 8-0 against NCAA Division III opponents. Bewak opened up the season with tight losses to Division I opponents Shane Young of West Virginia and Shane Gentry of Maryland, two of the top wrestlers in the nation in the 126 lb weight class. Despite the narrow losses Bewak responded well, claiming nine straight wins which included one pin, one technical fall, two major decisions, and five decisions. The winning streak was the second longest of his career, improving his lifetime record to 39-12. Bewak finished his freshman season with a 30-9 record. Last year as a freshman he earned All-American honors with a seventh-place finish at the 2012 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships. The surprise finish was the highest ever for a Hopkins wrestler. Bewak was one of two All-Americans and five Centennial Conference champions the Blue Jays claimed last season. The team’s success earned Hopkins their first ever conference trophy. Earning sixth place in the 133 lb weight class was junior Ray Yagloski. Despite battling hard, Yagloski ultimately lost the decision 16-4. In the 141 lb final was senior Paul Marcello and Springfield’s Joe Grippi. Grippi entered the season as the nation’s third ranked wrestler while Marcello held the eighth spot. The showdown was hard fought, but in the end Grippi was victorious winning 10-7. In the 165 lb weight division Hopkins' Christian Ostrowski took home fifth place for the Blue Jays. The freshman battled all day before reaching the matchup against MIT’s Ryan Madson. However, the two never faced off as Madson withdrew from the match with an injury. Heading home with a fifth place finish was freshman Kyle Spangler. Spangler dispatched Trinity’s William Youngblood 7-5 to earn the victory. Hopkins totaled 85.5 points trailing Centenary (166 points), Roger Williams (137.5), Springfield (128.5) and Wesleyan (128) in the team standings. With the finish it is clear Hopkins is not far away from making its mark on the national stage. Next up for Hopkins is the New Standard Corp. Invitational at York College (PA). The tournament will be another good test for the Blue Jays.  Previous tournaments have hosted many of the nationally top ranked teams. The strong competition should once again prove useful as Hopkins continues to grow in this relatively young season.  Both in this tournament, and the rest of the way, strong performances from Bewak and Marcello will continue to drive this team as Hopkins looks to improve on their season from last year.