PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Three Plymouth State College wrestlers are ranked in the top four in New England in their respective weight classes, according to the New England Intercollegiate Wrestling News’ latest individual rankings. The Panthers as a team are rated fifth in New England in Division III, and 10th in New England in all divisions.
Seniors Brian Borkowski (Sabattus, ME) at 167 pounds and Dave Lucia (Billerica, MA) at heavyweight are each ranked at the top of their weight classes in Division III New England, and junior Russ Pamulak (Indianola, IA) is the fourth-ranked wrestler in the 177 pound division.
“We’re struggling in the lighter weight classes due to some forfeits,” said PSC third-year head coach Dave Carlson. “But from 158 and up, we’re as strong as anyone in New England. I’m very pleased with how hard we’re working in practice, and we’ve made some definite improvements.”
Borkowski, the defending New England champion at 158 pounds, is atop the 167-pound weight class for this season. He has a sparkling 13-0 record this season, including an 11-0 mark at 167 pounds, and has won individual titles at both the Springfield and RIT Invitationals. He also has a 52-3 takedown advantage over his opponents, and is ranked seventh at 167 in the national Division III rankings. Borkowski, an NCAA participant last season, sports an impressive 78-20 career record.
Lucia, the New England heavyweight champion and NCAA qualifier in 1996, has moved back to the top of the heavyweight division this season. He has posted an 11-2 mark this season, and finished runner-up at both the Springfield and RIT Invitationals. Lucia, who is ranked sixth in the national Division III heavyweight rankings, has an impressive career mark of 61-21.
Pamulak has come into his own this season, and his 14-3 overall record includes a 10-3 mark at 177 pounds and a 4-0 mark at 190. He placed third at 177 at the Springfield Invitational and fifth at the RIT Invitational. Pamulak has improved his career mark to 24-8.
Other wrestlers doing well for Plymouth State include sophomore Shawn Kain (Lakeville, MA), who has a 6-6 record at 158 pounds; sophomore Ben Baker (Gardiner, ME), who is 7-4 at 167; senior Peter Marinilli (Stoughton, MA), who is 6-2 at 167 and 177 combined; and junior Ryan Carr (Salem, NH), who is 9-3 in the heavyweight class and placed at both tournaments.
The Panthers, 4-1-1 in dual matches, will be at the Southern Connecticut duals this Saturday (Jan. 17) in New Haven, Conn. That will be followed by the only three home meets of the year at Foley Gymnasium — the PSC Open on Saturday, Jan.24, sandwiched between Wednesday night duals against Norwich (Jan. 21, 7:00 p.m.) and WPI (Jan 28, 7:00 p.m.).
Partly Cloudy. Temperature: 62; Wind: ESE at 4; Conditions as of Sat May 18 at 08:00 PM EDT