BUIES CREEK, N.C. - After winning the heavyweight title at the East
Regional Championships, Campbell senior Parker Burns will compete
in this week's NCAA Wrestling Championships held Thursday-Saturday
(March 17-19) in Philadelphia.
Wrestling in the NCAAs for the second consecutive year, Burns will
take on Lehigh's Zachery Rey - the No. 1-ranked heavyweight in the
nation - in Thursday's opening session, which is slated for an 11
a.m. start.
"We're really looking forward to Parker representing us this year,"
said first-year head coach Joe Boardwine. "There's two ways to
look at the draw - you could just say, 'Wow, that's a tough draw'
or you could go out and wrestle well against a top guy. He seems
confident and healthy, and our plan is to get him ready to wrestle
right out of the gate."
Burns clinched an automatic bid to the NCAAs after winning a pair
of matches at the East Regional Championships on March 6. Burns
picked up a fall in 1:27 over Millersville's Bradley Ladd in his
first match, and won a 7-1 decision over Sacred Heart's Paul
Schweighardt in the championship match to earn the individual crown
at 285 pounds.
Last year, Burns became the first Camel to qualify for the NCAA
tournament since 2002 after winning the 197 pound championship at
the East Region tournament. He fell to seventh-seeded Anthony
Biondo of Michigan in his opening-round match.
The Everett, Wash., native moved up a weight class this offseason
and is just the second Campbell wrestler to qualify for the NCAA
tournament twice; Anthony Cox accomplished the feat in 1987 and
'88.
Burns holds a 17-13 record this year, including five wins by
fall.
"This is exciting for Campbell wrestling," said Boardwine. "It's a
good springboard for our program, and we hope to do a lot more of
that in the future."
Rey, the top-ranked heavyweight in the nation and top seed in the
bracket, won his first 29 bouts of the year for Lehigh before
falling in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA)
championship last week. Of the junior's 29 wins, seven have come
by fall.
A total of 330 wrestlers will compete (33 per weight class) at the
NCAA Championships, which are being held at the Wells Fargo
Center.
Sessions 1-5 will be aired on ESPN3.com, and Session 6 will be
broadcast on ESPN Saturday at 7:30.
81st NCAA Championships Schedule:
Dates: March 17-19, 2011
Session 1: Thursday, March 17, 11 a.m. (pigtail round, round of
32)
Session 2: Thursday, March 17, 6:30 p.m. (round of 16 and
wrestle-back prelims)
Session 3: Friday, March 18, 10:30 a.m. (quarterfinals and
wrestle-backs)
Session 4: Friday, March 19, 7:00 p.m. (semifinals and
wrestle-backs)
Session 5: Saturday, March 19, 11:00 a.m. (consolation semifinals
and medal rounds - 3rd-8th)
Session 6: Saturday, March 19, 7:30 p.m. (national finals)
