Nov. 4, 2009
RICHMOND, Va. - Five current and former Old Dominion University standouts were represented on the Colonial Athletic Association's Silver Anniversary Wrestling Team, the league announced Wednesday. The team includes 22 All-America honorees and 10 former CAA Wrestlers of the Year.
Nick Hall, James Nicholson, Jeff Rusak, Jody Staylor and Ryan Williams were all chosen to be a part of the prestigious team.
As part of its 25th Anniversary celebration in 2009-10, the CAA is recognizing Silver Anniversary teams in 21 championship sports. The teams are selected by a panel of current and former coaches in the conference.
Hall, who was inducted into the ODU Athletics Hall of Fame this year, was a three-time NCAA qualifier and an All-American in 1995. He was chosen as the CAA Wrestler of the Year and was the league's heavyweight champion in 1995 and 1996. The three-time Virginia State champion posted a career record of 116-18-3.
Nicholson, the only current Monarch making the team, is a two-time NCAA qualifier who received All-America honors in 2008 at 125-pounds. He was the CAA champion in 2008 and 2009 and was the 2008 CAA Rookie of the Year. Nicholson also received NWCA Academic All-America accolades in 2008.
Rusak was a four-time NCAA qualifier and two-time CAA champion at 174-pounds. He was named the CAA Wrestler of the Year in 2002 and Rookie of the Year in 1999. He ended his Monarch career with a record of 135-19 with an ODU-record 51 pins.
Staylor was also a two-time NCAA qualifier and he was the national runner-up at 126-pounds in 1994. In 1994, Staylor was named the CAA Wrestlers of the Year and Virginia State Champion. He was the CAA champion at 126-pounds in 1994 and 1995.
Williams, who completed perhaps the greatest season in ODU wrestling history last year, was a three-time NCAA qualifier. He was the national runner-up at 141 pounds in 2009 and was named the CAA Wrestler of the year and the end of the season. Williams was also named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the 2008 championships. A two-time CAA champion at 141-pounds, Williams holds the ODU career wins record with 137 victories.
Members of the CAA Silver Anniversary team for wrestling are:
Mike Coyle (James Madison), John Curtis (George Mason), Jason DeBruin (Hofstra), Josh Feldman (Virginia Tech), Matt Finacchio (George Mason), Don Fisch (Rider), Sean Gray (Virginia Tech), Charles Griffin (Hofstra), Nick Hall (Old Dominion), Ryan Hluschak (Drexel), Chris Martin (Virginia Tech), Jon Masa (Hofstra), James Nicholson (Old Dominion), Michael Patrovich (Hofstra), Josh Patterson (Binghamton), Rob Rebmann (Drexel), Lou Ruggirello (Hofstra), Jeff Rusak (Old Dominion), Chris Skretkowicz (Hofstra), Jody Staylor (Old Dominion), James Strouse (Hofstra), Doug Umbehauer (Rider), Chris Weidman (Hofstra), Ryan Williams (Old Dominion) and Payam Zarrinpour (Sacred Heart).
-ODU-