NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion wrestling redshirt sophomore Jack Dechow faces an early season test on Saturday, as he is set to compete against Cornell’s Gabe Dean in the prestigious 2014 NWCA All-Star Classic. This year’s All-Star Classic is presented by the United States Marine Corps and the Wrestlers in Business Network, and will be hosted by Penn and WIBN-Philadelphia on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.
“We are very honored to have Jack Dechow wrestling in the All-Star Classic, and I couldn’t think of a better way to start the season,” Old Dominion wrestling head coach Steve Martin said. “It is a very prestigious honor to be selected and it will put Old Dominion University on a national platform.”
The All-Star Classic will highlight many of the nation's top Division I wrestlers who will participate in a dual meet format, as the lineup features seven top-ranked wrestlers in Division I, one top-ranked wrestler in the NAIA, nine second-ranked wrestlers from Division I, along with two #3's and one #4. In all, 15 different schools will be represented and will comprise of athletes from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, EIWA, EWL, MAC and NAIA.
The event will be streamed on Flowrestling.org and requires a FloPro subscription ($20/month). FOX College Sports will provide television coverage on a tape-delay during the season, starting two weeks after the event has completed. The main event matchups are set to start at 7:30 p.m. For more information regarding the classic, please visit here.
Dechow will be the first Monarch to compete in the event since James Nicholson competed in 2008 and 2009 at 125 lbs. Wayne Bright was the first Old Dominion wrestler to appear in the classic in 1970. Dechow will try to become the first ODU wrestler to win at the All-Star Classic in ODU’s fourth overall appearance.
The 184-pound fourth-place NCAA finisher, Dechow is one of 20 All-Americans set to compete at the event, as he will take on All-American Gabe Dean from Cornell. The Nov. 1 showdown marks the second meeting between Dechow and Dean. Last season, Dechow fell to Dean in a gut-wrenching 5-4 decision in the third-place match of the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
As a redshirt freshman a season ago, Dechow finished the 2013-14 season with a 21-6 overall record and 11-3 in duals and led the team with four major decision victories. Throughout the season, he took down nine national qualifiers to bring his career total to 11. He earned a bid to the 2014 NCAA Championships after winning the 184-pound MAC title by defeating Northern Iowa’s All-American Ryan Loder. As he advanced to the NCAA semifinals, he defeated the 4th-seeded Max Thomusseit, 12th-seeded Ophir Bernstein and the 7th-seeded Kevin Steinhaus. He currently holds a 55-18 career record as has been ranked No. 2 in his weight class in six preseason polls this season.
The Ivy League and EIWA Rookie of the Year, Dean went 40-3 last season with his only losses coming to the top two wrestlers at his weight class. He led the team in wins and was second in bonus wins (23). He won 29 consecutive matches, including 11 over top 20 wrestlers, before dropping a 5-3 decision to eventual national champion Ed Ruth of Penn State in the NCAA semifinals. Dean also won the New York State Intercollegiate, the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, the Southern Scuffle and the EIWA championship and placed second at the Binghamton Open.
The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a professional organization dedicated to supporting and elevating the sport of amateur wrestling. NWCA provides leadership and guidance primarily to scholastic and collegiate wrestling programs, but is an advocate to all levels of wrestling. The NWCA promotes communication, recognizes achievement, recommends rules and regulations, sponsors events and serves as a resource for education and information pertaining to the sport of wrestling. Additionally, The NWCA strives to foster the sportsmanship and integrity that are the cornerstones of any competitive sport. For more information, visit www.nwcaonline.com.
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