The last two All-Americans were added at 133 pounds where Lehigh's two-time All-American Mason Beckman was selected to compete for a third time. He will face All-American Rossi Bruno of Michigan, one of three Wolverines set to compete in the event. He'll join Max Huntley and Adam Coon.
This will be Beckman's first All-Star match against a wrestler not named A.J. Schopp. The previous two years, Beckman and the Edinboro graduate traded wins at the event.
"Obviously Mason Beckman enjoys competing in the event, it's his third time," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "But more than just competing three times, Mason really does embody what it's like to be a student-athlete. He performs at a high level, he attends a prestigious academic institution and he loves to compete."
Beckman finished sixth at 133 pounds, finishing last season with a 30-8 record. As the No. 10 seed, he rebounded from an opening round loss at the NCAA Division I Championships in St. Louis to win five straight matches and clinch his second All-American honor.
Bruno entered as the No. 14 seed and finished eighth. After opening the NCAA tournament with an overtime win over Rider's Rob Deutsch, Bruno was sent to the consolation bracket by eventual finalist Cory Clark of Iowa. In the consolations, Bruno won three straight matches, including two over fellow Big Ten wrestlers, to earn his first All-American honor. He defeated Drexel's Kevin Devoy in sudden victory to cement his place in the top eight.
"Rossi Bruno comes from a great wrestling tradition at Brandon High School in Florida," said Moyer. "His exciting finish at last year's NCAA championships in the All-American round are the types of matches this sport is made of."
Bruno and Beckman, who hails from Reynolds High School in Western Pennsylvania, have wrestled one another just once during their careers - a 7-5 victory by Bruno at last season's Southern Scuffle. Beckman enters with a career record of 85-25, while Bruno is 61-45 in three seasons in Ann Arbor.
Beckman's appearance will mark the 30th time a Lehigh wrestler has competed in the event. They've compiled a 16-13 record overall with the last wins coming in 2013 at George Mason where Beckman and teammate Joey Napoli both earned victories. Beckman is also the 23rd wrestler in the event's history to make at least three appearances in the All-Star Classic.
Coming into 2015, Michigan wrestlers are 14-16-3 all-time in the event, with Steve Luke picking up the school's last victory back in 2009 against Iowa's Jay Borschel at 174 pounds.
Announced #NWCAClassic50 Matchups
125: Nathan Tomasello, So. (Ohio State) vs. Zeke Moisey, So. (West Virginia)
133: Mason Beckman, Sr. (Lehigh) vs. Rossi Bruno, Sr. (Michigan)
141: Cody Brewer, Sr. (Oklahoma) vs. Dean Heil, So. (Oklahoma State)
149: B.J. Clagon, So. (Rider) vs. Alexander Richardson, Sr. (Old Dominion)
157: Isaiah Martinez, So. (Illinois) vs. Nick Brascetta, Sr. (Virginia Tech)
165: Alex Dieringer, Sr. (Oklahoma State) vs. Ethan Ramos, So. (North Carolina)
174: Kyle Crutchmer, Jr. (Oklahoma State) vs. Zach Epperly, So. (Virginia Tech)
184: Nathaniel Brown, Sr. (Lehigh) vs. Vic Avery, Sr. (Edinboro)
197: Conner Hartmann, Sr. (Duke) vs. Max Huntley, Sr. (Michigan)
285: Adam Coon, Jr. (Michigan) vs. Ty Walz, Jr. (Virginia Tech)
WHAT: 50th Annual Hire Heroes NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the Wrestlers in Business Network Atlanta Chapter
WHEN: Sunday, November 1, 2015, 5 p.m. Eastern
WHERE: Hank McCamish Pavilion, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Ga.
TICKETS: VIP/Social $125, Premium Floor $100, Premium $50, Reserved $25-$35; General Admission $10-$20; Student Rate $15
PURCHASE ONLINE: Click here
TV/LIVE STREAMING: ESPNU (Find ESPNU on your cable or satellite provider)
EVENT WEBSITE: http://www.theallstarclassic.com
About the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA)
The NWCA brings the wrestling coaching community together to advance the sport and ensure that current and future generations have the opportunity to engage in a safe and educationally based wrestling experience. This is primarily done by strengthening existing programs, creating new programs, and providing coaches with progressive educational opportunities.
About Wrestlers in Business Network (WIBN)
The Group Wrestlers in Business is a non-profit organization that strives to unite the thousands of wrestlers that have retired from the sport and are now in their respective careers. It started as a networking group on LinkedIn. Since then, the group has evolved into a more prominent, member-focused organization that cares about supporting current & former wrestlers and the sport. Their mission is to establish a community of wrestlers who commonly share in the interest of helping each other in business and in life, while supporting and strengthening the sport that made us who we are today. www.wrestlersinbusiness.org
About ESPNU
The 24-hour college sports television network airs more than 650 live events annually. ESPNU is available nationwide in approximately 73 million households.
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