2008 Woodie Awards
Zarrinpour continues ealry dominance
Oliver Kranichfeld
Issue date: 12/8/05 Section: Sports
More than 500 wrestlers competed in the Penn State Open this past Sunday, and when the dust finally settled on the mat, only 10 competitors walked away victorious.
Sacred Heart's most notable performance came from heavyweight standout Payam Zarrinpour, a junior from Shiraz, Iran. He was recently ranked #8 in the country in the 285-pound weight class.
Zarrinpour reached the finals, defeating five opponents in his division before being ousted by Tanner Garret of the United States Naval Academy in a highly anticipated showdown.
The field of talent was deep in the tournament, which included several nationally ranked teams, including #11 Cornell, #13 Penn State, #17 Michigan State, #19 Hofstra, #21 Navy and #23 Army.
Zarrinpour was hot off of his victories in the Cornell Body Bar Invitational and the Northeast Duals. He had pinned the #2 wrestler in the nation, and remained an unbeaten 8-0 coming into the Penn State Open.
"I'm proud of what this team has accomplished so far this year," senior Michael Ames of Billerica, Mass. said. "We have great senior leadership in the room and the younger guys keep improving every week.
"It's hard not to improve when your drill partner wants to get as much out of practice as you do," he said.
The Pioneers had a strong performance overall, especially considering the level of competition.
Junior Mike Arone, a Waltham, Mass. native from the 125-pound class, came up with a win; senior captain Kyle McCarthy of Duxbury, Mass. posted two wins in the 133-pound class.
Sophomores Matt Stuart and Chris Davis each had a win in the 141-pound class; sophomore Tom Sands pulled off a victory in the 149-pound class; Ames also recorded a win for the Pioneers.
Though no other wrestler made it as far as Zarrinpour, the team is happy with the results, and sees Sacred Heart's program as becoming a force to be reckoned with this season, as well as the seasons to come.
"As a team we could have (done) better," Sands, a native of Newburgh, N.Y., said. "But overall everyone looked good, and we were right there with the competition throughout the day."
Sacred Heart's most notable performance came from heavyweight standout Payam Zarrinpour, a junior from Shiraz, Iran. He was recently ranked #8 in the country in the 285-pound weight class.
Zarrinpour reached the finals, defeating five opponents in his division before being ousted by Tanner Garret of the United States Naval Academy in a highly anticipated showdown.
The field of talent was deep in the tournament, which included several nationally ranked teams, including #11 Cornell, #13 Penn State, #17 Michigan State, #19 Hofstra, #21 Navy and #23 Army.
Zarrinpour was hot off of his victories in the Cornell Body Bar Invitational and the Northeast Duals. He had pinned the #2 wrestler in the nation, and remained an unbeaten 8-0 coming into the Penn State Open.
"I'm proud of what this team has accomplished so far this year," senior Michael Ames of Billerica, Mass. said. "We have great senior leadership in the room and the younger guys keep improving every week.
"It's hard not to improve when your drill partner wants to get as much out of practice as you do," he said.
The Pioneers had a strong performance overall, especially considering the level of competition.
Junior Mike Arone, a Waltham, Mass. native from the 125-pound class, came up with a win; senior captain Kyle McCarthy of Duxbury, Mass. posted two wins in the 133-pound class.
Sophomores Matt Stuart and Chris Davis each had a win in the 141-pound class; sophomore Tom Sands pulled off a victory in the 149-pound class; Ames also recorded a win for the Pioneers.
Though no other wrestler made it as far as Zarrinpour, the team is happy with the results, and sees Sacred Heart's program as becoming a force to be reckoned with this season, as well as the seasons to come.
"As a team we could have (done) better," Sands, a native of Newburgh, N.Y., said. "But overall everyone looked good, and we were right there with the competition throughout the day."