OMAHA, Neb. -- Cal Poly senior Chase Pami is the sixth NCAA Division I runner-up in Mustang wrestling history.
Trying to become the third Division I national champion, Pami led 2-1 early in the first period, but eventually fell 6-4 to top-seeded J.P. O'Connor of Harvard in the 157-pound final Saturday night at the Qwest Center Omaha.
O'Connor, also a senior and now 4-1 in his career against Pami, scored a takedown later in the first period for a 3-2 lead and added a reversal in the second period for a 5-2 advantage.
Pami recorded an escape late in the second period and another in the third period to close the gap to 5-4. Pami had another 97 seconds remaining in the period to secure the go-ahead takedown, but O'Connor was able to hold him off and compiled 1:30 in riding time for the final point of the match and the 6-4 win.
O'Connor finished the season 35-0 and is a four-time NCAA All-American. Pami, seeded seventh, closes out his Cal Poly career with a 29-7 record this season and a 100-35 career mark. He was 4-1 in the tournament.
“I just had the fire and determination to win it this year," said O'Connor. "I truly believed that I could win it during my sophomore and junior years, but it just didn’t turn out that way, which was disappointing. I tried to turn it into a positive and thought about it every day.
“It’s always a battle and struggle," O'Connor said about the mental aspect of wrestling. "Your mind is a funny thing. You always have those negative thoughts, but this year I did a good job of keeping those thoughts out of my head. Having my coaches support me and how I worked, I felt no one could stop me. I finally won the internal battle in my mind.”
Pami, the lowest seeded wrestler in the championship finals, tried to become the first Cal Poly wrestler in 34 years to capture a Division I national title. Tom Kline won in 1969 and Mark DiGirolamo accomplished the feat in 1976.
Pami earned his 100th career win Friday night with a 13-5 major decision against Justin Lister of Binghamton in the semifinals. O’Connor beat Steve Fittery of American 14-2 in the other semifinal.
Pami placed seventh in last year's NCAA meet and is the ninth two-time All-American at Cal Poly. The others were Kline, Mark Tracey, Vic Moreno, Louie Montano, Chad Mendes, Rodger Warner, Gary Fischer and Darrell Vasquez.
Pami also joins Kline (1968), John Woods (1969), Cliff Hatch (1975), Montano (1983) and Chad Mendes (2008) as the only Mustangs to earn second-place finishes at the Division I nationals.
The championship finals were broadcast by ESPN.
Meanwhile, Mustang sophomore Boris Novachkov claimed seventh place and All-American honors after pinning Steve Bell of Maryland in the second period of their 133-pound bout Saturday morning.
Novachkov scored a takedown and escape in the first period for a 3-2 lead, then notched a reversal and three-point near fall in the second period for an 8-2 advantage before pinning Bell with an arm bar and figure four of the head with 34 seconds left in the period.
Novachkov, the lone Mustang Pac-10 champion this year, posted a 4-2 mark in the three-day tournament and finishes the year with a 28-5 record (56-17 in his Cal Poly career). Bell, a senior, is 27-8 and met Novachkov for the first time.
Cal Poly finished in a tie for 18th place with Michigan State, each with 30 points.
The Mustangs have earned a pair of All-American honors in the nationals for the first time in six years. Darrell Vasquez was fourth at 133 pounds and Vic Moreno placed sixth at 125 in 2004.
Results for Cal Poly wrestlers:
141 -- No. 7 Filip Novachkov maj. dec. Ryan Adams (North Dakota State) 12-4
149 -- Nick Fisher was dec. by Nicholas Bertucci (Purdue) 4-1
157 -- No. 7 Chase Pami dec. Kurt Kinser (Indiana) 3-2
174 -- Ryan DesRoches was maj. dec. by Daniel Rinaldi (Rutgers) 13-4
141 -- No. 7 Filip Novachkov was dec. by Tyler Nauman (Pittsburgh) 6-5
157 -- No. 7 Chase Pami dec. No. 10 Shane Vernon (Oklahoma) 7-5
157 -- No. 7 Chase Pami dec. No. 2 Adam Hall (Boise State) 5-2
Wrestlebacks
174 -- Ryan DesRoches was dec. by Scott Giffin (Pennsylvania) 11-4
Trying to become the third Division I national champion, Pami led 2-1 early in the first period, but eventually fell 6-4 to top-seeded J.P. O'Connor of Harvard in the 157-pound final Saturday night at the Qwest Center Omaha.
O'Connor, also a senior and now 4-1 in his career against Pami, scored a takedown later in the first period for a 3-2 lead and added a reversal in the second period for a 5-2 advantage.
Pami recorded an escape late in the second period and another in the third period to close the gap to 5-4. Pami had another 97 seconds remaining in the period to secure the go-ahead takedown, but O'Connor was able to hold him off and compiled 1:30 in riding time for the final point of the match and the 6-4 win.
O'Connor finished the season 35-0 and is a four-time NCAA All-American. Pami, seeded seventh, closes out his Cal Poly career with a 29-7 record this season and a 100-35 career mark. He was 4-1 in the tournament.
“I just had the fire and determination to win it this year," said O'Connor. "I truly believed that I could win it during my sophomore and junior years, but it just didn’t turn out that way, which was disappointing. I tried to turn it into a positive and thought about it every day.
“It’s always a battle and struggle," O'Connor said about the mental aspect of wrestling. "Your mind is a funny thing. You always have those negative thoughts, but this year I did a good job of keeping those thoughts out of my head. Having my coaches support me and how I worked, I felt no one could stop me. I finally won the internal battle in my mind.”
Pami, the lowest seeded wrestler in the championship finals, tried to become the first Cal Poly wrestler in 34 years to capture a Division I national title. Tom Kline won in 1969 and Mark DiGirolamo accomplished the feat in 1976.
Pami earned his 100th career win Friday night with a 13-5 major decision against Justin Lister of Binghamton in the semifinals. O’Connor beat Steve Fittery of American 14-2 in the other semifinal.
Pami placed seventh in last year's NCAA meet and is the ninth two-time All-American at Cal Poly. The others were Kline, Mark Tracey, Vic Moreno, Louie Montano, Chad Mendes, Rodger Warner, Gary Fischer and Darrell Vasquez.
Pami also joins Kline (1968), John Woods (1969), Cliff Hatch (1975), Montano (1983) and Chad Mendes (2008) as the only Mustangs to earn second-place finishes at the Division I nationals.
The championship finals were broadcast by ESPN.
Meanwhile, Mustang sophomore Boris Novachkov claimed seventh place and All-American honors after pinning Steve Bell of Maryland in the second period of their 133-pound bout Saturday morning.
Novachkov scored a takedown and escape in the first period for a 3-2 lead, then notched a reversal and three-point near fall in the second period for an 8-2 advantage before pinning Bell with an arm bar and figure four of the head with 34 seconds left in the period.
Novachkov, the lone Mustang Pac-10 champion this year, posted a 4-2 mark in the three-day tournament and finishes the year with a 28-5 record (56-17 in his Cal Poly career). Bell, a senior, is 27-8 and met Novachkov for the first time.
Cal Poly finished in a tie for 18th place with Michigan State, each with 30 points.
The Mustangs have earned a pair of All-American honors in the nationals for the first time in six years. Darrell Vasquez was fourth at 133 pounds and Vic Moreno placed sixth at 125 in 2004.
Results for Cal Poly wrestlers:
First Round
133 -- No. 5 Boris Novachkov dec. Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) 6-3 141 -- No. 7 Filip Novachkov maj. dec. Ryan Adams (North Dakota State) 12-4
149 -- Nick Fisher was dec. by Nicholas Bertucci (Purdue) 4-1
157 -- No. 7 Chase Pami dec. Kurt Kinser (Indiana) 3-2
174 -- Ryan DesRoches was maj. dec. by Daniel Rinaldi (Rutgers) 13-4
Second Round
133 -- No. 5 Boris Novachkov dec. Steve Mytych (Drexel) 4-1 TB2 141 -- No. 7 Filip Novachkov was dec. by Tyler Nauman (Pittsburgh) 6-5
157 -- No. 7 Chase Pami dec. No. 10 Shane Vernon (Oklahoma) 7-5
Quarterfinal Round
133 -- No. 5 Boris Novachkov was dec. by No. 4 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) 5-4 (OT) 157 -- No. 7 Chase Pami dec. No. 2 Adam Hall (Boise State) 5-2
Semifinal Round
157 -- No. 7 Chase Pami dec. Justin Lister (Binghamton) 13-5
Championship Final
157 -- No. 7 Chase Pami was dec. by No. 1 J.P. O'Connor (Harvard) 6-4
Wrestlebacks
Second Round
149 -- Nick Fisher was dec. by Seth Morton (Ohio) 12-6 174 -- Ryan DesRoches was dec. by Scott Giffin (Pennsylvania) 11-4
Third Round
141 -- No. 7 Filip Novachkov dec. Dalton Jensen (Iowa State) 6-5
Fourth Round
141 -- No. 7 Filip Novachkov was dec. by No. 5 Zack Bailey (Oklahoma) 9-5
Fifth Round
133 – No. 5 Boris Novachkov dec. Matthew Fisk (Lehigh) 6-2
Sixth Round
133 -- No. 5 Boris Novachkov was dec. by No. 8 Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) 2-1 OT
Final Round
133 -- No. 5 Boris Novachkov pinned Steve Bell (Maryland) 4:26 (seventh place)