Brackets - .pdf

ERIE, Pa. --  Senior 157-pounder Andy Lamancusa looks for his fourth-straight crown at the NCAA II Super Region I Championships this weekend, Feb. 26-27 at Pitt-Johnstown.  Defending national champion Josh Shields will go after his second-straight title at 165 lbs. to close out the Lakers returners.

The top four wrestlers in each weight class will advance to the 2010 NCAA II National Championships, hosted by Nebraska-Omaha on March 12-13.  True-fourth matches will be wrestled if ncessary.

Please click here to view complete game notes for this weekend's regional tournament, or read below a short preview capsule.  To visit the official tournament website, please click here.

Mercyhurst at the NCAA Super Region 1 Championships: (formerly named East Region)
Mercyhurst enters its eighth NCAA Super Region I Championships, which were formerly known as the NCAA East Region Championships until 2008-09. The Lakers have never finished lower than seventh in the region that now contains 15 institutions. Mercyhurst has finished as the runner-up on four occasions, third once, fifth a season ago and seventh each of the first two years the Lakers began sponsoring the sport, beginning with 2001-02. 

Mercyhurst boasts 10 Super Region I Champions, with senior Andy Lamancusa trying to become the first Laker to win four straight regional titles. In fact, he currently is the only Laker to win multiple regional titles, taking the crown at 157 lbs. each of the past three seasons. 

At 165 lbs., Josh Shields looks to become the second Laker to win multiple titles after earning his first crown a year ago. 

Scouting Mercyhurst:
The Lakers enter the 2010 NCAA Super Region I Championships off a 22-16 come-from-behind win against Ashland in the regular-season finale. Mercyhurst finished with a 6-12 mark just one year after going 16-5-1 to set the program record for victories. 

Youthful is the best adjective to describe this year's edition, with the Lakers owning just two upperclassmen in the starting lineup in Lamancusa and Shields. Rounding out the inexperienced lineup is two sophomores, four true freshmen and a red-shirt freshman. 

Two nationally-ranked wrestlers headline the Lakers lineup, including defending national champion Shields, who has been ranked No. 1 all season. The red-shirt junior owns a 30-3 mark this season, with all of his losses coming against Division I talent. Shields is a two-time All-America, with his first honor coming in 2008 with a fourth-place finish at 174. 

Ranked seventh in the latest national poll, Lamancusa is the program's all-time wins leader (111) and owns a 31-7 mark this year. He is a two-time All-America, picking up a third-place finish last year and a sixth-place finish in 2008. 

Heavyweight Fred Hale is ranked third in the latest regional rankings. A sophomore in terms of eligibility, this is Hale's first year with the squad after spending the last three as an all-conference defensive end for the Lakers football team. Hale is 15-11 overall, 5-5 in tournaments. 

Only Lamancusa and Shields have participated in the Super Region I Championships. All remaining seven Lakers entered in the tournament will be making their first appearance.