March 11, 2011

MACON, Ga. - Four Southern Illinois University Edwardsville wrestlers are still alive in the semifinals of the National Collegiate Wrestling Association Championships after day two.

SIUE is in fourth place in the team race with 69.5 points. Cal-Baptist leads the tournament with 99.5 points followed by Grand Valley State at 90 and Marion Military with 70. There are 77 teams at the tournament.

Defending national champion David Devine continues his push toward a back-to-back title at 285 pounds. He pinned Karim Mansour of Maryland-Baltimore County in 2 minutes, 25 seconds, for his third straight first-period pin. He will wrestle Cal-Baptist's Alex Evers in Sunday's semifinals.

The Cougars have two semifinalists at 174 pounds. Top-seeded Michael Dace won his third straight match with a 7-0 victory over Derek Wojcik of Mercer. Dace meets Cole Gracey of the U.S. Military Institute in the semifinals.

Deshoun White also earned a spot in the semifinals with a 3-1 triumph over Northeastern's Jason Dack. White, who is SIUE's No. 2 wrestler at 174 pounds and does not count in the team score, meets Kenneth Tribble of Cal-Baptist in the semifinals.

Four other Cougars also have assured themselves spots in the top eight.

Eric Biehl has won four straight matches to advance to the wrestleback semifinals at 149 pounds. Fellow 149-pounder Derrick Pousson is in the same position on the other side of the wrestleback bracket. After losing in the second round, Pousson has won three matches with two pins and 10-8 victory over Albany's Frank Perillo.

Steve Ross continues to advance at 165 pounds after winning his first two matches and losing his third. Ross, a non-scorer for the Cougars, pinned Illinois State's Jon Coluzzi in the wrestlebacks.

Robert Cooney rebounded his quarterfinal loss to advance in the wrestlebacks. Cooney most recently edged Florida A&M's Roland Pitts 5-4.

The final matches of the tournament are set for Saturday.

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