Springfield, Mass. - March 2, 2010 - Freshman Joe Grippi will head to Iowa this week as he represents Springfield College in the 2010 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships. Grippi is seeded eighth in the country and will be one of 16 wrestlers from across the country to compete at the 133 pound weight class. Competition will begin at 11:00 am on Friday morning in the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Bedford Hills, N.Y. product earned a berth in the national event after he won the 133 pound weight class competition at the New England Wrestling Association Championships on February 20-21 at Western New England College. The first-year blew through the competition as he rattled off a 5-0 record throughout the weekend en route to claiming the individual crown.
In his first match, the eighth-seeded Grippi will square off against William Livingston from Centenary. If Grippi, who owns a 22-2 record this season, were to advance past Livingston, he would take on the winner of of the match between top-seeded Bebeto Yewah of UW La Crosse and Tom D Alessandro of Heidelberg.
Jason Holder will enter his second season as head wrestling coach in 2012. Holder had a standout first season at the helm of the Pride, leading Springfield to the NEWA Duals Championship and taking three wrestlers to the NCAA Championships.
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