May 16th,2011
Hofstra Wrestling has been very busy
since the NCAA tournament. We gave the team some time off to regroup
both physically and mentally. Training has since resumed and the guys
are back and energized. They are working hard in the classroom, on the
mat and in the weight room to prepare for next season. We know that
having two All-Americans in the National Tournament was a good
performance, however we are not satisfied with our results. Our goal
is to be one of the top-10 teams in the country next year. Hofstra has
done it before and with the amount of talent we have coming back next
year, these men know that it can be done again.
In early April we sent current Hofstra wrestler and All-American PJ
Gillespie, as well as Assistant Wrestling Coach Terry Madden, to
compete at the US Open in Cleveland. Both PJ and Terry advanced to the
semifinals of the qualifying tournament, which earned them a spot in
Day 2 of the US Open. However, neither Gillespie nor Madden were able
to earn placements at the Open. The tournament served as valuable
experience for both of our entrants. PJ is embracing a leadership role
since the NCAA's and his efforts are being noted by other members of
the team. If we want to surpass our 7th place finish from the 2007
NCAA's, we’re going to need leaders to step up in the room and serve
the team as positive role models. Many of our athletes have made a
commitment to stay on Hofstra's campus over the summer to train and
put themselves in a position to hit the ground running for our first
home match against Wisconsin on November 20.
In other news, The Blue & Gold Wrestling Club ran a Poker Night
on April 12. The event had more than 60 people in attendance, with all
proceeds going to help current and future athletes train at Hofstra
University with aspirations of representing the United States by
becoming World and Olympic team members. I want to thank everyone who
came out in support of the Blue & Gold Wrestling Club and our cause.
Special thanks go out to our sponsors, NERAKI Greek Mediterranean
Grill, Guy Truicko, Bob Williams, XCEL Wrestling, Rosemar Construction
and Social Sports Kitchen for hosting the event. See us on
facebook at
Blue and Gold Wrestling Club.
I look forward to keeping you all updated with the progress of the
Hofstra Wrestling program.
Go Pride!
Zach
Tanelli
Assistant Wrestling Coach
Hofstra University
230
Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY 11010
Office: 516-463-3758
Fax:
516-463-7514
