ANNAPOLIS, MD – Senior Ryan McGrath (Columbia, NJ) cruised through the 197-pound weight bracket with four-straight wins, securing a first place finish, to lead the Rutgers University wrestling team to a fifth-place team finish at the 2002 Navy Classic. McGrath received support from junior Greg Austin (Seaville, NJ) and senior Frank Sabatino (Hazlet, NJ), who took third at 149 and 285, respectively.

West Virginia took first with 130.5 points, followed by Kent State (116), Navy (113.5), NC State (87) and Rutgers (84.5). The Citadel (73.5), UNC-Greensboro (10) and Macdaniel (4) rounded out the team scoring.

McGrath, who did not place at the season-opening Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Tournament last weekend, was unseeded but handed Navy’s Andrew Adamp a 10-1 loss in the opening round. McGrath then shut out third-seeded Jordan Everett of The Citadel, 4-0, and knocked off second-seeded Adrian Thompson of West Virginia, 3-2, in the semifinals. In the finals, McGrath knocked off Navy’s Jim Letchford, seeded fourth, 7-3.

Austin, who took third at the Brockport tournament last weekend, won his first two bouts, but fell in the semifinals to NC State’s Jake Giamoni on an escape in double overtime, 3-2. Bounced to consolation action, Austin defeated Navy’s Adam Brochetti, 3-2, and Kent State’s Jason Bake, 14-7, in the consolation finals.

Sabatino lost his first-round match to second-seeded Brant Miller of West Virginia, 5-2, but fought back with four-straight wins in consolation action. Unseeded, Sabatino beat fourth-seeded John Kimble of UNC-Greensboro, 1-0, in the consolation semis and third-seeded Billy Linane of The Citadel, 4-0, in the finals.

Sophomore Andy Roy (Wall, NJ) placed fourth, falling to NC State’s Dustin Kawa, 6-5, in the semifinals. After pinning Navy’s Mike Barikian in his first consolation bout (5:41), Roy took a medical forfeit in the consolation finals. Sophomore Andrew Tilles (Devon, PA) also took fourth at 133, while Chris Ressa (Andover, NJ) finished fifth at 165.