Caruso Places Eighth at NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- Bridgewater State University senior Ricky Caruso finished eighth to earn All-America honors in the beavyweight class at the 2014 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships held at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Friday and Saturday.

Caruso (38-8) posted a record of 2-3 at the tournament.  He dropped a 4-0 decision to fifth-seeded Cody Lovejoy of Ohio Northern University in the seventh place match in his final bout of the tournament.

A native of Waltham, Massachusetts, Caruso posted a 6-4 upset win in sudden victory overtime over Lovejoy in the first round, followed by a 5-0 setback to #4 James Buss of Loras College in the quarterfinals.

In the consolation round, Caruso recorded three takedowns and one reversal to post an 8-3 win over Kyle McGuire of Trinity College to secure All-America status and advance to the consolation quarterfinals. He then dropped a 5-2 decision to eight-seeded Zachery Roseberry of Delaware Valley College to move to the seventh-place bout and a rematch with Lovejoy.

Caruso is the third Bridgewater State grappler to garner All-America honors joining John Marsh and BSU Hall of Famer Craig Buckley. Marsh achieved the honor in 2010 with a fifth place showing competing out of the 149-pound weight class.  Buckley is the Bears' only two-time All-American as he placed seventh in 2002 at 197 and sixth in 2004 at 184.