McCray Earns Victory In Morning Session At NCAA Championships
March 20, 2008 | Wrestling
ST. LOUIS, MO. – Gardner-Webb student-athlete Eddie McCray began wrestling for head coach Scott Shipman in January and earned a first-round win at the NCAA Championships Thursday morning.
McCray drew Stanford's Lucas Espericueta in the 149 lb. division after both earned a bye in the opening round. Espericueta came into the match with a 25-12 record while McCray boasted a 9-3 mark heading into the competition.
McCray opened up the scoring with a quick takedown of Espericueta with a slam, putting him on his back. McCray then earned two three-point near falls before locking Espericueta up with a cradle before getting the fall at the 1:19 mark.
"It was a surprise to everyone here but us," head coach Scott Shipman said. "It was a good way to start the competition for Eddie and for Gardner-Webb."
McCray is now slated to grapple against No. 4 Jordan Burroughs in Thursday night's second round match. Burroughs, who competes for Nebraska, comes into the match with a 24-4 mark.
So far at the NCAA Championships, McCray is the only competitor out of the East Region who has picked up a victory. His fall in 1:19 is the quickest of the three falls that have occurred in the 149 lb. division thus far.
McCray has now gotten all 13 wrestlers he has competed against on their back at one time or another during the match.
To view all 149 lb. matches, go to http://www.intermatwrestle.com/eventscoverage/NCAA2007Div1.htm
Redshirt-sophomore Dustin Porter will compete at approximately 3
p.m., EST. Continue checking back with gwusports.com for updates on
both wrestlers.
