For Immediate Release: March 20, 2010
Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6800

BU wrestler Lister pins No. 4 seed, finishes fourth at NCAA Championship
Unseeded sophomore completes incredible run with four wins, All-America honors

NCAA Brackets

OMAHA, Neb. -- Binghamton sophomore 157-pound Justin Lister completed a remarkable run at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship with another pin of a high-ranking foe on Saturday and took home fourth place in his first national appearance. Lister went 4-2 in the three-day event to earn the highest NCAA finish of any Binghamton wrestler at the Division I level. With a program-best six national qualifiers and nine wins among them, BU will likely earn top-25 team status, which would also be a benchmark.

With BU's 100+ contingent of supporters and the capacity Qwest Center decidedly in the corner of the unseeded Lister, the Bearcats' final remaining wrestler delivered his second pin of a top-5 opponent in the consolation semifinals Saturday morning, dropping fourth-seeded Cyler Sanderson of Penn State in 4:04. The pin sent Lister into the third-place match with No. 2 seed Adam Hall of Boise State. Hall used takedowns in each of the first and second periods to take control and ended Lister's tournament with an 8-0 win.

"It was a phenominal job by Justin," head coach Pat Popolizio said. "He made a big statement and helped expose our program to a whole new level. It was very rewarding, especially beating two kids that had beaten him earlier in the year. He finished the tournament strong and is setting the tone for the future of our program."

The fall over Sanderson was stunning, given his pedigree. Sanderson is a former All-American, three-time NCAA qualifier and Big 12 champion for Iowa State. He entered the match with a 32-4 record. Up 2-1 early in the second period, Lister locked Sanderson in a cradle and ended it 1:04 into the second period. It was his second pin of the tournament, tying him for the most in the 157-pound weight class. On Friday, Lister dropped No. 3 seed Jesse Dong of Virginia Tech in 1:18 in the quarterfinals.

He completed his sophomore season with a 32-10 record, including 10 pins. Lister set program standards with his fourth-place finish and semifinal advancement.

NCAA Results
First Round
141 - #3 Michael Thorn (Minnesota) maj. dec. Anwar Goeres (BU), 14-2
149 - #5 Frank Molinaro (Penn St.) dec. Donnie Vinson (BU), 9-4
157 - Justin Lister (BU) dec. #11 Robert Erisman (Oklahoma St.), 3-0
165 - Matt Kaylor (BU) dec. Robby Neill (Navy), 3-2
174 - #11 Josh Patterson (BU) maj. dec. Shane Smith (Millersville), 9-0
184 - Travis Rutt (Wisconsin) dec. Nate Schiedel (BU), 7-3
Second Round
157 - Justin Lister (BU) dec. Thomas Scotton (North Carolina), 3-1
165 - Chris Brown (Old Dominion) dec. Matt Kaylor (BU), 9-3
174 - #6 Mike Benefiel (Oklahoma St.) dec. #11 Josh Patterson (BU), 3-1
Consolation Second Round
141 - Anwar Goeres (BU) dec. Trevor Melde (Rutgers), 10-6
149 - Donnie Vinson (BU) dec. #12 Mario Mason (Minnesota), 5-2
184 - Jerome Ward (Iowa St.) dec. Nate Schiedel (BU), 3-1
Quarterfinals
157 - Justin Lister (BU) #3 Jesse Dong (Va. Tech)
Consolation Third Round
141 - #8 Alex Krom (Maryland) dec. Anwar Goeres (BU), 11-6
149 - Kyle Borshoff (American) dec. Donnie Vinson (BU), 4-2 SV
165 - Kyle Bounds (Michigan State) dec. Matt Kaylor (BU), 5-3
174 - #11 Josh Patterson (BU) dec. Nathan Lee (Boise St.), 12-6
Consolation Fourth Round
174 - Philip Moricone (Edinboro) dec. #11 Josh Patterson (BU), 9-3
Quarterfinals
157 - Justin Lister (BU) WBF #3 Jesse Dong (Va. Tech), 1:33
Semifinals
157 - #7 Chase Pami (Cal Poly) maj. dec. Justin Lister (BU), 13-5
Consolation Semifinals
157 - Justin Lister (BU) WBF Cyler Sanderson (Penn St.), 4:04
Third Place Match
157 - #2 Adam Hall (Boise St.) maj. dec. Justin Lister (BU), 8-0