EMAIL THIS PAGE

Hoffer, Harris, Ready for NCAA Tournament
Hoffer will make third career appearance at the event

Mar. 19, 2002

NCAA Tournament Bracket: 125 lbs.
NCAA Tournament Bracket: 149 lbs.

WASHINGTON -- Senior Marc Hoffer (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Central), ranked No. 16 in the nation at 149 lbs. by Intermat, and senior Willie Harris (Washington, D.C./DeMatha), 125 lbs., will both compete at the 72nd annual Division I NCAA Championships on March 21-23 in Albany, N.Y. Hoffer and Harris each won their respective weight classes at the East Regional Qualifying event on Saturday, Mar. 9, in Millersville, Pa. American earned a fourth-place team finish at the event with 56.5 team points.

Hoffer leads the all-time career wins list at American with 122 wins. He has 11 pins in 2001-02 and 13 total career pins. In Millersville, Hoffer grappled Brad Cieleski of Slippery Rock to a 12-4 major decision to capture the weight-class win and automatic berth to the NCAA tournament. Harris defeated Kevin Gray of Duquesne in the finals by a 13-8 decision. He holds a 19-5 overall record in 2001-02, including an impressive 13-1 dual meet record.

Hoffer returns to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in his career at American University. He qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2001 and fell in the first round. In 1999, he advanced to the quarterfinals, the farthest an American wrestler has advanced in school history. Harris competes at the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 2002.

The NCAA Division I Tournament will be held in Albany, N.Y. at the Pepsi Arena, on Thursday, Mar. 21, through Saturday, Mar. 23. The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, Rider University and Siena College will act as the tournament hosts. For ticket and event information, please visit www.pepsiarena.com.

Official NCAA Tournament Preview