Brockway's Rendos All American

by Courier Express Tri County

Posted on March 22, 2009

Bucknell junior Andy Rendos, a 2006 graduate of Brockway High School, enjoyed quite a weekend at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships as the Bison placed fifth in the country at 165 pounds.
In total, Rendos went 5-2 during the three-day event at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, and the former Rover finally got over the hump to earn All-American status (top eight finishers). Rendos had clinched automatic berths to the NCAAs the past two seasons, and won a match each year, but really made a run at nationals this year.
By placing fifth. Rendos became just the fourth Bison in school history to earn All-American status and the first in 14 years. Bobby Ferraro was an All-American in 1994 and '95. Rendos' fifth-place finish also is the second-highest in school history, just behind Tom Marchetti who placed fourth at 167 pounds in 1989.
Rendos, who has been a team co-captain the past two seasons, ended the year with an impressive 33-8 record and now is 88-25 in his three-year Bison career.
The 33 wins this year tie him with classmate Shane Riccio and Brian Pitzer for the most victoriues in a season in school history. His 88 career wins place Rendos in a tie for fifth on Bucknell's career wins list, 30 behind Ferraro for the all-time record (118).
Rendos, who was unseeded, opened the D-I Championships by winning his first two bouts Thursday to reach the quarterfinals. Rendos opened Friday with a 7-3 setback to Andrew Howe of Wisconsin, the No. 2 seed at 165 who made the finals. Needing at least one win to reach the medal rounds, Rendos guaranteed himself All-American status with a hard fought 5-3 victory over Penn State's Dan Vallimont.
The Bison took a 3-0 lead into the third period against Vallimont, but the Nittany Lion tied the score at 3-3. However, Rendos earned an escape and then tacked on a point for riding time to come away with the two-point victory.
Rendos closed out his action Friday with a dominating 11-2 major decision over Boise State's Tyler Sherfey in the consolation quarterfinals.
On Saturday morning, Rendos suffered a 7-4 loss to eighth-seeded Jonathan Reader of Iowa State in the consy semifinals. Reader beat Rendos, 8-2, at last year's NCAA Championships.
The loss dropped Rendos into the fifth-place match where he faced fourth-seeded Moza Fay (29-7) of the University of Northern Iowa. Rendos beat Fay, 9-6, to place fifth.
Fay was the fifth wrestler seeded in the top 10 that Rendos faced in the tournament and the Bison went 3-2 in those bouts with lone losses coming to Lowe and Reader. Rendos beat tenth-seeded Chris Brown (Old Dominion) and seventh-seeded Stephen Dwyer (Nebraska) on Thursday.
Rendos' success at the collegiate level should come as no surprise after his stellar high school career at Brockway. Rendos won four District 9 titles and placed at states three times, winning state titles his junior and senior years. He ended his Rovers career with a 144-16 record.
The area's other two wrestlers at the NCAA Championships - Penn State's Brad Pataky and Army's Matt Kyler, both Clearfield grads - were both eliminated from the tournament on Friday.
Pataky (30-11) went 2-1 on Thursday at 125 and beat Illinois' Bernard Futrell 12-6 in a consolation bout Friday. However, Pataky was bounced from the tournament with a 9-3 loss to Nicholas Bedelyon of Kent State. Bedelyon, an Indian Valley grad, went on to place eighth.
Kyler, seeded eighth at 149, went 1-1 Thursday and was eliminated Friday morning as he lost 3-2 to Penn's Cesar Grajales, 3-2, in the third consolation round. Kyler ended the year with a 40-7 record.

[ return to previous page ]