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Marcus Effner and Rashard Goff Head to NCAA Wrestling Championship

Marcus Effner and Rashard Goff Head to NCAA Wrestling Championship
Posted: Mar 18, 2008

March 18, 2008

Contact: Gene Natale, Jr.

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Schedule of Events:
Thursday, March 20
     Session I: 11:00 a.m.
     Session II: 6:30 p.m.
Friday, March 21
     Session III: 10:00 a.m.
     Session IV: 6:00 p.m.
Saturday March 22
     Session V: 10:00 a.m.
     Grand March: 7:05-7:20
     Session VI (Finals): 7:30 p.m

SETTING THE SCENE: NCAA Qualifiers Marcus Effner (26-11 at 165 pounds) and Rashard Goff (20-11 at 285) will travel to St. Louis for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship, held at the Scottrade Center at the University of Missouri, in St. Louis from March 20-22. Both Effner and Goff were voted into the national championship meet as wild cards following the EWL Tournament.

RECAPPING THE EWL CHAMPIONSHIPS: The Vikings finished seventh overall at the 2008 EWL Championship. The team was led by Rashard Goff, who went 2-2 on the day in finishing fourth at heavyweight to earn a wild-card selection to the NCAA Championship. Marcus Effner also earned a wild-card berth as the 165-pounder went 2-2 on the day with two major decisions to finish fifth and run his season win total to a career-high 26. Josh Palivoda tied Goff for the highest individual Viking finish as he finished fourth at 133 pounds following a 1-2 showing.

CSU AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP: CSU has had at least one NCAA Qualifier every season dating back to 1965, and at least two every season dating back to 2001. The Vikings have had a total of 124 representatives at the NCAA Championship since 1965, eight of whom have earned All-American honors. The last Viking to become an All-American was Dan Carcelli, who finished fourth at the 1995 national championship at 142 pounds.

EFFNER ON THE VIKINGS: "We have two quality wrestlers going to NCAAs. Both of them have defeated nationally ranked opponents and have been nationally ranked themselves, and I'm real proud of them."

THE HEAD COACH Jack Effner: Only the second head wrestling coach in Cleveland State history, Jack Effner (Indiana State `86) has continued the strong tradition of Viking wrestling. He has mentored 37 NCAA qualifiers and five EWL champions during his career, while posting a dual meet record of 71-91-3 for the 10 years he has been at the helm. His most successful season was in 2002-03, when CSU went 13-6 in dual meets for the most team wins since the 1978-79 season (15-1-1). The 2002-03 squad had a school record-tying six NCAA qualifiers.The Vikings have had at least one NCAA qualifier in every season Effner has been at the helm, continuing a streak that began in 1965 (42 seasons overall). The Vikings have also excelled in the classroom under his guidance, finishing in the top 20 in the nation in grade point average for eight of the last nine seasons.

FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS: Marcus Effner will face last year's 165-pound national champion, Mark Perry of Iowa in the first round of NCAAs this week. Perry is the second-seeded wrestler. Meanwhile, Rashard Goff will face #6 seed Kyle Massey of Wisconsin in the first round. If Effner defeats Perry he will face either Bryon Sigmon (UNC Greensboro) or Stephen Crozier (Air Force), while Goff will face either Mike Spaid (Bloomsburg) or Levon Mock (Brown) if he defeats Massey.

LEADING THE TEAM: Junior 165-pounder Marcus Effner leads the team with a 26-11 record. He was also the team's most reliable option in dual meets, as he led the Vikings with a 10-4 dual record and 36 dual meet points.

BEEN THERE BEFORE: Heavyweight Rashard Goff has been to the NCAA Championships during the last two seasons, posting a 2-4 overall record at the championship meet. Last season he was eliminated from the championship bracket by the eventual national champion, Cole Konrad of Minnesota.

. . .AND SO HAS EFFNER: Effner made his first trip to the NCAA Championship as a true freshman at 157 pounds in 2005, one of five Viking qualifiers that season. Goff was redshirting that season.

BETTER THAN LAST YEAR, FOR SOME: One might say that a good argument could have been made for Effner to have made the trip to the NCAA Championship last season. He finished third at the EWL Championship, posted a 24-15 record for the year, and had a 6-3 record against EWL opponents. In 2007 only the top two finishers at the EWL Championship received automatic bids to the national championship, while previously it had been the top three finishers.

THE END OF A CAREER: Seniors Mike (141 pounds) and Ryan (149 pounds) Hurley had been planning to make their second appearance together at the NCAA Championship following this season. However, neither was able to secure a wild-card berth as each finished fifth in their respective weight classes, going 2-2 at the EWL Championship. The brothers finished their Viking careers with a collective 129 career wins.