Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Beast of the East Duals
Butler Places Fourth At 2004 Beast Of The East Championships
December 17, 2004 | Wrestling
Dec. 22, 2004
PRINCETON - Junior Jake Butler placed fourth at the 2004 Beast of the East championships to help Princeton earn a 12th-place finish at the annual showcase of top college and high school programs in the East.
Butler, who has won all five of his dual matches, was seeded third entering the competition and opened with a 14-7 win over Rocky Ritchie of Appalachian State. He was dominant in the quarterfinals, defeating Charles Deighton of East Stroudsburg 8-1. Butler fell in a tough 3-1 semifinal to No. 2 Chad Hoare of Bloomsburg, but he rebounded by topping No. 5 Mark Thompson 6-3 in the consolation bracket to reach the third-place match. His run ended there, as Buffalo's Harold Sherrell defeated Butler 4-0.
The only other Tiger to win a match in the winner's bracket was Eric Marcotulli, who advanced to the quarterfinal of the 141-pound bracket with a 12-6 win over Buffalo's Dana Gingerich. Marcotulli would lose his next two matches by pin to miss placing in the competition.
Princeton's next dual match is Jan. 28, when the Tigers travel to Ithaca, N.Y., to compete against the defending Ivy League champion Cornell Big Red. The 11th-ranked Big Red feature the nation's No. 1 wrester at 133 pounds, Travis Lee, and the No. 2 wrestler at 149 pounds, Dustin Manotti. Princeton head coach Michael New is a graduate and former wrestler of Cornell.