ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Paul Bianchi concluded his collegiate career as a Trojan today at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, topping off a historic second season for the Little Rock wrestling program in the process. Not only did the redshirt senior become
the first Little Rock wrestler to qualify for Nationals, he also made headlines for the Trojans
by advancing to the second day of the three-day event.
"As a fan or a competitor there is nothing better than the NCAA Tournament," said head coach
Neil Erisman. "It was a great to be here and have a competitor. We are very proud of Paul for his commitment to our program. He's left his mark and pushed the standard higher since the day he got here. Thank you to all who have made this possible, and expect to see more Little Rock singlets at the NCAA Championships in the future."
After moving on to the second day of the Championships with an upset win by decision over #13 Zach Redding from Iowa State Thursday evening, Bianchi wrestled #14 Zach Price from South Dakota State in Consolation Round 2 on Friday morning. Although the Two Rivers, Wisconsin native was aggressive from the get-go, his opponent picked up two takedowns while Bianchi was unable to convert his shots into points, ultimately dropping the match by a 6-2 decision.
Bianchi finishes his senior year as the team leader in bonus points and ranked wins, tallying one tech fall and three major decisions in the shortened 2020-21 season while collecting three ranked victories. His winning record of 10-7 was also the best on the roster for the second year in a row, as Bianchi will go down in the Little Rock record books as an important piece of the program's foundation.
For the latest information on Little Rock Wrestling, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockWRES on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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