ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Ithaca College wrestling team opened its 2013-14 season by winning the team title at the Ithaca Invitational, held Friday and Saturday at Glazer Arena inside of the Athletics & Events Center. The Bombers had five champions in their respective weight classes and added one second-place finisher and three third-place finishers to claim the team title with 177 points, beating out defending tournament champion Johnson & Wales with 164.5 points.

Ithaca entered Saturday's second day of competition with 12 wrestlers in the championship semifinals and nine of those went on to claim top-three places in the season-opening event.

Alex Gomez won the 133-pound title with a pair of major decision victories in Saturday's competition. Gomez won his semifinal 15-2 and added a 16-2 win in the final. Gomez is ranked second in the 133-pound weight class by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.

At 141 pounds, Ithaca's nationally-ranked Dominick Giacolone won the invitational title. He posted an 8-3 win in the semifinals and a 3-1 sudden-victory decision in the championship bout. Giacolone is ranked eighth at 141 by the NWCA.

Three other Bombers added tournament titles in their Ithaca debuts - Kristopher Schimek at 165, Carlos Toribio at 174 and Matt Booth at 197. Schimek, a junior transfer student from Niagara County Community College, won his semifinal bout 9-3 and his championship bout 8-4. Freshman Carlos Toribio won his semifinal 7-5 in the first segment of sudden victory, and then scored a 19-4 technical fall in the finals. Another freshman, Booth posted a 14-4 major decision in the semifinals and a 6-3 win in the finals at 197.

Anthony Cabrera placed second at 125 pounds. He scored a 4-2 decision in his semifinal match before dropping a 5-0 decision in the final.

Third-place finishers were Jimmy Kaishian at 125 pounds, Nick Wahba at 133 pounds, and Eamonn Gaffney at 149 pounds.

Ithaca competes next weekend at an Oneonta Quad Meet, where the Bombers will have scheduled dual matches against Rhode Island College and Alfred State.

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
1. ITHACA - 177 points
2. Johnson & Wales - 164.5 points
3. Springfield - 159 points
4. New York University - 135.5 points
5. Oswego - 93 points
6. Norwich - 82.5 points
7. Alfred State - 33 points
8. SUNY Sullivan - 18 points

Complete Championship and Consolation Brackets (.pdf)