University of Northern Iowa
NCAA Championships
UNI's Moza Fay Places 5th at NCAA Championships
3/22/2008 8:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Final Team Standings in PDF Format 
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - University of Northern Iowa junior Moza Fay (Anamosa, Iowa) earned fifth-place honors in the 165-pound bracket in the 2008 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at the Scottrade Center. Fay entered the tournament as the No. 8 seed in his weight class.
UNI finished in 20th place in the team standings with 27.0 points. It marks UNI's highest finish at the national tournament since a 15th-place showing in 2005. It is also the fifth top-20 team finish under head coach Brad Penrith's tenure.
Medal Round - Saturday Morning
Fay took on No. 3-seeded Nick Marable of Missouri in the consolation semifinals for the right to wrestle for 3rd/4th place. Fay had scored a 7-2 decision over Marable when the teams met in a dual on Feb. 9, 2007. However, this time around Marable would turn the tables with a 7-4 victory.
Marable tallied a pair of first-period takedowns and then extended his lead to 6-2 with another takedown at the 1:48 mark of the second period. Fay recorded his fourth escape of the match to begin the third period but could not register a takedown. Marable added on a riding time point for the final tally.
Fay then matched up with No. 10-seeded Michael Cannon of American in the 5th/6th place match. Cannon got the match going with a quick takedown eight seconds into the match, but Fay was able to respond and escape. Fay then took the lead for good with a takedown at the 2:10 mark of the first period. Fay added two more nearfall points at the conclusion of the first period for a 5-2 advantage.
Fay made it 6-2 to start the second period but gave up a takedown to Cannon at the 1:10 mark to draw the American wrestlers to within 6-4. Fay countered with a reversal with 56 seconds left in the second period to make it 8-4.
The Panther grappler began the final period with a takedown and added a two-point nearfall to take the score to 12-4 with just over a minute remaining. Cannon was awarded a reversal after a scramble near the edge of the mat to cut the lead back to 12-6. but Fay was able to close out the match and added a riding time point for the 13-6 triumph.
"With the last few years not having an All-American, I started thinking about all the guys in the room I've worked out with who put in the same effort and worked just as hard but it just didn't work out at nationals," Fay said. "I've worked so hard and come so far. It feels great. But finishing fifth means I've still got to improve for next year."
Head coach Brad Penrith's said having Fay in the wrestling room next year will be important.
"It's really big to have a returning All-American," Penrith said.
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS (Top 25)
Plc Score School
1 117.5 Iowa
2 79.0 Ohio State University
3 75.0 Penn State University
4 74.0 Nebraska-Lincoln
5 72.0 Iowa State University
72.0 Oklahoma State University
7 69.0 Central Michigan University
69.0 Michigan
9 67.0 Cornell University
10 61.5 Minnesota
11 48.5 Missouri
12 43.0 Indiana University
13 41.0 Northwestern University
14 40.5 Illinois
15 38.0 Hofstra University
16 33.5 Pittsburgh
17 31.0 Wisconsin
18 30.5 Navy
19 29.0 Stanford University
20 27.0 UNI
21 24.0 Edinboro University
24.0 Maryland
23 22.0 American University
24 21.0 Boise State University
25 19.0 North Carolina State
Players Mentioned
