Andrew Romanchik and Shakur Laney earned at-large bids Wednesday to the NCAA Tournament.
Andrew Romanchik said it was a surprise. Shakur Laney didn't expect the invitation either.
Both are going to compete next week in the NCAA Tournament.
Romanchik, Laney and five other Bobcats will go to the tournament in New York City — the most Ohio participants in program history.
Neither Romanchik nor Laney automatically qualified for the NCAA Tournament because their performances at the Mid-American Conference Tournament didn't earn them the automatic bid.
Romanchik said it was a let down, but all he could do was take it as a man.
Then, on Wednesday, it was announced that both had earned at-large bids to the national tournament.
“Its been a roller coaster, the whole thing,” Romanchik said. “Yesterday was probably the lowest point, and today has been the high. I feel like all the issues I had at MACs, I can turn around at this tournament."
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With the change of pace coming Wednesday due to the at-large bid, there are some things the two will have to work on before they arrive at New York City next week.
The big picture moving forward for both of them is to get back on the mat training. Though there hasn't been a lot of time between their losses and the announcement Wednesday, there is still ground to make up.
The additional two at-large bids will join Spartak Chino, Phil Wellington, Cody Walters, Cam Kelly and Austin Reese.
“It's more about that I’m happy for the guys that got in,” coach Joel Greenlee said about the program record. “For the most part, everybody had a good year and deserves to be there.”
Greenlee said everything the Bobcats have worked on all season will come down to their performance’s at Madison Square Garden.
The one thing they just need to do is wrestle.
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