Middletown, CT --- WPI wrestlers Mike Perruccio (Pelham, NH) and Brian Amato (Newington, CT) registered fourth place showings at the NCAA Division III Northeast regional as the Engineers concluded action Sunday in the two-day tournament hosted by Wesleyan.  As a team, the Crimson and Gray amassed 54 points and finished tied for eighth in the 18-team tournament with Oneonta State.   

Perruccio entered the day needing to win three times to reach the NCAA national tournament in Iowa. The senior battled to tight wins at 149 pounds against opponents from Southern Maine (4-3) and Ithaca (3-1) before being pinned in a quarterfinal rematch against Joey Gaccione of Johnson & Wales.   

Amato could have punched his ticket with a semifinal over his opponent from Ithaca but was knocked off 6-1.  The rookie 125-pounder responded with a 7-2 triumph against Roger Williams before dropping a narrow 5-4 match to Jonathan Murray of Rhode Island College in the third-place bout. 

Three other wrestlers ended up on the podium for WPI by winning consolation bouts on Sunday.  The trio included senior Brian Jennings (Danbury, CT), at 133 pounds, junior Tyler Tilbe (Woodbury, CT) at 141 and senior Alex Freilich (Worcester, MA) at 184.    

The regional tournament marks the end of a season that saw WPI posted its most dual wins in decade with the five wrestlers competing Sunday combining to win 119 bouts this winter.