March 22, 2002

Tommy Hoang (Cushing, Okla.) and Mike Mitchell (Midwest City, Okla.) registered successful seasons for the Duke University wrestling program in 2001-2002, but each grappler had his season come to a close at the NCAA Championships.

Hoang, an NCAA qualifier in each of the past two years at 125-pounds, posted a 1-2 mark in the tournament and finishes the year with a 22-11 record. In the opening round of the NCAA Championships, Hoang fell to 10th-ranked A.J. Grant of Michigan, 9-4. The Cushing, Oklahoma native rebounded by pinning Marlon Felton (Northern Illinois) at 4:05 for his third win by fall of the season.

In the second round of the wrestlebacks, Hoang was eliminated from the tournament by Edinboro's Shawn Bunch. Bunch scored a 10-5 decision to advance.

Mitchell encountered 10th-ranked Matt King (Edinboro) in the opening round, dropping a 5-0 decision. The sophomore 165-pounder was bounced from the competition with a 3-1 loss to Duquesne's Bill Boeh in the wrestlebacks. Mitchell finished the year with a 26-14 record, leading the Blue Devils in wins.