2008 Woodie Awards
Three Rock wrestlers earn academic honors
By Sarah Giles
Issue date: 12/2/05 Section: Sports Extra
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Charlie Pienaar, Cory Mancuso and Garry Price are the Academic All-Americans, and are great students as well as athletes. The three juniors have some tremendous accomplishments under their belts, showing that hard work and perseverance do pay off, both inside and outside the gym.
Cory Mancuso, a physical education major, has been a member of the Rock wrestling team for three years. Mancuso has wrestled at 149 and 157 pounds. The sophomore is from Brockway, Pa., and has been wrestling for 14 years; while always excelling academically.
Mancuso was recruited to SRU while being enticed by the physical education program, and the team's Division I status.
Garry Price, an art education major, from Mifflintown, Pa., has been on the team two years, after being red-shirted his freshman year. Price starts this season at 157 pounds, and has been wrestling for 12 years.
After high school, Price wanted to attend a school with a Division I wrestling team and an art education program; so he found himself at SRU, attracted to the town and small campus.
Charlie Pienaar, a physical education major with a minor in leadership, has been wrestling for the Rock for three years, starting at 184 pounds this season. Born and raised in Pretoria, South Africa, Pienaar has been wrestling since he was five years old. Pienaar now lives in Trafford, Pa., and attends SRU on a wrestling and ROTC scholarship.
Pienaar was married August 5, 2005, and attributes much of his success to his wife.
"Marriage has had a huge influence on my life," Pienaar said. "We have been together since freshman year and she has been the backbone of my success, pushing me to work harder, to put in extra workouts, to suck it up and she watches my diet."
Mancuso is unable to start this season due to a torn PCL and a partially torn ACL, so he is using this as his red-shirt year. Although unable to start, Mancuso has been a starter for the past two years, and greatly enjoys being a member of the team.
