Season Highlights Career Record: 138-20
2010-11: NCAA All-American ... CAA Wrestler of the Year ... Became Old Dominion's first two-time All-American since Buddy Lee in 1982 ... Finished in eighth place ... Win over six seed Nicholas Bedelyon of Kent State clinched All-American status and was also his 138th career victory, tying him with Chris Brown for the most wins in school history ... Finished the year with a 35-3 record ... Went a perfect 19-0 in dual meets and was 8-0 against CAA opponents ... Had 20 bonus point victories, including eight pins, three technical falls and nine major decisions ... Became the first wrestler in CAA history to win four-consecutive championships by beating Hofstra's Steve Bonanno 5-3 in the finals ... Finished the regular-season with a 29-0 record, by defeating Matt Snyder 12-3 ... Stayed unbeaten, moving to 28-0 on the year with an 8-2 decision over No. 14 Jarrod Garnett of Virginia Tech ... Picked up three more wins at the CAA Duals, including an 8-3 decision over No. 16 Steve Bonanno of Hofstra ... Went 3-0 at the Virginia Duals, including a 16-8 major decision over No. 19 Tyler Cox of Wyoming ... Moved into a tie for sixth on ODU's all-time wins list ... Continued his dominating season by winning the Southern Scuffle by beating No. 7 Zach Sanders of Minnesota in the finals ... Went 5-0 over the two-day event and did not allow an opponent to score more than two points in any of his five matches ... Won the season-opening Hokie Open by defeating No. 10 Jarrod Garnett of Virginia Tech in the finals ... Named CAA Wrestler of the Month for November by going 9-0 with four major decisions.
James Nicholson's Wins over NCAA Qualifiers:
Date:
Opponent:
School:
11/7/10
Jarrod Garnett
Virginia Tech
11/7/10
Prescott Garner
Navy/Chattanooga
11/27/10
Manny Ramirez
UNC Greensboro
12/30/10
Mark Rappo
Penn
12/30/10
Jason Lara
Oregon State
12/30/10
Zach Sanders
Minnesota
1/15/11
Steve Bonanno
Hofstra
1/21/11
Derek Reber
Bucknell
2/10/11
Jarrod Garnett
Virginia Tech
2/13/11
Manny Ramirez
UNC Greensboro
2/20/11
Matt Snyder
Virgina
3/5/11
Steve Bonanno
Hofstra
3/17/11
Tyler Iwamura
Cal State Bakersfield
3/18/11
Alan Waters
Missouri
3/18/11
Jarrod Garnett
Virginia Tech
3/18/11
Nicholas Bedelyon
Kent State
2009-10: Won third-straight CAA Championship at 125-pounds...Finished the year 32-3...Went a perfect 15-0 in dual meets and 8-0 against CAA opponents...Second on the team with seven pins and tied for second on the squad with six major decisions...Led ODU with four technical falls...Named to the NWCA Division I All-Academic Team for the third-straight season...Has been selected twice to compete in the prestigious NWCA All-Star Classic...Entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 7 seed...Ranked as high as No. 3 at the 125 pound weight class during the regular season...Earned VaSID all-State honors...Selected as CAA Wrestling Scholar Athlete of the Year...Joined teammate Chris Brown as the first two Monarchs to become three-time CAA Champions and just the seventh and eighth wreslters in the CAA to achieve the feat...Career record of 103-17...Has defeated an NCAA qualifier 30 times over the past three years.
James Nicholson's Wins over NCAA Qualifiers:
Date:
Opponent:
School:
12/4/09
Frank Lomas
Cal State Bakersfield
12/4/09
Andre Gonzalez
Cal State Fullerton
12/5/09
Nikko Triggas
Ohio State
12/5/09
Michael Martinez
Wyoming
1/31/10
Matt Steintrager
Central Michigan
3/18/10
Chris Notte
Oklahoma State
3/19/10
Tony Gravely
Appalachian State
2008-09: CAA Champion at 125-pounds...Went a perfect 3-0 at the CAA Tournament...Qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season...Won a bout at the NCAA Tournament and ended the year 36-4...Led the team with five technical falls....Claimed first place at the Michigan State Open...Ended in third at the Midlands Championship...National Wrestling Coaches Association Division I All-Academic Team member.
Wins over NCAA Qualifiers:
Date:
Opponent:
School:
11/22/08
Obenson Blanc
Oklahoma State
11/16/08
Jarrod Garnett
Virginia Tech
11/23/08
Joey Fio
Oklahoma
12/29/08
Ben Kjar
Utah Valley
12/30/08
Brendan Byrne
Maryland
12/31/08
Jay Ivanco
Clarion
12/31/08
Scott Sentes
Central Michigan
1/9/09
Tony Mustari
Northern Colorado
1/10/09
Nic Bedelyon
Kent State
1/17/09
Steve Bonanno
Hofstra
1/25/09
Derek Reber
Bucknell
2/1/09
Scott Sentes
Central Michigan
2/19/09
Jarrod Garnett
Virginia Tech
3/7/09
Steve Bonanno
Hofstra
3/19/09
Brad Pataky
Penn State
2007-08: NCAA ALL-AMERICAN...Finished 8th at 125 lbs at the NCAA Tournament...CAA Champion...Named Wrestler and Rookie of the Year by VaSID...CAA Rookie of the Year...CAA First Team...Named CAA Rookie of the Week four times during the season...Amateur Wrestling News First Team All-Rookie squad...Ranked nationally during the season...Finished year with 35-10 record, including 16 dual victories...Had eight major decisions, five technical falls and two pins...Won weight class at Virginia Intercollegiate Tournament and finished second at Missouri Open and third at Southern Scuffle.
Wins over NCAA Qualifiers:
Date:
Opponent:
School:
12/30/07
David Tomasette
Hofstra
12/31/07
Ross Gitomer
Virginia
12/31/07
Brendan Byrne
Maryland
1/5/08
Ross Gitomer
Virginia
1/11/08
John Trumbetti
Lock Haven
1/12/08
Nic Bedelyon
Kent State
1/12/08
Ross Gitomer
Virginia
1/19/08
David Tomasette
Hofstra
3/8/08
David Tomasette
Hofstra
3/20/08
Eric Morrill
Edinboro
3/20/08
Michael Sees
Bloomsburg
3/21/08
Rollie Pterkin
Penn
2006-07: Redshirt freshman year...2007 FILA Junior National All-American...2007 Junior World Team Trials runner-up...Alternate on 2007 FILA Junior World Team...
Prep: 2006 High School state champion, recording an undefeated senior campaign of 42-0...2006 Junior National finalist...2005 AAA state placewinner...Roosevelt High School Man of the Year...2004 Greco All-American...Ranked 9th by WIN and Wrestling USA...2006 USA Wrestling Jr. All-American...Wrestling USA All-American Honorable Mention...Total high school record of 132-24.
Off the Mat: Born October 22, 1987...Son of Ramon and Virginia Nicholson...Has three brothers, Jason (26), John (18), and Joseph (10), and four sisters, Joy (25), Julia (24), Janell (20) and Jessica (18)...Favorite sports personality is Emmitt Smith...Person in history most like to meet is Abraham Lincoln...Favorite movie is "Gladiator"...Favorite book is "The Old Man & The Sea"...Has set a life goal to exceed all his own expectations, including becoming a national champion...Majoring in business management.
