Hempstead, NY – Hofstra freshman Sage Heller recorded a perfect 5-0 record to capture the 86 kg/189 lbs. weight class at the Maccabiah USA Team Wrestling Trials at the University of Pennsylvania last weekend.

Heller's title earns him a spot on the United States Team at the 20^th World Maccabiah Games in Israel from July 4 through 18. Although the Maccabiah USA Wrestling Team Trials were held in freestyle, the winners will compete in both freestyle and Greco-Roman in Israel.

The Maccabiah World Games, a competition for Jewish athletes across the world, is the third largest multi-sport event on earth behind the Olympic Games and the Pan American Games. Wrestlers will be part of the overall 1,100+ member Team USA at the 2017 World Maccabiah Games, which features 10,000 athletes, from 80 countries, participating in 43 sports.

Heller, a native of Riverwoods, Illinois, won five matches in his weight class, including a pin in 1:29 of eventual runner-up Gordon Wolf, who wrestles for Lehigh, in the fifth and final round. He recorded two wins by fall, two tech falls and a win by decision. Heller opened with a 10-0 tech fall win over Jonathan Wechter. He then pinned Jesse Weiner at the 1:30 mark of their second round match. Heller added a 10-0 tech fall over Zachary Goldrosen in round three and a 14-10 win by decision over Jared Forman in the fourth round.

Heller led the Hofstra Pride in victories during the 2016-17 season with a 23-17 mark at 174 pounds. He tallied eight wins by decision, four pins, four tech falls and three major decisions on the year. He won the Lock Haven Classic, placed second in the Journeymen/Blue and Gold Tussle B Division, third at the Binghamton Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open and fifth at the New York State Collegiate Championships.
 
The 20^th USA Maccabiah Games wrestling team is as follows:

57 kg/125.5 lbs. - Nathan Engel, Annapolis, Md./Assistant Coach, U.S. Naval Academy
61 kg/134 lbs. - Zachary Sherman, Plantation, Fla./Blair Academy
65 kg/143 lbs. - Parker Kropman, Rochester, N.Y./Binghamton University
70 kg/154 lbs.- Mitchell Finesilver, Greenwood Village, Colo./Duke University
74 kg/163 lbs.- Matt Finesilver, Greenwood Village, Colo./Duke University
86 kg/189 lbs. - Sage Heller, Riverwoods, Ill./Hofstra University
97 kg/213 lbs. - Donald McNeil, Plainville, Mass./Rider University
125 kg/275 lbs. - Michael Kosoy, Boca Raton, Fla./North Carolina State University