PISCATAWAY -- It's nicknamed the "Blood Round," but it creates sweat and tears, too.
The Round of 12 at the NCAA Wrestling Championships is the great divide: Winners become All-Americans. Losers abruptly finish the season with nothing more to show for it than those wrestlers who lost their first two matches in the double-elimination tournament.
Rutgers' 133-pounder Scott DelVecchio and 184-pounder Nick Gravina came to terms with the harsh reality over the last few months after losing on the doorstep of All-American honors in 2017.
"They call it the 'Blood Round' because at that time not only is your body physically aching but there is somebody who goes home emotionally hurt, too," Gravina said.