SLIPPERY ROCK – In another week, the Slippery Rock University wrestling program will no longer exist.

But it's giving itself one memorable farewell party.

One of eight athletic programs being cut by SRU at the end of this academic year, The Rock wrestling squad set a Division I East Regional record last week by sending 10 wrestlers to the finals.

It set a program record by qualifying five wrestlers for the NCAA national tournament March 16 through 19 in Oklahoma City.

"I can't say our guys have been motivated by the announcement of the program being cut," second-year coach Derek DelPorto said. "Motivation is a positive word.

"This is a terrible thing that's happening to this university. These guys have been competing with a chip on their shoulder more than anything."

Sophomore Chris Clarke (23-22) at 125 pounds, junior Charlie Pienaar (23-12) at 184, senior Jason Cardillo (34-10) at 165 and heavyweight Matt Burkholder (19-15) all won regional titles for The Rock.

SRU freshman David Pienaar (23-12) at 141 received the lone wild-card berth out of the region by vote of participating coaches.

"This is a bittersweet type of thing," Clarke said. "We're doing so well — then it's going to be over.

"Coach told us at the beginning of the year this might happen. I never believed it. I still don't believe it. I mean, we're the only Division I sport on campus. For us to be cut, it just doesn't seem realistic."

Clarke plans to transfer to American University in Washington D.C., where his twin brother Tim wrestles.

DelPorto wrestled at The Rock from 1995 through 1999. He put together a 116-38 career record and in 1999 became SRU's first wrestling all-American since Anthony Calderaio turned the trick in 1983.

A wrestler must finish among the top eight in his respective weight class at nationals to receive all-American honors.

"Cardillo probably has our best shot, but it's tough," DelPorto said. "There's 330 wrestlers at nationals, at least 28 in each weight class, and guys from our regional usually draw a first- or second-seeded opponent in the first round."

Cardillo's goal is to become an all-American. He just doesn't want to be The Rock's last all-American.

"I have another year and a half of school to go," Cardillo said. "I was looking forward to being a student assistant coach here next year. Now it's not going to happen.

"As a team, everyone stayed focused and positive through all of this. Everybody in the room wants to be here."

That includes DelPorto, who left an assistant coaching position at Clemson– a national title contender – to take the reins of the SRU program from Seneca Valley graduate Jim Harshaw, who resigned two years ago.

"I care very deeply for this program," DelPorto said. "I took a pay cut to take this job. I was going to commit five years to it, get it some stability and back on its feet, then hand it off to somebody else.

"They (university administrators) said we'd be evaluated for two years a year ago. I know we're a university running 23 sports on a 15-sport budget, but six of the eight sports cut are winter sports and they didn't even wait for the winter season to end before doing it.

"We never had a chance to prove ourselves. I feel like the carpet was pulled right out from under me," DelPorto added.

Charlie Pienaar still has a year of wrestling eligibility left after this season. Part of a four-year ROTC program at SRU, he will return to The Rock regardless.

He's holding out hope he'll be wrestling.

"Some damage has been done, but we're not through fighting yet," Pienaar said. "We're probably the most successful sport on campus. Maybe they'll rethink this decision."

DelPorto doesn't think so. He's already interviewed at Eastern Michigan, Clarion and East Stroudsburg. He's been contacted about various assistant coaching opportunities as well.

"I've been involved in this sport since I was 5," he said. "It's all I know. It's what I want to do. Being a coach or teacher is one of the greatest jobs in the world."

Wherever DelPorto winds up, David Pienaar hopes to join him.

"I want to follow him,"Pienaar said. "His style of coaching fits my style of wrestling."

Despite SRU's wrestling program having four head coaches in the past seven years, DelPorto said financial backing from alumni has been second only to the football team over the past four years.

"Wrestling and the soccer program have had the most success of all the sports here while receiving very little funding. You would think a school would be interested in seeing what such programs could do with a little more funding. I can't figure it out,"DelPorto added.

SRU has had a wrestling program since 1958. Wrestling became a Division I sport at The Rock in the 1970s.