RIVERDALE, N.Y. – The Wilkes University wrestling team finished 3-1 at the NY/PA Duals hosted by the College of Mount Saint Vincent on Saturday afternoon. Wilkes posted wins over Hunter, Nassau CC and the host CMSV before falling to NYU in its four matches at the event.
 
Wilkes opened falling 22-14 against NYU. Guesseppe Rea (Stroudsburg, PA/Stroudsburg) and Pankil Chander (Cedarhurst, NY/Lawrence) opend the match for Wilkes with two straight major decisions to give the Colonels an 8-0 lead. After a decision win for NYU, Josh Evans (Palmerton, PA/Palmerton) improved to 6-0 on the year with a 6-4 win at 149-pounds. NYU battled back taking the next five bouts including a pin and major decision at 165 and 184 respectively to lead 22-11. Jacob Huling (Jersey Shore, PA/Jersey Shore) earned a 7-3 decision at heavyweight to round out the Wilkes scoring in the match.
 
Wilkes took its second match of the day with a 42-6 win over Hunter. The Colonels earned eight wins in the ten bouts including five extra point victories. Denzel Tovar (Wall, NJ/Wall) earned a 17-2 technical fall at 125-pounds, Cory Fleming (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris) a pin in 3:29 at 141-pounds and Ricky Fornacairi an 18-6 major decision at 174-pounds. Two other Colonels received forfeits at both 165-pounds and 285-pounds to seal the double-digit victory.
 
Wilkes earned its second win of the day with a 40-6 decision over Nassau Community College. Tovar started the match with a pin in 5:00 at 125, while Chander used an 8-2 decision at 133 to push the advantage to 9-0. Kyle Medrow (West Chester, PA/West Chester Henderson) went 2-0 at 141 and Fleming clinched his second bout with a fall in 1:42 at 149. Nicholas Racanelli (West Creek, NJ/Southern Regional) posted a major decision (14-5) at 157 before a pin from Michael Paskas (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) at 165 gave Wilkes a commanding 29-0 lead. Justin Morel (Corona, NY/Mt. St. Michael Academy) (14-8 decision) and Zachary Faust (Wilkes-Barre, PA/G.A.R. Memorial) (fall in 3:16) rounded out the Colonel winners. Huling took a forfeit at heavyweight to end the scoring for Wilkes.
 
In its final match of the day, Wilkes won 44-6 over the host Mount Saint Vincent. Wilkes received extra point wins in seven matches including two falls, two major decisions and three forfeits. Rea (125), Edwin Fiscal (Bogota, NJ/Bogota) (133), Racanelli (157), Ashton Gyenizs (Madison, CT/Daniel Hand) (165), Paskas (174), Masser McCummings (184), Jordan Nochimson (Nutley, NJ/Nutley) (197) and Huling (285) were all winners for Wilkes in the victory.
 
Wilkes returns to the mat next Saturday with matches against Temple, Southern Virginia and Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pa.