WILKES-BARRE – It was a history making day at the John Reese Duals for the Wilkes University wrestling program as it became just the 11th program to reach 900 wins in collegiate wrestling. Wilkes needed only one win to reach the milestone and finished the day a perfect 3-0 and at 902 victories.

Wilkes joined 10 other wrestling powerhouse programs to reach at least 900 wins and were only the second Division III institution to do so. The Colonels joined Oklahoma State University, Iowa State University, Springfield College, Oregon State University, University of Iowa, University of Minnesota, Penn State University, Lehigh University, U.S. Naval Academy, and Oklahoma University in the elite club.

John Reese, the namesake of today's duals, was the head coach that laid the foundation for the program's success and he compiled 514 wins over 42 years from 1953-1994. Alan Zellner followed Reese with 94 wins from 1994-2003, and current head coach Jon Laudenslager '99 now has posted 273 wins since taking over the program in 2003. Cromwell Thomas (8), co-coaches Laggan and Lee (12), and Lou Blockus (1) combined for 21 wins at the outset of the program between 1946 and 1953.

The history-making victory came during the first match of the day at the Marts Center for Wilkes (7-4) as they defeated Penn State Behrend (0-2) 54-0.

No. 14 Austin Fashouer (Scranton, PA/West Scranton), Jack Bauer (Ringoes, NJ/Hunterdon Central), and Rene Trevino (Rio Grande City, TX/Rio Grande City) all won by forfeit at 125, 133, and 141 respectively to start the match as Wilkes led 18-0. Allen Kokilananda (Springfield, VA/Annandale) then defeated Cole Ruffo at 149-pounds by an 8-5 decision to increase the lead to 21-0. Benjamin Griffith (Fogelsville, PA/Northwestern Lehigh) followed with a 16-0 technical fall over Andrew Maser to push the advantage to 26-0.

Charles Everdale's (Freeland, PA/Hazleton Area) forfeit victory at 165 clinched the match and 900th program victory for the Colonels. John Devito (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central) followed with a fall at 36 seconds in the 174-pound bout over Brian Himes and Alexis Perez (Mahanoy City, PA/Mahanoy Area) took down Dylan Barber with a fall in 1:53 as the Colonels lead went to 44-0. Cameron Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) then earned a 12-3 major decision over Reno DiCesare at 197 and Nevin Rauch (New Columbia, PA/Milton) pinned Brandon Weiskopf in 16 seconds for the shutout victory.

Wilkes took on West Virginia University Institute of Technology (1-13) in the second match of the day, winning 49-3.

Fashouer again won by a forfeit to start Wilkes with a 6-0 lead. Bauer followed at 133 with a 10-2 major decision over Steven Slack and Josef Lundin (Edmonton, AB/Vimy Ridge Academy) and Kokilananda won by forfeit at 141 and 149 to push the Colonels lead to 22-0.

Griffith followed with a fall at 2:19 over Logan Allen and Everdale again clinched the match with a forfeit victory at 165 as Wilkes led 34-0. Isaoha Casto put West Virginia Tech on the board with a back-and-forth bout with Devito at 174-pounds, eventually taking the decision 9-7. Perez put Wilkes back on its winning ways with a 14-8 decision over Jacob Thomas as the Colonels led 37-3. Two forfeit wins by Butka and Rauch produced the final score of 49-3.

Wilkes then finished the John Reese Duals with a highly contested matchup against SUNY Oneonta (5-3). The Colonels fell behind after six bouts but used a strong finish to win 30-21.

Fashouer started the match with a fall at 3:39 over Tyler Skala and Bauer followed with another fall, this time at 6:12 over Danny Poggi as Wilkes led 12-0. Michael Blando used a first period fall at 141 to put the Red Dragons on the board and cut the Colonels lead in half.

Kokilananda then won with a hard-fought 2-0 decision over Nicholas Vandenburg at 149 to put Wilkes ahead 15-6. Back-to-back falls by Ryan Meisner and Tyler Brazinski pushed Oneonta into the lead at 18-15 following the 165-pound bout.
Christopher Nuss (Gore, VA/James Wood) righted the ship for Wilkes with a 5-2 decision at 174 to make the match all square. No. 14 Colton Babcock (Sweet Valley, PA/Northwest Area) then won by an early injury default in what proved to be the turning point in the match as Wilkes went ahead 24-18.

Butka clinched the match for Wilkes with a fall at the 1:43 mark over Jhordyn Innocent, making the score 30-18. Jake Pine then won a 4-3 decision at 285 over Rauch to produce the 30-21 final score.

Wilkes is scheduled to return to the mat at the Marts Center on Saturday, January 29 with three matches. The Colonels will host Elmira College at 10:00 a.m., Penn College at 11:30 a.m., and Lackawanna College at 1:00 p.m.

WU 54, Penn State Behrend 0
125 – A. Fashouer (W) forfeit
133 – J. Bauer (W) forfeit
141 – R. Trevino (W) forfeit
149 – A. Kokilananda (W) dec. C. Ruffo (P) 8-5
157 – B. Griffith (W) tech. fall A. Maser (P) 16-0
165 – C. Everdale (W) forfeit
174 – J. Devito (W) fall B. Himes (P) 0:36
184 – A. Perez (W) fall D. Barber (P) 1:53
197 – C. Butka (W) major dec. R. DiCesare (P) 12-3
285 – N. Rauch (W) fall B. Weiskopf (P) 0:16
 
WU 49, West Virginia Tech 3
125 – A. Fashouer (W) forfeit
133 – J. Bauer (W) major dec. S. Slack (WV) 10-2
141 – J. Lundin (W) forfeit
149 – A. Kokilananda (W) forfeit
157 – B. Griffith (W) fall L. Allen (WV) 2:19
165 – C. Everdale (W) forfeit
174 – I. Casto (WV) dec. J. Devito (W) 9-7
184 – A. Perez (W) dec. J. Thomas (WV) 14-8
197 – C. Butka (W) forfeit
285 – N. Rauch (W) forfeit
 
WU 30, Oneonta 21
125 – A. Fashouer (W) fall T. Skala (O) 3:39
133 – J. Bauer (W) fall D. Poggi (O) 6:12
141 – M. Blando (O) fall R. Trevino (W) 0:54
149 – A. Kokilananda (W) dec. N. Vandenburg (O) 2-0
157 – R. Meisner (O) fall B.Griffith (W) 2:33
165 – T. Brazinski (O) fall C. Everdale (W) 2:11
174 – C. Nuss (W) dec. K. Sauer (O) 5-2
184 – C. Babcock (W) injury forfeit N. Prisco (O)
197 – C. Butka (W) fall J. Innocent (O) 1:43
285 – J. Pine (O) dec. N. Rauch (W) 4-3
 
Exhibition
125 – N. Bauer (W) tech. fall P. Sacco (O) 17-1
141 – E. Dylan (I) major dec. J. Lundin (W) 9-0
141 – R. Trevino (W) fall M. Kelley (I) 6:30
174 – J. Geiger (W) fall F. Eskeland (NYU) 5:34
174 – C. Nuss (W) fall J. Zea (O) 4:46
184 – K. Corbitt (TCNJ) dec. D. Tallant (W) 7-0
197 – H. Lowe (W) fall N. Kennedy (O) 2:25