WILLIAMSPORT, PA – The Wilkes University wrestling team went 1-1 on day two of the 2022 Budd Whitehill Duals inside Lamade Gymnasium on the campus of Lycoming College to place sixth out of 12 teams as Colton Babcock (Sweet Valley, PA/Northwest Area) and Austin Fashouer (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) were named to the All-Tournament team.

Wilkes began the day in the fifth through eighth place bracket semifinal by taking on York College of Pennsylvania, ranked No. 24 by the National Wrestling Coaches Association in its Tournament Team Rankings. The Colonels defeated the Spartans 28-16 by taking six of the 10 bouts.

Fashouer, ranked No. 13 at 125-pounds by the NWCA, started the scoring with a fall at 6:03 over Jared Kuhns to put the Colonels up 6-0. Jack Bauer (Ringoes, NJ/Hunterdon Central) followed with a 15-0 technical fall over Wilfred Jimenez to extend the lead to 11-0 at 133. Collin Rolak (Forked River, NJ/Lacey Township) continued the hot start with a 2-0 decision victory at 141-pounds over Blake Shalbert as Wilkes led 14-0.

York cut the lead to 14-12 following a major decision at 149, a decision at 157 and a technical fall at 165. All-Tournament Team member the No. 6 ranked wrestler at 165, Eric Hutchinson, provided the five-point victory for the Spartans.

John Devito (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central) then won a key 8-5 decision at 174 over Kyle Strazdus to extend the Wilkes lead to 17-12. Babcock, ranked No. 14 at 184, then picked up a fall in 1:33 over Thomas Quelet as the Colonels lead grew to 23-12. York would win the 197-pound match with a major decision to pull the score to 23-16 but the effort by Hunter Lowe (Westminster, MD/Winters Mill) officially clinched the victory for the Colonels. Cameron Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) then put the finishing touches on the win with a 15-0 technical fall in his first match from the 285 position over Brock Hofler.

The win was the 899th dual match victory in program history for Wilkes.

Wilkes then battled Messiah University in the fifth-place match coming up just shy in the 24-22 battle to settle for sixth.

Fashouer continued to roll with a 15-0 technical fall at 125 over Hunter Rinehart to put Wilkes up 5-0. Bauer then won an 8-0 major decision at 133 over Jordan Howard to bring the Colonels lead to 9-0. Rolak then lost a tight 8-7 decision at 141 to Asa Brunk as Messiah got on the board at 9-3. All-Tournament Team member at 141, Josiah Gehr, then won at 149 with a fall as the Falcons tied the match 9-9.

All-Tournament Team member at 149 Garret Cornell then won by fall at 157 to give Messiah the lead at 15-9 and the No. 4 ranked wrestler and All-Tournament Team member at 157 Nick Barnhart then gave the Falcons their third straight fall in the 165-pound match to push the lead to 21-9.

Devito turned the tide with a fall in 1:29 over Tyler Riley at 174-pounds to make the score 21-15. Babcock followed with a 12-2 major decision at 184 over Ryder Slaton to make the score 21-19. Butka's 8-1 decision at 197 over Samuel Blevins then pushed Wilkes back ahead 22-21 heading to the final bout. There Carter Urich won an 11-4 decision at 285 to hand Messiah the hard-fought victory 24-22.

Babcock was named to the All-Tournament Team at 184-pounds and Fashouer shared honors at 141-pounds as he picked up one of his victories at that weight class during the tournament. All-Tournament Team honors are awarded at each weight to the undefeated wrestler that earned the most team points per match, not including wins by default, injury default or disqualification.

Wilkes now stands at 4-4 overall in dual matches on the 2021-22 season. The Colonels will return to the mat next Saturday when they head to the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Championships in Grantham, Pa. starting at 10:30 a.m.
 
WU 28, York (Pa.) 16
125 – A. Fashouer (W) fall J. Kuhns (Y) 6:03
133 – J. Bauer (W) tech. fall W. Jimenez (Y) 15-0
141 – C. Rolak (W) dec. B. Shalbert (Y) 2-0
149 – J. Bair (Y) major dec. A. Kokilananda (W) 15-2
157 – N. Paolucci (Y) dec. L. Flaherty (W) 5-3
165 – E. Hutchinson (Y) tech. fall B. Griffith (W) 18-0
174 – J. Devito (W) dec. K. Strazdus (Y) 8-5
184 – C. Babcock (W) fall T. Quelet (Y) 1:33
197 – C. Farrow (Y) major dec. H. Lowe (W) 10-1
285 – C. Butka (W) tech. fall B. Hofler (Y) 15-0
 
Messiah 24, WU 22
125 – A. Fashouer (W) tech. fall H. Rinehart (M) 15-0
133 – J. Bauer (W) major dec. J. Howard (M) 8-0
141 – A. Brunk (M) dec. C. Rolak (W) 8-7
149 – J. Gehr (M) fall E. Neff (W) 1:56
157 – G. Cornell (M) fall B. Griffith (W) 2:50
165 – N. Barnhart (M) fall C. Everdale (W) 5:25
174 – J. Devito (W) fall T. Riley (M) 1:29
184 – C. Babcock (W) major dec. R. Slaton (M) 12-2
197 – C. Butka (W) dec. S. Blevins (M) 8-1
285 – C. Urich (M) dec. H. Lowe (W) 11-4
 
Exhibition
141 – B. Diaz (York) dec. J. Lundin (W) 4-2
141 – R. Trevino (W) dec. T. McGowan (Messiah) 8-2
149 – I. Bryner (Messiah) fall E. Neff (W) 3:38
141 – H. Foad (Washington & Lee) fall J. Lundin (W) 1:47
165 – T. DuBoff (W) fall L. Lyons (Washington & Lee) 1:23
174 – C. Nuss (W) fall D. Treacy (Washington & Lee) 2:22
184 – J. McCuster (Washington & Lee) fall A. Perez (W) 1:12