WILLIAMSPORT, PA – Three grapplers from the Wilkes University wrestling team are a Semifinal victory away from advancing to the NCAA Division III Championships and four more are still alive as well after day one action at the 2022 NCAA Division III Southeast Regional Wrestling Tournament hosted by Lycoming College at the Keiper Recreation Center.

Wilkes stands fourth of 20 teams with 66.0 points. Alvernia University holds the day one lead with 103.5 points. The top three finishers at each of the 10 weight classes will advance to the NCAA Championships on March 11-12 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Results/Brackets

At 125-pounds second seeded Austin Fashouer (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) won his Preliminary Round bout by fall at 2:32 over Tyler Ratledge of Washington & Jefferson. The first year then picked up a Round One fall at the 5:33 mark over Delaware Valley's Ryan Kelly. Fashouer made it 3-0 on the day with a Quarterfinal victory over seventh seeded Akhil Vega of Stevens Institute of Technology as he won 7-6 on a late third period escape. Fashouer is now 31-3 on the season and will face sixth seeded Keito Shaw of Alvernia in the Semifinals tomorrow.

Colton Babcock (Sweet Valley, PA/Northwest Area), the top seed at 184-pounds, advanced to the Semifinals tomorrow as well. Babcock pinned Reno DiCesare of Penn State Behrend just 12 seconds into the first period of Round One. Babcock then pinned Khalil Mitchell, the eighth seed from Averett, at the 1:11 mark to move into tomorrow's Semifinals where he will face fifth seeded Isaac Kassis of Alvernia. Babcock is now 29-2 on the season.

First year Cameron Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) made it three Colonels in the Semifinals as he started the day in Round One at 197-pounds with a 9-5 decision over Messiah's Joe Embleton. The fifth seed used a takedown with eight seconds left in the third period to seal the victory and added the riding time point. Butka then defeated fourth seeded Alex Donahue of Washington & Jefferson with a 7-6 decision in the Quarterfinals. Butka trailed 5-3 heading to the third period but used an escape followed by a takedown 10 seconds later early in the period to take a 6-5 lead. Donahue tied the score with an escape late but Butka earned the extra riding time point to win the bout. Butka will face eighth seeded Mauro Pellot of Alvernia in the Semifinals tomorrow as he upset top seeded Braden Homsey of Ferrum in his Quarterfinal. Butka is now 28-8 overall this season.

Sixth seeded Jack Bauer (Ringoes, NJ/Hunterdon Central) at 133-pounds won his Preliminary Round bout with a 15-1 major decision over David Rubin of Washington & Lee. The victory included a dominant 10-0 first period for the junior. Bauer then beat Noah Grossnickle of Waynesburg in Round One action with a 9-0 major decision. In the Quarterfinals third seeded Josh Wilson of Greensboro took a 9-1 major decision. Bauer then picked up a first period fall in 2:15 over Lycoming's Thomas Conselyea in the Consolation Third Round and will face seventh seeded Gustav Petruske of King's tomorrow in the Consolation Fourth Round.

Liam Flaherty (Needmore, PA/Southern Fulton) was seeded eighth at 157-pounds and defeated Bret Murphy of King's with a 13-4 major decision in Round One. Then the senior squared off with top seeded Nick Barnhart of Messiah in the Quarterfinals where he dropped a 10-0 major decision. Flaherty then picked up a 12-8 decision over Hunter O'Connor of Lycoming in the Consolation Third Round. Four near-fall points in the first period were key for Flaherty. He will face Christian Hite of Ferrum with the Consolation Semifinals on the line tomorrow.

James Geiger (Dallas, PA/Dallas) was seeded eighth in the 165-pound bracket. The junior began his day by defeating Elijah Martin of Ferrum by a 7-2 decision in Round One. He then faced top-seeded Matt Lackman of Alvernia in the Quarterfinals and lost by fall in the second period. Geiger used five takedowns of Preston Rogers of Lycoming in the Consolation Third Round to win with a 13-6 decision. He will rematch with Ferrum's Martin in the Consolation Round Four tomorrow.

Sophomore Nevin Rauch (New Columbia, PA/Milton) upset second seeded Trent Ragland of Averett with a 5-2 decision in Round One at 285. The bout was tied 2-2 heading to the third period where Rauch took the lead with an escape 12 seconds in and then 22 seconds later earned the first takedown of the match to seal the victory. Seventh seeded Rocky McGeary of Waynesburg then won by a third period fall in the Quarterfinals. Rauch then pinned Brady Elswick of Roanoke at 1:41 of the first period in the Consolation Third Round. He will rematch against No. 2 seed Ragland in the Consolation Round Four tomorrow to try to advance to the Consolation Semifinals.

At 174-pounds John Devito (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central) was seeded seventh and picked up a Round One win with an 8-3 decision over York's Kyle Strazdus. Second seeded Yousseff Ait Boulahri of Delaware Valley then won by fall over Devito in the Quarterfinals. The junior then saw his season end with a fall against Michael Oliver of Ferrum in the Consolation Third Round. Devito finished the season with a 16-14 record.

Fifth seeded Levi Englman of Ferrum defeated first year Rene Trevino (Rio Grande City, TX/Rio Grande City) by a 10-0 major decision in the Preliminary Round at 141-pounds. Trevino then lost by fall to Damion Finnegan of Waynesburg in Consolation Round One action. Trevino finished the season with a 13-17 record for the Navy and Gold.

At 149-pounds senior Allen Kokilananda (Springfield, VA/Annandale) dropped a 10-3 decision to eighth seed Elijah Blackwell of Southern Virginia in Round One action. He then faced Greg Croce of Delaware Valley in a Consolation Round Two bout, losing by a 13-6 decision. Kokilananda finished his senior year with a 14-20 record.

Wrestling will begin at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow with the Semifinals and Consolation Round 4. The Consolation Semifinals will follow around 11:00 a.m. and the Championship Finals, Third Place, Fifth Place, and Seventh Place matches will start at approximately 12:30 p.m.