Wilkes University at 2023 Middle Atlantic Conference Championship
Saturday, January 21
Start Time: 10:30 a.m.
York, Pa. – York College of Pennsylvania – M&T Bank Field House
 
Match Notes
Live Stats
Live Video (Championship Bouts Only)
MAC Championship Central Page
 
Admission
Adults - $6
Senior Citizens - $4
Students - $2
Children Under 6 - Free
 
The Wilkes University wrestling team will send 22 grapplers to the 2023 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Championship on Saturday starting at 10:30 a.m. in York, Pa. The conference office released the 2023 MAC Wrestling Pre-Championship Coaches' Poll on Tuesday with No. 12 Stevens Institute of Technology selected as the favorite.
 
2023 MAC Wrestling Pre-Championship Coaches' Poll
Rank      Team                                     Points   (1st Place Votes)
1.            Stevens                                49           (7)
2.            Alvernia                               43
3.            York                                       31
T4.          Delaware Valley                 26
T4.          Lycoming                            26
6.            Wilkes                                     24
7.            Messiah                               18
8.            King's                                    7
 
It is the 76th MAC Wrestling Championship dating back to the first championship in 1936. There was no championship from 1944-46 due to World War II, and from 2007-13 the MAC did not sponsor wrestling. The 2019 (Winter Storm Harper) and 2021 (COVID-19) championship were both canceled.
 
Delaware Valley and Lycoming lead all current and former conference members with 15 conference wrestling team titles each. Wilkes is third with 14 titles. The Aggies won four-straight (2002-06) titles. Since 1977, Lycoming and Delaware Valley have combined for 28 of the 32 titles. From 1966-75, Wilkes won seven-straight titles. The only other team to claim that many consecutive titles was former MAC member Gettysburg College from 1949-55. Lycoming leads all schools with 113 individual MAC titles, while Delaware Valley has 111. Wilkes has 67 individual titles to tie Gettysburg for third, Messiah has 44 and King's has 19. In two championship appearances, Stevens collected two team titles and 10 individual titles.

After the tournament is over, the first, second, and third place finishers for the tournament will be selected to the All-MAC team. The first place winners will be placed on the First-Team, the runner ups will be on the Second Team, and the third place finishers will be on the Third-Team. 

Colonels Notebook
• The Colonels competed in the Budd Whitehill Duals on January 13-14, winning their last two matchups against Ferrum College 28-17 and Oswego State 30-20. Austin Fashouer (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) and Caleb Burkhart (Hughesville, PA/Hughesville) went 5-0 during the weekend, with both men being named to the All-Tournament Team. Jack Bauer (Ringoes, NJ/Hunterdon Central) also ended the two-day dual tournament with a 4-0 record at 141. Cameron Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) finished 3-1 in the two days he competed in. 

• Wilkes participated in the NWCA National Duals, finishing the weekend with a 33-9 team win over the University of Mount Union. Burkhart went 3-0 on the weekend with three pins, earning MAC Wrestler of the Week for his performance. Fashouer and Butka finished 2-1 during their matches while Bauer concluded the weekend with a 3-1 record at the NWCA National Duals. 

• Wilkes competed on December 9 in a dual matchup where they fell to Delaware Valley University 23-15. Bauer and Butka got three points in their decision victories at their respective weight classes while Charles Everdale (Freeland, PA/Hazleton Area) scored a fall in 32 seconds to keep Wilkes in their matchup with the Aggies.

• The Colonels competed in four tournaments this season: Ned McGinley Invitational, Racich Rumble, Blue Jay Classic, and the Wilkes Open. The Colonels had nine grapplers finish in the top-6 at Ned McGinley  and 11 in the top-6 at the Blue Jay Classic. The Colonels had two wrestlers in the Racich Rumble and the Wilkes Open also finishing in the top-6 as well.

• Four grapplers have won titles in tournaments this season. Fashouer (125) and Butka (197) got first place at the Blue Jay Classic while Bauer (141) and James Geiger (Dallas, PA/Dallas) (174) took titles at the Ned McGinley Invitational.

• Wilkes competed in the Dr. Sam Case Duals on November 20 where they had three dual matches. They beat John Hopkins 24-23 and Pittsburgh-Bradford 35-13 before falling in their last meet to host McDaniel 23-22.

• The Colonels fell to Elizabethtown 24-22 in their road dual match on Friday, November 18.

• Three grapplers were ranked in the NWCA Individual Regional Southeast Rankings, which were released on January 18th. Butka was ranked third in the 197 pound division while Fashouer and Bauer rounded out the rankings as they were placed sixth at the 125 and 141 weight classes respectively.

• In the d3wrestle.com individual rankings that came out January 11th, Fashouer and Butka were all Honorable-Mentions in their respective weight classes.

• The Colonels 2022-2023 roster goes 29 deep with a class breakdown of: 4 seniors; 6 juniors; 9 sophomores; and 10 first-years.

• The roster features athletes from six states: Pennsylvania – 16; New Jersey – 7; New York – 2; Virginia – 2; Maryland – 1; Louisiana - 1.

• The MAC Championship will have wrestlers seeded in the top-6 heading into the matchups for tomorrow in each weight class. The Colonels have eight wrestlers in the top-6 of their respective divisions. Bauer is the highest seeded wrestler for Wilkes as he was the put at second in the 141 weight class. Butka is a three seed at 197. Fashouer (125) and John Devito (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central) (184) are ranked fourth in their divisions while Geiger (165) and Burkhart (285) were put at the fifth seed. Michael Richardson (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial), Christopher Nuss (Gore, VA/James Wood), and Hunter Lowe (Westminster, MD/Winters Mill) fill out the seeds for the Colonels as they were ranked sixth in the 133, 174. and 197 weight classes respectively.

Weighing In
125    A. Fashouer    19-5
125    C. Kucek    4-7
133    S. Kimmel    1-18
133    M. Richardson    4-5
141    B. Sitton    3-8
141    J. Bauer    19-3
149    S. Hughes    1-4
149    B. Grater    2-13
157    C. Dix    3-7
157    T. DuBoff    2-8
157    J. Hartranft    1-10
157    N. Partsanakins    6-11
165    J. Geiger    11-7
165    C. Everdale    9-13
174    C. Nuss    9-7
174    R. Winn    2-11
174    D. Doty    0-8
184    J. DeVito    7-18
197    C. Butka    16-4
197    H. Lowe    18-8
285    C. Burkhart    19-6
285    T. Gitski    4-8