LOUISVILLE, KY – Wilkes University wrestling team went 0-2 with a 36-10 loss to No. 14 the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and a 25-15 loss to Olivet College to begin its competition in the NCAA Division III bracket of the 2023 U.S. Marine Corps NWCA Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships presented by ARMS Software, and Capital Construction hosted by NUWAY Combat at the Kentucky Expo Center Friday. This is the first time since 2018 that the Colonels have competed at the National Duals with this year's event featuring 17 of the 25 current teams ranked in the NWCA Dual Team Rankings.

Wilkes dropped to 2-6 in dual matches this season. UW-Platteville improved to 5-2 on the season with its victory over the Colonels and Olivet went to 7-7 overall following today's matches.

Wilkes opened the National Duals Friday morning against UW-Platteville, ranked No. 14 by the NWCA, and it was sophomore Austin Fashouer (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) who gave Wilkes the early lead when he pinned Nolan McKittrick in the second period. McKittrick led 2-0 with a takedown in the first period and Fahouer chose the bottom to start the second period where he worked a reversal and two nearfall points within the first 16 seconds to take a 4-2 lead. Fashouer then earned the fall 52 seconds into the second period to put the Colonels up 6-0.

A major decision at 133-pounds for the Pioneers made the score 6-4. Senior Jack Bauer (Ringoes, NJ/Hunterdon Central) then earned a 13-4 major decision over Kyler Neuberger at 141-pounds to put Wilkes up 10-4. Bauer worked an early takedown nine seconds into the first period to lead 2-1 after the first three minutes. He extended his lead to 9-2 after the second period with an escape, two takedowns, and two nearfall points. Bauer closed out the bout with two more takedowns in the third period.

UW-Platteville won the 149-pound bout with a 12-6 decision to close the score to 10-7 and took its first lead in the match when Aiden Brosinski picked up at fall in the 157-pound bout to put the Pioneers up 13-10. A third consecutive win for UW-Platteville on a 6-4 decision at 165 put them ahead 16-10. Nathan Wynsma, ranked No. 7 by the NWCA at 174-pounds, then won by fall in 1:51 to extend the Pioneers lead to 22-10. UW-Platteville clinched the match at 184-pounds with a technical fall as the lead went to 27-10 with only two bouts remaining.

Tyler Hannah, ranked No. 15 by the NWCA at 197-pounds, won a hard fought decision over Cameron Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton), 5-2. Brett Schoenherr, ranked No. 10 by the NWCA at 285-pounds, won by fall at the 5:00 mark to give UW-Platteville the 36-10 victory and move into the Round of 16 to face No. 7 Wabash College. With the loss Wilkes went into the 17-24 Place Bracket to face Olivet College later in the day.

In the Colonels afternoon match Olivet gained a 3-0 lead with a 1-0 decision in the opening 125-pound bout. The Comets went ahead 6-0 following an 11-4 decision at 133-pounds.

Bauer put the Colonels on the board with his second win of the day as he defeated Robert Davids in the 141-pound bout by a 4-2 decision to make it 6-3. Following a scoreless first period, Davids took the lead with an escape in the second period. Bauer used a reversal 39 seconds into the third period to go ahead 2-1. Following an escape by Davids, Bauer maneuvered a takedown with 24 seconds left to win 4-2.

A major decision at 149 put Olivet up 10-3.

Jaryn Hartranft (Catasauqua, PA/Catasauqua) dropped a thrilling 11-10 decision to Ramiro Guerrero in the 157-pound bout. The first-year Colonel gained an 8-5 lead at the end of the second period with a reversal and two nearfall points. Guerreo responded with a reversal and two nearfall points of his own at the start of the third to go ahead 9-8. With 32 seconds left the Compets grappler was awarded a point as the two went neutral. Hartranft earned a takedown to tie the bout at 10-10 with 26 seconds left but Guerrero was able to escape with 13 ticks left to win 11-10 and put Olivet up 13-3.

Kameron Bush, No. 10 at 165 in the NWCA rankings, battled to a 12-6 decision against junior James Geiger (Dallas, PA/Dallas) to put the Comets up 16-3. An 8-2 decision at 174 and a fall at 184 put Olivet up 25-3, clinching the match for the Comets.

Wilkes finished strong as junior Hunter Lowe (Westminster, MD/Winters Mill) scored a fall in the 197-pound bout over Kody Krupp. Lowe earned a takedown with 1:36 left in the first period and then earned the fall with 17 seconds remaining. Sophomore Caleb Burkhart (Hughesville, PA/Hughesville) also earned a fall in the 285-pound bout over Boe Eckman as he was leading 12-2 at the time. Burkhart used an early takedown and twice earned four nearfall points. Eckman followed with a reversal but Burkhart reversed back just 22 seconds later and earned the pin at the 1:57 mark of the first period as Wilkes fell 25-15.

Wilkes also had five wrestlers compete at the NUWAY College Men's Open during the day with Braden Sitton (Cross Junction, VA/James Wood) having the best result with a 2-2 record.

Wilkes will wrestle against SUNY Cortland tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. and then either against Mount Union or No. 22 NYU at 1:00 p.m. to close out the Colonels trip to the NWCA National Duals.

No. 14 UW-Platteville 36, WU 10
125 – A. Fashouer (W) fall N. McKittrick (P) 3:52
133 – Z. Licht (P) major dec. M. Richardson (W) 9-1
141 – J. Bauer (W) majoe dec. K. Neuberger (P) 13-4
149 – B. Parker (P) dec. B. Grater (W) 12-6
157 – A. Brosinski (P) fall C. Dix (W) 2:09
165 – J. Warmowksi (P) dec. C. Everdale (W) 6-4
174 – N. Wynsma (P) fall C. Nuss (W) 1:51
184 – K. Ross (P) tech. fall J. Devito (W) 16-1, 3:34
197 – T. Hannah (P) dec. C. Butka (W) 5-2
285 – B. Schoenherr (P) fall N. Rauch (W) 5:00
 
Olivet 25, WU 15
125 – I. Mullins (O) dec. C. Kucek (W) 1-0
133 – E. Cabrera (O) dec. S. Kimmel (W) 11-4
141 – J. Bauer (W) dec. 4-2 R. Davids (O) 4-2
149 – T. Herrema (O) major dec. C. Temple (W) 8-0
157 – R. Guerrero (O) dec. J. Hartranft (W) 11-10
165 – K. Bush (O) dec. J. Geiger (W) 12-6
174 – O. Guilford (O) dec. C. Nuss (W) 8-2
184 – J. Carnahan (O) fall J. Devito (W) 0:55
197 – H. Lowe (W) fall K. Krupp (O) 2:43
285 – C. Burkhart (W) fall B. Eckman (O) 1:57

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