Wilkes University (0-0) vs. No. 14 TCNJ (0-0)
Friday, November 10
Start Time: 7:00 p.m.
Marts Center
 
Wilkes University (0-0) vs. Lackawanna College (1-0)
Saturday, November 11
Start Time: 11:00 a.m.
Marts Center
 
Watch Live on FloSports (Both Matches)
 
Colonels Notebook
• The Wilkes wrestling team hosts No. 14 TCNJ in the 2023-24 home opener on Friday at 7:00 p.m. and follows with another dual match on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. against Lackawanna in the newly renovated Marts Center.
 
• Last Saturday Wilkes opened the 2023-24 season by placing fourth of 13 teams at the Ned McGinley Invitational. The Colonels saw eight wrestlers place within the top six of their respective weight classes and had three champions.
 
• Sophomore Jaryn Hartranft (Catasauqua, PA/Catasauqua) was seeded second and won the 157-pound title by going 5-0 at the tournament. Junior Cameron Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) took the 197-pound title and junior Caleb Burkhart (Hughesville, PA/Hughesville) won the 285-pound title after each went 4-0 as the top seed.
 
• First-year Connor Kerwin (Totowa, NJ/Passaic Valley) went 4-2 and placed fifth at the Ned McGinley Invitational at 125-pounds. Senior Michael Richardson (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) (133), graduate student Jack Bauer (Ringoes, NJ/Hunterdon Central) (141), first-year Ryan Santiago (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) (149), and senior Hunter Lowe (Westminster, MD/Winters Mill) (197) all placed sixth.
 
• Burkhart is ranked No. 11 at 285 in the season opening National Wrestling Coaching Association (NWCA) Division III Individual Rankings. Butka opened the season ranked No. 13 at 197.
 
• In the NWCA Southeast Regional Rankings, Burkhart started the season at No. 2 and Butka at No 3. Joining them in the Regional Rankings were Hartranft at No. 4 (149), Bauer at No. 6 (141), Charles Everdale (Freeland, PA/Hazleton Area) at No. 6 (157), and Christopher Nuss (Gore, VA/James Wood) at No. 6 (184).
 
• Butka is ranked No. 10 nationally in the new d3wrestle.com individual rankings that came out this morning. Hartranft and Burkart are both ranked just outside the top 10, listed as Contenders.
 
• The Colonels 2023-24 roster goes 38 deep with a class breakdown of: one graduate student, four seniors, seven juniors, nine sophomores, and 17 first years.
 
• The roster features student-athletes from eight states: Pennsylvania – 18; New Jersey – 11; New York – 4; Connecticut – 1; Florida – 1; Louisiana – 1; Maryland – 1; Virginia – 1.
 
Scouting the Opponents
• TCNJ is ranked No. 14 in the season-opening NWCA Tournament Team Rankings.
 
• The Lions roster features three nationally ranked wrestlers to open the season. Nicholas Sacco is ranked No. 3 at 165-pounds, Reid Colella is No. 11 at 174, and Peter Wersinger is No. 7 at 285.
 
• In the NWCA Mideast Regional Rankings, Kyle Nase is No. 3 at 133, Mike Conklin is No. 4 at 149, Sacco is No. 1 at 165, Colella is No. 4 at 174, and Wersinger is No. 1 at 285.
 
• The Lions sent five wrestlers to the Princeton Open to open the season on Saturday. Conklin, Alex Strashinsky, Sacco, Colella, and Wersinger competed.
 
• Lackawanna opened its 2023-24 season last Saturday with a 27-24 dual match win over Keystone College.
 
• Evan Raposo(157) and Dylan Hogan (165) won by fall and James Forsette (184) by decision to help the Falcons to the season-opening win.

Weighing In – TCNJ Match
125 – C. Kerwin (4-2)
133 – S. Kimmel (1-2)
141 – J. Bauer (5-1)
149 – R. Santiago (3-2)
157 – J. Hartranft (5-0)
165 – T. DuBoff (0-0)
174 – J. Bilinski (2-2)
174 – M. Warren (1-2)
184 – L. Miller (3-2)
184 – C. Nuss (0-0)
197 – C. Butka (4-0)
285 – C. Burkhart (4-0)
 
Weighing In – Lackawanna Match
125 – R. Finnegan (2-2)
133 – E. Washburn (0-2)
133 – P. Yaeckel (0-2)
141 – M. Livio (2-2)
149 – B. Grater (3-2)
149 – C. Temple (1-2)
149 – C. Thorpe (1-2)
157 – J. Brady (0-2)
165 – H. Saylor (0-2)
174 – J. Bilinski (2-2)
184 – L. Miller (3-2)
197 – H. Lowe (4-2)
285 – C. Burkhart (4-0)