YORK, PA – The Wilkes University wrestling team placed fifth overall at the 2023 NCAA Division III Southeast Regional Wrestling Championships at M&T Bank Field House hosted by York College following the conclusion of the tournament on Saturday. Wilkes saw eight total wrestlers place within the top eight of their respective weight classes.

Full Results (Web)
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The Colonels placed fifth of 21 total teams with 87.5 team points.

Cameron Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton), ranked 13th nationally at 197-pounds by the NWCA, dropped his Championship Bracket Semifinal to open the day to Braden Homsey of Ferrum College. Homsey took a 3-0 lead in the second period as Butka battled back in the third to take a 5-4 lead with 37 seconds left on an escape and two takedowns. Homsey then used an escape and a takedown with seven seconds left to win the 7-5 decision to clinch a national qualifier spot. The sophomore defeated Daniel Eckley of Delaware Valley University in the Consolation Semifinals with a 10-7 decision as he scored two escapes and four takedowns in the bout to put him in the 3rd Place Bout and another chance to become a National Qualifier. Butka came up just shy in an 8-7 decision to Alvernia University's Mauro Pellot. Pellot led 6-3 after two periods and with two escapes in the third was able to hold off two Butka final period takedowns to win by one point. Butka placed fourth for the second straight year at the NCAA Southeast Regional and went 27-7 on the season.

Caleb Burkhart (Hughesville, PA/Hughesville) continued to add to his school single-season falls record on Saturday as he pinned Matt Majoy of Washington and Lee University at 2:11 in the Consolation Quarterfinals of the 285-pound division. Palmer Rodenhaber of Alvernia, who is ranked ninth nationally, earned a 4-1 decision over the sophomore in the Consolation Semifinals to put Burkhart in the 5th Place Bout. There he pinned Austin Williams of Delaware Valley in 1:15 to bring his record season to a close with 24 total falls. Burkhart placed fifth at the regional and was 30-11 overall this season.

At 149-pounds Jaryn Hartranft (Catasauqua, PA/Catasauqua) continued his run through the Consolation Bracket with a Quarterfinal victory over Colin Bridges of Washington and Lee. Hartranft scored a 7-3 decision as he followed a scoreless first period by choosing bottom and working a quick escape. The first year then hit a takedown and scored four nearfall points as he went ahead 7-0 in the decisive sequence. In the Consolation Semifinals Peyton Hearn of Thiel College won a 9-4 decision over Hartranft. Hartranft won the 5th Place Bout 3-1 in sudden victory overtime against Kobin Karper of Lycoming College. Karper escaped in the second period while Hartranft worked an escape in the third and with riding time not being a factor the bout went to sudden victory with earning the takedown 31 seconds in. He finished his first collegiate season with a 5-2 record and a fifth place finish at his first regional tournament and a 14-15 overall record.

Austin Fashouer (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) dropped his 125-pound Championship Bracket Semifinal to open Saturday to Jacob Blair of Delaware Valley in a tight 3-2 decision. Blair had the early first period takedown and Fashouer escaped a little over a minute later. He escaped again at the beginning of the second period to tie the score but an escape in the third period by Blair earned him national qualification. Riley Parker, ranked 11th nationally, of Washington and Lee earned a 7-2 decision in the Consolation Semifinal to put Fashouer in the 5th Place Bout. Jared Kuhns, ranked seventh nationally, of York avenged a 6-5 loss to Fashouer yesterday by winning the bout with a 6-3 decision as the Wilkes sophomore placed sixth. Fashouer finished the season with a 29-12 overall record.

Jack Bauer (Ringoes, NJ/Hunterdon Central) lost his 133-pound Championship Bracket Semifinal in a double overtime thriller with a national qualification spot on the line to open the day. Nico Diaz, ranked 14th nationally, of Stevens Institute of Technology earned an escape in the second period and Bauer matched that with an escape in the third to send the match to sudden victory overtime. With one full period going scoreless the two went to the second Diaz earned four nearfall points to win the 5-1 decision. Luke Kowolski of Gettysburg College then picked up a fall over Bauer in the Consolation Semifinals and Ryan Kelly of Delaware Valley earned a 5-0 decision in the 5th Place Bout as the senior placed sixth for the Colonels. Bauer finished the year with a 27-7 record.

Hunter Lowe (Westminster, MD/Winters Mill) opened the day with a 184-pound Consolation Bracket Quarterfinal victory over Jaden Roberts of Delaware Valley. The junior earned a takedown 43 seconds into the sudden victory period to win a 4-2 decision. Lowe then lost an 8-0 major decision to Frank Medina of Stevens in the Consolation Semifinals to move to the 5th Place Bout. Ryder Slayton of Messiah University won a 5-2 decision as Lowe placed sixth. He finished the season with a 31-15 record and placed at a team-high seven tournaments.

At 157-pounds Charles Everdale (Freeland, PA/Hazleton Area) dropped his Consolation Bracket Quarterfinal to Garret Cornell of Messiah by fall. In the 7th Place Bout Roanoke College's Zane Cox won by fall as Everdale placed eighth. The sophomore finished the season with an 18-21 overall record.

At 174-pounds Christopher Nuss (Gore, VA/James Wood) dropped his Consolation Bracket Quarterfinal to Jared Townsend of York by fall. Mark Troni of Washington and Lee then won the 7th Place Bout by fall as the Wilkes sophomore placed eighth. Nuss finished the season with a 20-14 overall record.

Stevens won the team title with 181 points. Alvernia was second with 144.5 and Washington and Lee was third with 109. York was fourth with 97 points followed by Wilkes in fifth of the 21 total teams.

The fifth place regional finish for the Colonels was the team's best finish since the 2019 Southeast Regional when they placed fourth.