WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University wrestling team pushed its win streak to six matches as the Colonels finished a perfect 3-0 at the 2024 John Reese Duals Saturday afternoon at the Marts Center.
 
Wilkes posted wins over Keystone (44-12), Penn College (35-16) and Oneonta (34-16) in the three-round event which also included Springfield College and Ithaca College. The Colonels stand 7-5 in dual matches on the season.
 
Wilkes cruised to its first win of the day over Keystone using seven extra-point wins in the 44-12 victory. After a forfeit win at 125-pounds, Sam Kimmel (Drexel Hill, PA/Upper Darby) pinned Malachi Jones in :56 to up the Colonels advantage to 12-0. Mason Livio (Little Egg Harbor Township, NJ/Pinelands Regional) earned an 8-1 decision at 141-pounds before Jackson Brady (Goshen, NY/Goshen Central) won by technical fall (20-4) as Wilkes opened up a 20-0 lead after four bouts. Jaryn Hartranft (Catasauqua, PA/Catasauqua) pinned Mariano Monacelli at 157-pounds in 2:12 keeping the Colonels ahead 26-0. Keystone got on the board with a fall at 165-pounds, before Jared Bilinski (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville Central) posted the Colonels third fall of the match pinning Dalten Klinges in 4:44 at 174-pounds. Wilkes picked up wins on two more Keystone forfeits at 184 and 197 before the Giants grabbed a fall at 285-pounds to conclude the match.
 
The Colonels made it two wins in a row with a 35-16 victory over Penn College in their second match of the day. At 125-pounds Connor Kerwin (Totowa, NJ/Passaic Valley) opened the scoring with a fall over Luke Heimbach in 1:39. Penn College answered back taking two decisions and a major decision at 133, 141 and 149 respectively to take a 10-6 lead after three bouts. Hartranft gave Wilkes the advantage back in the next bout at 157 pinning Cavin Napoletano in 2:14 as the Colonels went ahead 12-10. Penn used its own fall at 165 to regain the lead at 16-12 before four straight extra-point wins over the final four bouts sealed the win for Wilkes. At 174-pounds Melquan Warren (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) began the rally with a 17-1 technical fall over Mason Leshock followed by falls from Christopher Nuss (Gore, VA/James Wood) at 184 (:47), Cameron Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) at 197 (3:50) and Caleb Burkhart (Hughesville, PA/Hughesville) at 285 (2:34).
 
Wilkes closed out the day with the win against Oneonta as Michael Richardson (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) pinned Danny Poggi in 3:55 at 133-pounds to tie the match at 6-6 after Oneonta began with a fall at 125.The teams continued to trade falls as Oneonta had its turn at 141 before Colton Thorpe (Southington, CT/Southington) pinned Anderson Klosner in 2:42 tying the match at 12. Hartranft finished off his impressive day with his third fall, this time in 4:25, as Wilkes led 18-2 after five bouts. Following an Oneonta major decision at 165, Nuss earned a 9-0 major decision over James DeLucia at 184 followed by Butka's 7-4 decision at 197. Burkhart closed out the match with a quick fall in :34 at heavyweight.
 
Wilkes returns to the mat Saturday when the Colonels compete in the John Summa Invitational hosted by Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio. Wrestling begins at 10:00 a.m.
 
WU 44, Keystone 12
125 – C. Kerwin (Wilkes) won by forfeit
133 – S. Kimmel (Wilkes) fall Malachi Jones (Keystone) :56        
141 – M. Livio (Wilkes) dec. Quinton Frampton (Keystone) 8-1
149 – J. Brady (Wilkes) tech fall Ralph Nieves (Keystone) 20-4
157 – J. Hartranft (Wilkes) fall Mariano Monacelli (Keystone) 2:12
165 – CJ Riccobono (Keystone) fall C. Wells (Wilkes) 6:37
174 – J. Bilinski (Wilkes) fall Dalten Klinges (Keystone) 4:44
184 – C. Nuss (Wilkes) won by forfeit
197 – H. Lowe (Wilkes) won by forfeit
285 – Rocco Arduini (Keystone) fall T. Gitski (Wilkes) 1:19
 
WU 35, Penn College 16
125 – C. Kerwin (Wilkes) fall Luke Heimbach (Penn) 1:39
133 – Kaden Ware (Penn) dec. M. Richardson (Wilkes) 3-2
141 – Noah Hunt (Penn) major dec. J. Bauer (Wilkes) 13-4
149 – TJ Martin (Penn) dec. B. Grater (Wilkes) 6-0
157 – J. Hartranft (Wilkes) fall Cavin Napoletano (Penn) 2:14
165 – Travis Green (Penn) fall T. DuBoff (Wilkes) 1:33
174 – M. Warren (Wilkes) tech fall Mason Leshock (Penn) 17-1
184 – C. Nuss (Wilkes) fall Andy Muzika (Penn) :47
197 – C. Butka (Wilkes) fall Gabriel Kennedy-Citeroni (Penn) 3:50
285 – C. Burkhart (Wilkes) fall Nicholas Brotzman (Penn) 2:34
 
WU 34, Oneonta 16
125 – Billy Colloca (Oneonta) fall C. Kerwin (Wilkes) 1:59
133 – M. Richardson (Wilkes) fall Danny Poggi (Oneonta) 3:55
141 – Peter Sacco (Oneonta) fall M. Livio (Wilkes) 4:45
149 – C. Thorpe (Wilkes) fall Anderson Klosner (Oneonta) 2:42
157 – J. Hartranft (Wilkes) fall Max Yahre (Oneonta) 4:25
165 – Ayden DeForest (Oneonta) major dec. T. DuBoff (Wilkes) 16-5
174 – L Miller (Wilkes) dec. Kenny Sauer (Oneonta) 4-2
184 – C. Nuss (Wilkes) major dec. James DeLucia (Oneonta) 9-0
197 – C. Butka (Wilkes) dec. Carson Licastri (Oneonta) 7-4
285 – C. Burkhart (Wilkes) fall Jhordyn Innocent (Oneonta) :34
 
Exhibitions:
125 – T. Hinchcliff (Oneonta) dec. R. Finnegan (Wilkes) 10-9
184 – E. Callaghan (Ithaca) fall H. Lowe (Wilkes) 1:15
125 – C. Kucek (Wilkes) fall C. Hinchcliff (Oneonta) 3:34