WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University wrestling team closed out its dual match season falling to Elizabethtown College 30-10 Sunday afternoon inside the Marts Center.
 
Wilkes finished its 2023-24 dual match schedule with an 8-7 mark, while Elizabethtown improved to 10-2 on the season.
 
Elizabethtown opened the match with a pair of decision wins at 125-pounds and 133-pounds as Ethan Liptzin bested Connor Kerwin (Totowa, NJ/Passaic Valley) 8-1 and Braden Schuyler posted a 17-11 victory over Michael Richardson (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial).
 
Jack Bauer (Ringoes, NJ/Hunterdon Central) picked up his 21^st win of the season to put the Colonels on the board with a dominating major decision over Scott Reagan 17-11 as Wilkes trailed 6-4 after three bouts. Shane Strausser pinned Jackson Brady (Goshen, NY/Goshen Central) at 149-pounds to up the Elizabethtown lead to 12-4 before Colton Thorpe (Southington, CT/Southington) used a late takedown and escape to record a 6-4 decision win at 157-pounds over Gavin Fehr. Wilkes trailed 12-7 with five bouts remaining.
 
Brian Schneider, ranked fourth nationally at 165-pounds, pinned Trevor DeuBoff to extend the Blue Jays advantage to 18-7. Elizabethtown added another decision win at 174-pounds when Gannon Smith outlasted Lucas Miller (Kempton, PA/Northwestern Lehigh) 8-3 as the lead grew to 21-7 with three bouts left in the match.
 
Will Davis then clinched the match for Elizabethtown earning a major decision over Hunter Lowe (Westminster, MD/Winters Mill) at 184-pounds to push the Blue Jays lead to 25-7 with two bouts left.
 
Cameron Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton), the ninth ranked wrestler at 197-pounds, wrestled a competitive match against Traisach Roland winning by decision 4-1 as Wilkes trailed 25-10. Butka picked up his 31^st win of the season in the decision victory. The final match of the day featured two ranked wrestlers as Dylan Waller posted a 21-4 technical fall over Caleb Burkhart (Hughesville, PA/Hughesville) to close out the Elizabethtown win.
 
The Colonels remain idle until next Sunday when they compete at the Mideast Futures Tournament hosted by The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). Wrestling starts at 10:00 a.m.
 
Elizabethtown 30, WU 10
125 – Ethan Liptzin (E) dec. C. Kerwin (W) 8-1
133 – Braden Schuyler (E) dec. M. Richardson (W) 17-11
141 – J. Bauer (W) major dec. Scott Reagan (E) 16-5
149 – Shane Strausser (E) fall J. Brady (W) 2:09
157 – C. Thorpe (W) dec. Gavin Fehr (E) 6-4
165 – Brian Schneider (E) fall T. DuBoff (W) 1:08
174 – Gannon Smith (E) dec. L. Miller (W) 8-3
184 – Will Davis (E) major dec. H. Lowe (W) 13-3
197 – C. Butka (W) dec. Traisach Roland (E) 4-1
285 – Dylan Waller (E) tech fall C. Burkhart (W) 21-4 (5:55)