EWING, NJ – Wilkes University wrestling saw seven of its wrestlers place top six including sophomore Trevor Gitski (Alburtis, PA/Emmaus), who earned the 285-pound championship, at the Mideast Futures Tournament hosted by TCNJ Sunday.

The end of the season tournament primarily for wrestlers not competing at the NCAA Regional features participants from 17 institutions. The Colonels had the third-most wrestlers place in the top six behind Rochester Institute of Technology's 10 and Stevens Institute of Technology's eight.

Full Results: Website | PDF Bracket

Gitski earned his first career tournament title by going 4-0. He started with a Round of 16 major decision by a 17-6 score over John Farrell of York College (Pa.). He then won his Quarterfinal by a 4-2 decision against Kurt Driscoll of Elizabethtown College. In the Semifinals, Gitski won by a 7-2 decision against Keystone College's Rocco Arduini. Gitski finished off the perfect day with a 10-4 decision in the Finals to take home the 285-pound title over Jimmy Yeingst of Elizabethtown.

Cadden Kucek (Forty Fort, PA/Wyoming Valley West) placed second at 125-pounds with a 4-1 showing. Kucek had three straight falls to start the tournament as he won in the Round of 32 over Teague McCormick of Ursinus College in 1:01. He then pinned Brandon Woodward of York in 0:51 in the Round of 16. He pinned Vincent Principe of Stevens in 5:21 in the Quarterfinals. The junior then used an 11-6 decision over SUNY Cortland's Christian Lievano in the Semifinals to reach the Final. It was TCNJ's Aidan Carmody who earned the title with a fall as Kucek took runner up.

Melquan Warren (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) placed third at 174-pounds. The first year began with a Round of 16 win by 21-5 technical fall over Mark Dickey of New York University in 5:19. Warren then won his Quarterfinal by a 14-4 major decision over teammate Lucas Miller (Kempton, PA/Northwestern Lehigh). Eventual champion AJ Cerulli of Ursinus defeated Warren by fall in the Semifinals. In the Third-Place bout he defeated McDaniel College's Gannon Brooks by a 22-6 technical fall in 2:49 to finish 3-1 on the day.

Miller placed sixth at 174-pounds. He started with an 8-1 decision in the Round of 16 over Tyson Derenberger of Muhlenberg College. Miller then lost to Warren in the Quarterfinals by the 14-4 major decision. The first year then beat teammate Jared Bilinski (Dolgeville, NY/Dolgeville Central) in the consolation bracket by a 10-2 major decision. He followed that with an 11-9 decision over McDaniel's Avery Cummings to reach the Fifth-Place bout where he lost by a 10-4 decision to Ian Flanagan of TCNJ and place sixth with a 3-2 day.

Mason Livio (Little Egg Harbor Township, NJ/Pinelands Regional) was a sixth-place finisher at 141-pounds. He lost his Round of 32 bout by a 9-1 major decision to Josh Post of RIT. He wrestled back with four straight wins starting with a 16-4 major decision over Justin Santiago of Keystone. The first year then picked up a fall in 6:51 over Adam Grover of St. John Fisher College and followed it with a 17-11 decision over Cortland's Shane Walczyk. He made it to the Fifth-Place bout by picking up a 4-2 decision over Delaware Valley University's Ryan Mansueto. Luke Yorke of St. John Fisher defeated Livio by a fall to place fifth as Livio took sixth with a 4-2 mark.

Ben Grater (Saddle Brooke, NJ/Saddle Brook) earned his first career tournament placement with a sixth at 149-pounds. The sophomore lost his Round of 32 bout to Jared Lee of RIT by a 2-0 decision. He wrestled back with five wins and finished the day 5-1 as he reached his match limit and had to forfeit the Fifth-Place bout. Grater defeated Artem Reichert of Delaware Valley by a fall in 1:24 to get his win streak started. He then pinned Joseph Cinquemani of York in 1:23. A 19-7 major decision over Nolan Brown of Alvernia University and a 6-4 decision against Alvernia's Paul Kakos followed. Grater then pinned CJ Riccobono of Keystone in 6:19 and hit his match limit.

Dawson Tallant (Cape May, NJ/Middle Township) was the final Wilkes wrestler to place as he was also sixth at 197-pounds. The senior lost his Round of 16 bout to Deon Savage of Muhlenberg. Tallant then picked up a fall in 2:10 over St. John Fisher's Nathan Rourke and another over Alvernia's Myles Brown in 3:40. An 11-10 decision over TCNJ's Alejandro Camarena put Tallant in the Fifth-Place bout where he lost by a 14-10 decision to Gavin Wagner of Elizabethtown. Tallant went 3-2 on the day for sixth.

The Wilkes wrestling team is next in action at the NCAA Southeast Regional hosted by Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pa. on Friday, March 1 and Saturday, March 2.