WILLIAMSPORT, PA – The Wilkes University men's wrestling team finished 1-2 in round robin competition on day one of the 2025 Budd Whitehill Duals hosted by Lycoming College on Friday at Lamade Gymnasium.
 
The Colonels, set in group B, posted a 40-17 win over Cortland State to begin the day before falling to No. 10 Roanoke College 37-6 and York (Pa.) 24-22 to conclude the day's action.
 
Wilkes cruised to its opening win over Cortland using seven extra-point victories including six falls on way to the 40-17 win. Connor Kerwin (Totowa, NJ/Passaic Valley) opened the scoring when he pinned Wyatt Gentzel in :53 at 125-pounds. After a Cortland fall at 133, Ryan Santiago (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) made it two falls for the Colonels earning his pin over Dom Vinci in 4:31 to give Wilkes the lead back at 12-6. Colton Thorpe (Southington, CT/Southington) posted a major decision (13-2) at 157-pounds before Jaryn Hartranft (Catasauqua, PA/Catasauqua) (165) and Lucas Miller (Kempton, PA/Northwestern Lehigh) (174) went back-to-back with falls at 1:01 and 2:15 respectively to push the advantage to 28-11. Cameron Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) (197) and Caleb Burkhart (Hughesville, PA/Hughesville) (285) finished off the double-digit victory with consecutive pins at 4:04 and 1:59
 
In the loss against No. 10 Roanoke, Wilkes was shutout until its two heavy-hitters as Butka and Burkhart both earned decision wins for the Colonels. Butka won 12-10 over Cam Cavins and Burkhart a 1-0 winner over Brady Elswick.
 
Michael Richardson (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) began the scoring for the Colonels in the final match of the day against York (Pa.) when he pinned Vincent Paolucci in 4:41 at 133-pounds. Thorpe stopped a York rally with a technical fall (19-2) at 165 before Butka (197) and Burkhart (285) once again finished off the match with two extra-point wins. Butka was earned his second fall of the day this time in 3:35 while Burkhart finished off his day with a 17-1 technical fall.
 
Day two action begins tomorrow (Saturday). Wilkes will face another ranked opponent in No. 14 Stevens Institute of Technology in the first round of the 5^th through 8^th place bracket at 10:30 a.m.
 
 
Wilkes 40, Cortland 17
125 – C. Kerwin (W) fall Wyatt Gentzel (C) :53
133 – Culley Bellino (C) fall M. Richardson (W) 6:06
141 – R. Santiago (W) fall Dom Vinci (C) 4:31
149 – Angelo Centrone (C) tech. fall J. Bettencourt (W) 19-4
157 – C. Thorpe (W) major dec. Justin Klein (C) 13-2
165 – J. Hartranft (W) fall Ryan Closterman (C) 1:01
174 – L. Miller (W) fall Gavin Seiler (C) 2:15
184 – Robert Cunningham (C) fall P. Gordon (W) 1:53
197 – C. Butka (W) fall Bryson Tibbs (C) 4:04
285 – C. Burkhart (W) fall Set Parker (C) 1:59
 
No. 10 Roanoke 37, Wilkes 6
125 – Josh Noble (R) major dec. C. Kerwin (W) 14-3
133 – Jonah Paulino (R) major dec. M. Richardson (W) 14-6
141 – Mark Samuel (R) major dec. R. Santiago (W) 17-9
149 – Dustin Smith (R) tech. fall J. Bettencourt (W) 16-1
157 – Andrew McDougal (R) fall M. Sutter (W) 1:38
165 – David Reid (R) fall B. Shannon (W) 2:03
174 – Kyle Lee (R) dec. L. Miller (W) 8-1
184 – Hunter Moore (R) tech. fall P. Gordon (W) 16-1
197 – C. Butka (W) dec. Cam Cavins (R) 12-10
285 – C. Burkhart (W) dec. Brady Elswick (R) 1-0
 
York (Pa.) 24, Wilkes 22
125 – Jacob Delvecchio (Y) dec. C. Kerwin (W) 9-6
133 – M. Richardson (W) fall Vincent Paolucci (Y) 4:41
141 – Jacob Grzybek (Y) fall R. Santiago (W) 3:38
149 – David Vacca (Y) dec. J. Brady (W) 13-10
157 – Frank Gulli (Y) major dec. J. Bettencourt (W) 12-3
165 – C. Thorpe (W) tech. fall Connor Dube (Y) 19-2
174 – Josh Stahl (Y) tech. fall M. Warren (W) 21-5
184 – Jack Wendel (Y) dec. L. Miller (W) 5-3
197 – C. Butka (W) fall Owen Dixon (Y) 3:35
285 – C. Burkhart (W) tech. fall Derek Martin (Y) 17-1