DALLAS, PA – The No. 19 Wilkes University men's wrestling team finished 2-0 at the Misericordia University tri-match on Saturday afternoon at the Anderson Center. Wilkes took its first match 51-6 over Hunter College before posting a 24-15 win over host Misericordia.
 
Wilkes finished the 2024-25 dual season with a 13-7 overall record, the most dual wins since the 2-18-19 season when the Colonels finished 20-4.
 
Wilkes took nine of ten bouts in the win over Hunter including eight coming with extra-points. Ryan Santiago (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) (141), James Weikel (Frackville, PA/North Schuylkill) (157), Brayden Shannon (Lansdale, PA/North Penn) (165), Devin Doty (Port Jervis, NY/Minisink Valley) (184), Patrick Gordon (197) and Trevor Gitski (Alburtis, PA/Emmaus) (285) all recorded falls in the match for the Colonels.
 
Wilkes began the Misericordia match with Connor Kerwin (Totowa, NJ/Passaic Valley) earning a thrilling 7-6 decision win at 125-pounnds to take a 3-0. After a Misericordia decision at 133-pounds, Santiago pinned Kruz McCuster in 4:23 to put the Colonels ahead 9-2.
 
After a Misericordia major decision at 149-pounds, Colton Thorpe (Southington, CT/Southington) took a hard-fought 9-8 decision at 17-pounds to keep Wilkes ahead 12-6. A Misericordia fall at 165-pounds tied the match at 12 before a decision win at 174-pounds gave the Cougars their first lead of the match up 15-12 with three bouts remaining.
 
From there Wilkes finished off the match with three crucial wins as Christopher Nuss (Gore, VA/James Wood) took an 11-1 major decision at 184-pounds and Cameron Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) posted his 130^th career win with a 19-4 technical fall at 197-pounds. Caleb Burkhart (Hughesville, PA/Hughesville) sealed the win with a 5-1 decision win at heavyweight, the 121^st win of his career.
 
Wilkes will have one more prep before the regional championships as the Colonels travel to Ewing, NJ to compete in the Futures Tournament hosted by TCNJ at 10:00 a.m. next Saturday.
 
Wilkes 51, Hunter 6
125 – C. Kerwin (W) won by forfeit
133 – N. Rosa (W) dec. Botensky Bauzile (H) 9-5
141 – R. Santiago (W) fall Naman Bhasin (H) :56,
149 – Jaydin Medina (H) fall H. Troutman (W) 1:16
157 – J. Weikel (W) fall Isiah Harris (H) :30
165 – B. Shannon (W) fall Jack Kent (H) 2:24
174 – J. Bilinski (W) won by forfeit
184 – D. Doty (W) fall Alfredio Tapia (H) 3:52
197 – P. Gordon (W) fall Jevin Torres (H) 4:50
285 – T. Gitski (W) fall Abdulrahman Khaldi :36
 
Wilkes, 24, Misericordia, 15
125 – C. Kerwin (W) dec. Jaydin Barreto (M) 7-6 (MU unsportsmanlike conduct -1.0)
133 – Nikosh Marston (M) dec. E. Washburn (W) 10-3
141 – R. Santiago (W) fall Kruz McCusker (M) 4:23
149 – Michael Willams (M) major dec. J. Bettencourt (W) 19-5
157 – C. Thorpe (W) dec. Chase Stephen (M) 9-8
165 – Jariel Severino (M) fall B. Shannon (W) 5:11
174 – Anthony Matas (M) dec. J. Wilkins (W) 9-3
184 – C. Nuss (W) major dec. Robbie Anderson (M) 11-1
197 – C. Butka (W) tech fall Simeon Hunte (M) 19-4 (6:17)
285 – C. Burkhart (W) dec. Aiden Hidlay (M) 5-1