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This weekend, New Jersey’s three Division I wrestling teams will head to their conference championship sites as their athletes try to punch their tickets to tne NCAA Wrestling Championships in Cleveland from March 19-21.
Rider will compete in the Mid-American Conference Championshps in Buffalo Friday and Saturday. Rutgers will be at the Big Ten Championships at Penn State Saturday and Sunday, and Princeton will take part in the second Ivy League Championships at Columbia on Sunday.
Below check out the prospects for the three local teams at their tournaments.
The allocations is the number of NCAA bids that can be claimed at that particular tournament. A wrestler that finishes within those bids automatically qualifies for the NCAAs, while anyone who does not would need to hope for an at-large bid.
We break down the athletes on each team who have nothing to worry about even if they don’t claim a spot, wrestlers who would be on the bubble for an at-large without an automatic bid and the wrestlers who would see their season come to an end without claiming an atomatic bid.
Rider
It was another strong season for the Broncs, who won the Mid-American Conference Eastern Division title for the second time in three years. Rider has never won a MAC tournament title, though, with the last tournament crown coming when it was back in the Eastern Wrestling League in 2016.
The tournament title is not Coach John Hangey’s goal. It’s claiming spots for the NCAAs.
“I want us to have the No. 1 program, but I just want them to wrestle the way we have all year and don’t focus on that,” said Hangey. “Go and do what they can control, look over at the end and see where we’re at.”
Rider has three No. 1 seeds - Tyler Klinsky (125), Eli Griffin (141) and Brock Zurawski (197). Zurawski is a defending conference champion.
“Very, very confident in those guys,” said Hangey.
Will Betancourt (133) and Dylan Layton (149) are seeded within the allocations and have a chance to punch their tickets as well. Enrique Munguia has been up-and-down this season and is seeded fourth in a weight with just two bids, but he is dangerous and was a NCAA qualifier last year.
All three would have a chance at an at-large if they don’t seal a bid, but Hangey would prefer they don’t leave it to chance.
“You want to punch your ticket,” said Hangey. “We have some guys who have done some things that should give them consideration for that spot, but you don’t ever want to put your tokens in the at-large bag, so hopefully we wrestle our best and come out on top.”
James Farina took injured Gianni Maldonado’s spot at 157 and despite limited action ended up with the No. 6 seed. One of his wins came against Clarion.
“We don’t end up with the sixth seed if it’s Maldonado, so it seemed to work out for us,” said Hangey.
MAC Tournament at Buffalo
Friday-Saturday
Allocations: 125 (2); 133 (4); 141 (2); 149 (4); 157 (4); 165 (2); 174 (2); 184 (3); 197 (2); 285 (2).
Pre-seeds: 125: Tyler Klinsky (1); 133: Will Betacourt (3); 141: Eli Griffin (1); 149: Dylan Layton (4); 157: James Farina (6); 165: Brendon Abdon (8); 174: Enrique Munguia (4); 184: Giovanni Alejandro (unseeded); 197: Brock Zurawski (1); 285: Hogan Swenski (6).
No sweat: Klinsky, Griffin, Zurawski
On the bubble: Betancourt, Layton, Munguia
Need an automatic bid: Farina, Abdon, Alejandro, Swenski
Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights could bring their entire squad to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016.
Many wrestlers in their lineup have been up-and-down - often a product of wrestling in the rough-and-tumble Big Ten. Tony White (157) finished strong enough that he is pre-seeded fourth at the Big Ten and is 15th in the Coaches’ rank.
Andy Clark (149) picked up some big wins down the stretch that could have put him on the right side of the bubble. Lenny Pinto hasn’t looked like the blood rounder he was at Nebraska last year, but he’s probably done enough to get a bid.
Oddly, the wrestler most on the bubble is Dylan Shawver, the 133-pounder who was an All-American two years ago and a blood rounder last year. He is seeded ninth in a weight with eight bids.
“I never count on (at-large bids),” said Rutgers coach Scott Goodale. “We’ve been burned so many times waiting on an at-large bid. You never know what’s going to happen across the country, It’s best to handle business. All of us need to perform at a certain level.
“This is just a qualifier. It happens to be a very hard qualifier, one of the best in the country. We have to do some work. We have another tournament in two weeks, it’s better to set yourself up for seeds. Does anybody have to over-perform? Guys shouldn’t let it sit in the hands of a committee.”
Goodale ackmowledged it’s been an inconsistent year for many of his six seniors - four of which have been with him their whole careers. Pinto and Catka joined the Scarlet Knights as transfers this season.
As No. 9 and No. 10 seeds, Shawver and Pinto have the highest seeds other than Olivieri, who is 15-0 but missed the entire Big Ten season for what Goodale called “a violation of team rules.” Olivieri should be in good spot for a good NCAA seed, regardless.
“Dyaln and Pinto have been up and down, but they’ve been in Big Ten finals,” said Goodale. “You hope two, three weeks off is good for them. What (the seniors) have meant to the program. White, Clark, Shawver, .... huge. So many big duals, special moments. You want to see them get what they deserve.”
Big Ten Tournament at Penn State
Saturday-Sunday
Allocations: 125: (9); 133: (8); 141: (7); 149 (9); 157: (8); 165: (9); 174: (10); 184: (8); 197: (10); 285; (9).
Pre-seeds: 125: Ayden Smith (6); 133: Dylan Shawver (9); 141: Joey Olivieri (10) 149: Andy Clark (7); 157: Tony White (4); 165: Andrew Barbosa (7); 174: Lenny Pinto (10); 184: Shane Cartagena-Walsh (7); 197: Remy Cotton (3) 285: Hunter Catka (8).
No sweat: Smith, Olivieri, White, Barbosa, Pinto, Cartagena-Walsh, Cotton, Catka.
On the bubble: Dylan Shawver (133); Andy Clark (149).
Need an automatic bid: None.
Princeton
It’s been a terrible, no-good, very bad season for the Princeton wrestling team. An injury-ravaged Tiger team won just four matches.
But the last time the Tigers won just four matches came in 2022-23 when Pat Glory finished the year as a national champion and Quincy Monday took third.
“Nobody remembers your record if you have a NCAA champ and a couple All-Americans,” said Princeton coach Joe Dubuque. “That cures all. The adversity these guys have faced prepares you. Experiences will help us in this tournament based on the type of schedule we faced.”
While Marc-Anthony McGowan (125), Eligh Rivera (149) and Ty Whalen (165) should be comfortably in the NCAA field, Ethan Rivera (133), Matthew Martino (141) and Holden Garcia (174) have all picked up huge wins down the stretch and have made a case for an at-large of they don’t receive an automatic bid.
Martino pinned Penn’s two-time All-American C.J. Composto.
Because of some early losses, Ethan Rivera and Martino are only seeded fifth. Garcia is third.
Garcia and Ethan Rivera have just two allocations at their weight, while Martino has three.
“I think going into the the Ivy tournament we’re the healthiest we’ve been since the beginning of January, and that’s a lot of the equation,” said Dubuque. “I feel guys are wrestling well. Especially Rivera and Martino have big-time wins, and Holden is coming into his own. I feel really good about where the team is at.
“Again if they wrestle to their potential, it takes care of itself. I think we can bring upwards of six guys (to NCAAs).”
Ivy League Tournament at Columbia
Sunday
Allocations: 125: (2); 133: (2); 141: (3); 149: (3); 157: (4); 165: (3); 174: (2); 184: (1); 197: (1); 285: (2).
Pre-seeds: 125: Marc-Anthony McGowan (2); 133: Ethan Rivera (5)); 141: Matthew Martino (5); 149: Eligh Rivera (3); 157: Rocco Camillaci (6); 165: Ty Whalen (2); 174: Holden Garcia (3); 184: Xavier Giles (5); 197: Conor McCloskey (6); 285; Sebastian Garibaldi (5).
No sweat: McGowan, Eligh Rivera, Whalen
On the bubble: Ethan Rivera, Martino, Garcia
Need an automatic bid: Camillaci, Giles, McCloskey; Garibaldi.
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