On Friday, No. 22 Rutgers wrestling wrapped up action in the NCAA Wrestling Championship.
No. 13 seed Dean Peterson (125 Ibs.) ended action for the Scarlet Knights in Tulsa, Oklahoma, losing 3-1 to No. 8 seed Anthony Noto (Lock Haven).
Peterson made it to the ‘Blood Round’ one win shy from All-American status. The 125-pound Peterson won back-to-back matches Friday morning, advancing him to the ‘blood round.’ On his first trip to the NCAA Championship, Peterson finished with a 3-2 record.
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In his first match, Peterson faced No. 19 seed Braxton Brown (Maryland), defeating Brown in a 6-0 decision. After his victory over Brown, Peterson faced No. 11 Patrick McKee (Minnesota). Peterson defeated the two-time All-American by a 6-4 decision.
Rutgers No. 16 seed Joe Heilmann (133 Ibs.) and No. 18 seed Brian Soldano (184 Ibs.) also wrestled on Friday. Heilmann went winless on the day, losing 6-1 to No. 15 seed Kyle Biscoglia (Northern Iowa). Wrestling in the 133-pound weight class, Heilmann wrestled tough in his 6-1 loss. He would finish the tournament with a record of 1-2.
As for No. 18 seed Brian Soldano, the Rutgers freshman won his first match. Soldano pinned No. 16 Reece Heller (Pittsburgh), advancing him to the next round. Unfortunately, that is the farthest the freshman would go. Soldano lost a tough 9-2 decision to No. 8 seed Mitch Finesilver (Michigan) in round three. Soldano finished his first NCAA Championship with a 2-2 record.
That does it for us here at the 2023 @NCAAWrestling Championships. With seven qualifiers for the second consecutive season and plenty of young talent returning, we'll be back.#RelentlessPursuit | #NCAAWrestling pic.twitter.com/tX7i85vBlM
— Rutgers Wrestling (@RUWrestling) March 18, 2023
Under head coach Scott Goodale, this is the second consecutive season the Scarlet Knights produced seven NCAA qualifiers. Also, it is the ninth season Goodale qualified five or more wrestlers for the national championship.
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