Category: Rutgers wrestling

Boom! Rutgers wrestling lands a commitment from Mason Gibson

Mason Gibson commits to Rutgers wrestling.

Scott Goodale built on the momentum of this past season with a recruiting class that is among the best in the nation. And on Monday afternoon, Rutgers wrestling landed a huge piece with the commitment of Mason Gibson.

Gibson, formerly committed to Penn State, posted on social media that he is committed to Rutgers. He joins the class of 2024 which is shaping up to be a solid group for Rutgers.

Earlier in his recruitment, Gibson was committed to Cornell. Then in June of 2022, he flipped to Penn State.

Two weeks ago, he de-committed from Penn State and now is with Rutgers.

Gibson is No. 13 in the nation at 132 pounds according to Flo Wrestling.

He is an outstanding addition for Rutgers, having competed at a very high level including the national stage.

 

Last season was a strong bounce-back for Rutgers wrestling as they finished 12-5 overall and 4-4 in the Big Ten.

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Rutgers placed two All-Americans at the NCAA Tournament as they finished the season No. 14 in the nation.

Rutgers wrestling head coach Scott Goodale on Big Ten champ Dylan Shawver: ‘He believes he can win this tournament’

Dylan Shawver won the Big Ten Tournament at 133 pounds and now goes into the NCAA Wrestling Championships as a favorite.

Fresh off a successful Big Ten Tournament where seven from his team outright qualified for the NCAA Tournament, Rutgers wrestling head coach Scott Goodale has the task to center and focus his squad on a bigger task ahead.

With the NCAA Wrestling Championships kicking off this week, Rutgers has the legitimate chance to place several wrestlers as All-Americans. But the attention will be the brightest on Dylan Shawver.

Shawver is the fourth-seed at 133 pounds and is fresh off taking the title at the Big Ten Tournament. He is one of eight wrestlers from Rutgers who qualified for the NCAA championships but his situation heading into this week is unique.

As a conference champion, Shawver must now his turn his focus back to once again competing. As the Big Ten Tournament champion at 133 pounds, he enters the NCAA championships with a target on his back.

“The biggest thing for me from a staff standpoint is getting off that high,” Rutgers head coach Scott Goodale said on a conference call this week.

“It’s one of the harder things we have to deal with is getting off the highs with the Big Ten Tournament and getting right back in the mindset of  ‘Let’s get ready for the national tournament’ because the Big Ten is over .Of course, it’s great when there’s momentum when you’ve wrestled well, and you’re training well,

“He’s (Shawver) done that – he’s really, really trained well. I really think he wants the tournament….he believes he can win this tournament. So that’s that’s our job and that’s really, really important.

“But at the end of the day, it all starts over around. 11 o’clock Thursday morning. He’s got a very difficult match. So that’s the way we got to move on and that’s the way to approach it. And he’s super confident but you got to get off of what happened two weeks ago and really lock in on to what’s about to take place. These next – I shouldn’t say these next three days but the three days Thursday, Friday, Saturday – nothing can happen unless you get the first one.”

Shawver is 22-5 on the season and looks very comfortable at 133 pounds. He will start the NCAA Wrestling Championships against No. 29 Jace Koelzer (Oklahoma).

Rutgers wrestling: Pre-seeds announced for 2024 Big Ten Championships

The Big Ten announced its preliminary seeding for the Big Ten Wrestling Championships, with eight Scarlet Knights ranking in the top ten.

On Monday, the Big Ten Conference announced its preliminary seeding for the 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, with eight Scarlet Knights ranking in the top 10 of their respective weight classes.

The Big Ten Championship is scheduled for March 9-10 in College Park, Maryland, and Rutgers wrestling will have a heavy footprint within the tournament.

Rutgers junior Dylan Shawver earned the highest pre-seed for the Scarlet Knights, ranking No. 2 in the 133 weight class. Shawver is the highest pre-seed for Rutgers wrestling at the Big Ten Championships since Anthony Ashnault was the No. 1 seed at 149 pounds in 2019.

Rutgers Yaralsau Slavikouski in the heavyweight division follows behind Shawver, ranking No. 4. Along with Shawver and Slavikouski, No. 6 seed Jackson Turley (174), No. 7 seed Mitch Moore (141), No. 7 seed John Poznanski (197), and No. 8 seed Brian Soldano (184) all received top-eight seeds ahead of the conference tournament.

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Junior Dean Peterson received the No. 9 seed in the 125 weight class, and junior Michael Cetta received the No. 10 seed in the 149 division. Also, juniors Al DeSantis and Anthony White received the lowest rankings for Rutgers wrestling, ranking No. 11 and No. 13 in the 157 and 165 weight classes.

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No. 14 Rutgers wrestling defeated Bloomsburg 37-8 on senior night

No. 14 Rutgers wrestling (12-5, 4-4) closed its dual season with a 37-8 victory over Bloomsburg (4-16, 0-8) at Jersey Mike’s Arena.

No. 14 Rutgers wrestling (12-5, 4-4 Big Ten) closed its dual season with a 37-8 victory over Bloomsburg at Jersey Mike’s Arena on Wednesday night.

No. 20 Dean Peterson got the Scarlet Knights on the board first after an 8-5 decision over Bronson Garbe in the 125-pound weight class. After Peterson’s victory, Rutger Devon Britton extended the Scarlet Knights’ lead to 8-0, completing a tech fall in the 133-weight class.

After back-to-back victories from the Scarlet Knights, Bloomsburg issued a forfeit at the 141 weight class, giving Rutgers a 14-0 lead. Rutgers picked up their third victory on the night when No. 25 Michael Cetta defeated Cade Balerstrini at 149. Cetta recorded a 24-9 tech fall to give the Scarlet Knights a 19-0 lead.

Wrestling in the 157-pound weight class, Rutgers’ Dylan Weaver completed a 13-6 decision over Will Morrow, extending Rutgers’ lead to 22-0. Bloomsburg finally got on the board in the 165-weight class when Caden Dobbins defeated Rutgers’ Luke Gayer, cutting Rutgers’ lead to 22-5.

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Rutgers No.14 Jackson Turley and No. 21 Brian Soldano recorded back-to-back pins at 174 and 184, extending Rutgers’ lead to 34-5. Bloomsburg picked up their final win at 197 with a victory by Kolby Flank over Rutgers Nico Colucci, cutting Rutgers’ lead to 34-8.

The Scarlet Knights ended the match with an 8-3 victory by Kyle Epperly in the heavyweight division, sealing Rutgers’ 37-8 win over Bloomsburg.

Rutgers returns to action on March 9 in the Big Ten Championships at the XFINITY Center in College Park, Maryland.

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Rutgers wrestling’s Scott Goodale praises in-form Dylan Shawver: ‘He’s a gangster…He loves to compete’

Rutgers wrestling is getting a hot run of form from Dylan Shawver.

Dylan Shawver is peaking at the right time for Rutgers wrestling. On Friday night, the redshirt junior took home another Big Ten win at 133 pounds.

Shawver has been impressive his last three matches, beating Penn State’s Aaron Nagao (ranked sixth nationally) and then his Friday night win over No. 16 Braxton Brown that featured three takedowns.

He has beaten three straight-ranked opponents.

On Friday night, Rutgers rolled to a 27-12 win at home over Maryland. Shawver defeated No. 9 Braxton Brown 9-5. he has secured back-to-back top 10 wins this week.

“He’s worked at it. He’s really good. He’s always been really good. I think maybe 125 was a stretch for him,” Rutgers head coach Scott Goodale told reporters on Friday following the win over Maryland.

“That kind of took away a little bit of his wrestling. I think concentrating totally on one weight is good. He also got a little banged up last year but Dylan’s always been good. He’s beaten a lot of these guys through the freestyle ranks. The Penn State guy, (Aaron) Nagao he’s beaten, (Michael) Colaiocco he’s beaten. He’s had a ton of huge wins. He’s a gangster. He believes he could beat everybody. That’s the coolest part about it. He loves to compete.”

The victory over Maryland snaps a four-match losing streak for Rutgers, all in Big Ten action. Rutgers is now 11-5 and finishes their Big Ten regular season schedule with a 4-4 record.

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Shawver should make a jump in the individual rankings for Rutgers, who close out the season on Wednesday in a home match-up with Bloomsburg.

“He doesn’t get a chance to wrestle Wednesday. That’s his last match. You are only allowed 16 bouts so he won’t wrestle on Wednesday. He’ll start his preparation Sunday,” Goodale said.

“Every single time he wants to wrestle. He wants to compete. He’s a competitor. He’ll be in the thick of every single match going forward from here until March 20th for sure.”

Following the mid-week meeting with Bloomsburg, Rutgers will next wrestle at the Big Ten Championships, hosted this year by Maryland.

Rutgers wrestling to honor two program legends before Maryland meet

Rutgers wrestling set to welcome two program legends on Friday night.

When Rutgers wrestling welcomes Maryland to Jersey Mike’s Arena on Friday night, there will be plenty to celebrate. The Scarlet Knights are holding a special ceremony for former assistant head coach Frankie Edgar & wrestler Sebastian Rivera. The talented duo provided fans with countless unforgettable moments over the years.

During his time at Rutgers, Rivera was a winning machine. In his senior season, the Toms River, New Jersey native finished with a 30-1 record. He also led the NCAA in tech falls with 14, earning a bronze medal. While his stint in Piscataway was brief, Rivera made the most of his opportunities.

Like Rivera, Edgar left an unforgettable impression on the Rutgers coaching staff during his tenure. He earned high praise from head coach Scott Goodale, who highlighted his work ethic when asked by Rutgers athletics prior to UFC 78.

 

“Frank is exactly what I want in a coach,” Goodale told Rutgers athletics. “His intensity and work ethic are by far what separates him from anybody I have ever seen. Our kids love training with him.”

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While Rivera and Edgar will take center stage, Rutgers has a favorable matchup ahead. The Terrapins are off to a 4-6 start. They have also struggled in conference play with a 2-5 mark.

For Scott Goodale, Rutgers wrestling’s tight loss to Ohio State showed promise but ‘We need to get over the hump’

Scott Goodale talks openly about his team’s growth.

For a second straight week, Rutgers wrestling lost to a top-10 opponent but in the process, they showed that they are closing the gap in the Big Ten.

On Sunday afternoon, Rutgers lost to No. 7 Ohio State 22-12. With the loss, the Scarlet Knights are now 10-4 and are 3-3 in the ultra-competitive Big Ten.

Rutgers took three of the 10 matches and will likely stay top 15 in this week’s coaches rankings.

For head coach Scott Goodale, good but not good enough isn’t the standard but he continues to see progress.

“I think it’s about getting our guys to believe. It’s one of those things where we need to get over the hump,” Goodale told reporters on Sunday.

“I think once we get over the hump once it opens the door. But we didn’t dwell on that. I know there’s a lot of ‘we can’t beat the best teams’ and I get it. I’m with you. I’m frustrated. Rutgers nation out there, I get it. Our wrestling fans are very loyal. It’s a hard thing to do. I think we need to do it once to get over the hump.”

Rutgers registered points in eight of their 10 matches against Ohio State, which kept them in striking range.

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“Today was about our individual efforts, all ten of them. There’s got to be individual efforts. You need to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and be pleased about it,” Goodale said.

“That’s the way we approached it. I like the way we competed today. We’re in every single match. We have to find a way – from a team standpoint, from an individual standpoint, to get over that hump.”

Rutgers has lost their last two matches. They face another Big Ten test at No. 1 Penn State on Feb. 12.

Rutgers wrestling remains unchanged in the latest InterMat rankings

The InterMat rankings continue to have Rutgers wrestling in the top 15 nationally.

Despite a home loss on Saturday, Rutgers wrestling did not tumble or slide in the most recent rankings from InterMat.

No. 14 Rutgers is unchanged in the most recent InterMat rankings (dual). They dropped three spots to No. 24 in the tournament rankings.

Rutgers dropped a 2012 decision over the weekend against No. 10 Minnesota, dropping head coach Scott Goodale’s program to 10-3 (3-2 Big Ten) on the year. It was a quality loss and a close one for Rutgers.

Three losses that would be considered upsets (at 133 pounds, 184 pounds and 197 pounds) fueled Minnesota’s win over Rutgers. Minnesota’s position is also unchanged in the InterMat rankings.

The Scarlet Knights host No. 7 Ohio State on Sunday.

The most recent InterMat dual rankings have five Big Ten programs ranked in the top 10, more than any other conference.

No. 1 Penn State leads the way in both the dual and tournament rankings followed by No. 2 Iowa.

Rutgers wrestling remains ranked No.13 in latest Coaches Poll

Rutgers wrestling doesn’t move in the latest coaches poll.

With another week of the 2023-2024 wrestling season in the books, Rutgers is again ranked in the top 15 in the NWCA Coaches Poll. After a weekend split, Rutgers has held onto the 13th spot. That is a promising sign for the Scarlet Knights, who will host Minnesota, the ninth-ranked team in the country on the 27th.

Last weekend, Rutgers completed their tour of Michigan. They started their trip with a 22-13 win over Michigan State on the 19th. Against the Spartans, they were able to secure their 10th win due to a team effort.

 

Michael Cetta led the way with his second Big Ten dual win of the season. He got some help from Yaraslau Slavikouski and John Poznanski, who secured the dual with back-to-back wins. Unfortunately, they could not replicate their success against the University of Michigan.

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While Rutgers hoped to leave Michigan with two wins, they are still one of the best teams in the Big Ten. Through 12 matches, they have a 10-2 record.

Due to their success, Rutgers has 179 points and only trails Virginia Tech by 10 points. A win over a top-ten team like Minnesota would go a long way as they look to move out of the 13th spot.

Rutgers wrestling: Nine Scarlet Knights ranked in first NCAA Coaches Poll

On Monday, the NCAA released the first coaches’ ranking of the 2023-24 season, with nine Scarlet Knights being selected to this poll.

On Monday, the NCAA released the first coaches ranking of the 2023-24 season, with Rutgers wrestling getting some good representation.

Rutgers is currently 10-2 on the season.

No. 14 Rutgers wrestling had nine wrestlers appear in the coaches’ rankings, including six in the top 16 (No. 5 Yaraslau Slavikouski (HWT), No. 7 Dylan Shawver (133), No. 8 John Poznanski (197), No. 11 Mitch Moore (141), No. 13 Jackson Turley (174), and No. 16 Dean Peterson (125)). 

These rankings are determined by a vote of 14 coaches in each weight class, with two head coaches from each of the seven conferences. Also, these wrestlers must have eight matches in their weight classes to qualify for this poll.

Rutgers in the First NCAA Coaches’ Rankings

Ranking Wrestler Weight Class
No. 5 Yaraslau Slavikouski HWT
No. 7 Dylan Shawver 133
No. 8 John Pozanski 197
No. 11 Mitch Moore 141
No. 13 Jackson Turley 174
No. 16 Dean Peterson 125
No. 18 Brian Soldano 184
No. 27 Andrew Clark 157
No. 33 Michael Cetta 149

 

The next time the Scarlet Knights hit the mat is on Saturday, January 27, when they host No. 9 Minnesota as Rutgers continues their quest to the 2024 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on March 21-23.

 

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The NCAA coaches’ rankings are one of several categories the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee evaluates when choosing their selections for the 2024 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Other criteria the committee reviews when selecting are head-to-head competition, quality wins, Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), conference tournament placement, results versus common opponents, and win percentage.