Tag: Rutgers Wrestling

Rutgers wrestling off to 2-0 start

Rutgers wrestling is off to a strong start.

With the first week of the college wrestling season in the books, Rutgers is off to an impressive start. The Scarlet Knights won their first two matches and outscored Duke and Cal Poly 78-10. After beginning the 2023 campaign in California, they will return to Piscataway for their next match, which is against Virginia Tech on Nov. 17.

While starting the season on the road is no easy task, the Scarlet Knights were up to the challenge. What stood out to Rutgers coach Scott Goodale was how his team performed in hostile environments.

On Saturday morning Goodale said on Twitter, ” Respect for what @JonSioredas and his staff have built at @CalPolyWrestle we were there in is first dual in front of 50 fans way back then, to a great atmosphere last night with fans on the floor, hostile/ fun environment and his boys wrestle hard. @callUSAwrestling be proud.”

 

Over the weekend, Rutgers won 17 of their first 20 matches. In their season opener, Rutgers began their match against Duke with back-to-back pins and quickly opened up a 12-0 lead. One of Rutgers most memorable moments came when Cartagena-Walsh recorded a win in his collegiate debut over Duke’s Jack Zimmer.

Following their win over Duke, Rutgers turned their attention to a Cal Poly team with high expectations. Cal Poly received votes in this week’s initial NWCA Coaches Poll, but Rutgers again got off to a 12-0 start. The Mustangs were unable to recover as Rutgers won in dominating fashion 31-10.

After playing in front of two loud crowds in California, the Scarlet Knights will enjoy the comforts of home and an exciting home crowd in 12 days.

No. 15 Rutgers wrestling opens the season with wins over Duke and Cal Poly

On Friday, No. 15 Rutgers wrestling (2-0, 0-0) delivered strong wins over Duke, 47-0, and RV Cal Poly, 31-10, to open the season. 

On Friday, No. 15 Rutgers wrestling (2-0) delivered strong wins over Duke, 47-0, and Cal Poly, 31-10, to open the season. In their two-match sweep, the Scarlet Knights won 17 out of 20 matches on Friday (13 victories by bonus).

In their first dual, the Scarlet Knights swept the Blue Devils. Rutgers 125-pounder No. 6 Dean Peterson set the tone for the Scarlet Knights, defeating Duke Logan Agin by fall, giving Rutgers an early 6-0 lead. In all weight classes, Rutgers delivered convincing victories, leaving no doubt.

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Along with Peterson, No. 10 Brian Soldano (184), No. 16 Dylan Shawver (133), and No. 17 Mitch Moore (141) recorded falls in San Luis Obispo, California. Also, Moore, No. 6 Yaraslau Slavik (HWT), No. 25 Jacob Butler (149), Joe Fongaro (141), and Shane Cartagena-Walsh (174) delivered wins in their Rutgers debuts.

 

In their second dual against Cal Poly, who received votes in this week’s initial NWCA Coaches Poll, the Scarlet Knights opened the match with three consecutive wins. The Mustangs fought back with wins at 149 and 157 pounds, bringing Cal Poly within five. Rutgers No. 24 165 pounds Anthony White flipped the script for the Scarlet Knights, defeating Cal Poly Michael Goldfeder by technical fall, giving Rutgers a 17-7 lead.

After White’s victory, the Scarlet Knights won the next 3 of 4 matches to secure their victory. Rutgers No. 10 Brian Soldano (184), John Poznanski, and No. 6 Yaraslau Slavik (HWT) produced victories against their opponents to give Rutgers wrestling their second victory.

The Scarlet Knights are back in action to open its 2023-24 home schedule on Friday, November 17, against No. 4 Virginia Tech.

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Preview: Can Rutgers wrestling compete on a national level in 2023-24?

Rutgers kicks off their 2023-24 season on the West coast, when they face Duke and Cal Poly. Can RU compete on a national level in 2023-24?

Rutgers wrestling will start their season in California when they face Duke and Cal Poly on the road. Those two matches will set a very important tone for the program moving forward.

After their West Coast dual, head coach Scott Goodale and the Scarlet Knights will return home to begin its nine-match home schedule on Friday, November 17, against No. 4 Virginia Tech.

Heading into the 2023-24 season, the Scarlet Knights are ranked No. 14 in the preseason dual rankings by Intermat and are one of seven programs with student-athletes ranked at all ten weight classes. Also, according to Intermat, the Scarlet Knights are ranked No. 13 in tournament rankings after finishing the 2022-23 season at No. 34.

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The Scarlet Knights are coming off a 2022-23 season where they finished No. 22 in the NWCA Coaches Poll, the 10th final top-25 finish under Goodale. Also, the Scarlet Knights produced seven NCAA qualifiers for the second consecutive season and qualified five or more student-athletes to the national tournament for the ninth season.

Goodale has four wrestlers throughout his program this season (No. 6 Dean Peterson, No. 6 Yaraslau Slavikouski, No. 10 Brian Soldano, and No. 12 John Poznanski) who are ranked top-12 in the nation.

Weight Class (lbs) Name National Ranking Class
125 Dean Peterson No. 6 Sophomore
133 Dylan Shawver No. 16 Sophomore
141 Mitch Moore No. 7 Senior
149 Jacob Butler No. 25 Junior
157 Andrew Clark No. 21 Junior
165 Anthony White No. 24 Sophomore
174 Jackson Turley No. 28 Senior
184 Brian Soldano No. 10 Sophomore
197 John Poznanski No. 12 Sophomore
HWT Yaraslau Slavikouski No. 6 Senior

National rankings are according to Intermat 

The 2023-24 season shouldn’t be much different from last season for the Scarlet Knights, with nine NCAA qualifiers and two All-Americans (Jackson Turley and John Poznanski) returning to this season’s lineup.

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Also, the Scarlet Knights have added three experienced wrestlers to their program, with Jacob Bulter (Oklahoma), Mitch Moore (Oklahoma), and Yaraslau Slavikouski (Harvard) transferring to Rutgers. Moore and Slavikouski competed at last year’s NCAA Championships, with Slavikouski advancing to the Round of 12 at heavyweight for the Crimson.

 

Rutgers wrestling releases 2023-2024 promotional schedule

Rutgers wrestling has a fun season of promotions planned.

With the start of the wrestling season getting closer by the day, Rutgers released their promotional schedule for the 2023-2024 campaign on Wednesday.

The Scarlet Knights will host nine home matches, which include matchups against four Big Ten Conference opponents and two with in-state rivals Princeton and Rider.

While fans have many reasons to mark their schedules, there are few matches that will have special promotions.

At the Dec.10 match against Buffalo, Rutgers will give out foam fingers while supplies last. Fans will also have the opportunity to get post-matchup autographs.

However, the fun doesn’t stop there, as on Jan.7, Rutgers will welcome Rider to Piscataway and honor their very own. During the match, the Scarlet Knights will honor different community members. The match represents one of the many ways the program is trying to connect with the community.

Additionally, Rutgers is saving one of their best promotions for the final home match of the season. On Feb.21 against Bloomburg, Rutgers will honor its seniors. While the Scarlet Knights will still have plenty on the line with tournament play, senior night represents an opportunity for Scarlet Knights fans to thank their seniors for everything they have done.

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As Rutgers prepares for a 2023-2024 campaign full of high expectations, the promotions listed above are ones fans will want to take advantage of.

2025 recruit Tahir Parkins commits to Rutgers wrestling

On Wednesday, Rutgers Wrestling landed three-star recruit Tahir Parkins to their 2025 recruiting class.

On Wednesday, Rutgers Wrestling landed three-star recruit Tahir Parkins to their 2025 recruiting class. The Nazareth, Pennsylvania, native finished No. 4 in the 127-pound weight class last year and will continue to grow on the mat as he pursues his collegiate career at Rutgers University.

Parkins finished with 28 wins and four losses as a sophomore last year, finishing No. 1 in districts (District 11 AAA) and regionals (Northeast AAA Regional) for the Nazareth High School Blue Eagles. In 71 matches with the Blue Eagles, Parkins has an 85.9 win percentage and has a record of 61-10 through two seasons.

As a freshman in 2021-22, the future Scarlet Knight finished No. 1 in Pennsylvania’s District 11 AAA tournament and No. 2 in the Northeast AAA Regional tournament. While wrestling in the 113 weight class, Parkins didn’t place in the state championship tournament as a freshman.

Parkins finished fourth in Pennsylvania’s state tournament last season while wrestling at 127 pounds. Wrestler Eren Sement (Council Rock North) defeated Parkins 4-2, capturing third place over the future Scarlet Knight.

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When Parkins reports to campus in 2025, he has a projected weight of 141 pounds in his first season with the Scarlet Knights.

 

Rutgers wrestling releases full 2023-2024 schedule

Rutgers wrestling releases their upcoming schedule.

After weeks of anticipation, Rutgers wrestling unveiled its entire 2023-24 schedule on Monday afternoon.

The Scarlet Knights are set to play nine home duals, seven matchups with ranked opponents and four home dates against Big Ten Conference opponents.

Rutgers begins their season on the West Coast with duals against Cal Poly and Duke on Friday, November 3, in San Luis Obispo, California. They will then return home to host No. 4 Virginia Tech on Friday, November 17, at Jersey Mike’s Arena before ending the month with a trip to West Point to compete in the Black Knight Invitational on Sunday, November 19.

Once the calendar flips to December, Rutgers will host back-to-back duals against Princeton and Buffalo. At the end of the month, Rutgers will be represented on the national level as the program is expected to send several student-athletes to compete at the 2023 Midlands Championships.

In January, the Scarlet Knights will be tested with five Big Ten duals. That includes matchups against Indiana, Minnesota, Purdue, Michigan and Michigan State. Rutgers will then end their regular season with four duals at home, including the season finale against Bloomsburg on February 21.

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Once the regular season ends, Rutgers will turn its attention to the postseason. The 2023 Big Ten Wrestling Championships are set to take place March 9-10 in College Park, Maryland, and the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships will take place on March 21-23 in Kansas City.

 

 

 

Rutgers wrestling: Sebastian Rivera delivered a semifinal victory at the 2023 World Championships

Ex-Rutgers wrestler Sebastian Rivera punched his ticket to the 2023 World Championships finals with a 10-9 victory over Vazgen Tevanyan.

On Monday in Belgrade, Serbia, former Rutgers wrestler Sebastian Rivera punched his ticket to the 2023 World Championships finals with a 10-9 victory over Vazgen Tevanyan (Armenia) in the 65-kilogram weight class.

With his semifinal victory, Rivera became Puerto Rico’s first world finalist since Franklin Gomez reached the gold medal about 12 years ago. The former five-time All-American (four NCAA, one NWCA) and two-time Big Ten Champion will face Ismail Musukaev (Hungary) for the gold on Tuesday.

The Toms River, New Jersey, native recently captured a bronze medal for Team Puerto Rico this past May at the 2023 Pan-American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Rivera defeated Albaro Rudecindo Camacho (Dominican Republic) 9-2 to finish third in his weight class (65-kilogram) at the championships. From 2021 to 2023, Rivera has produced 60 points and conceived 56 points with five wins and four losses in multiple world tournaments.

Rivera produced 115 career wins during his collegiate career while wrestling for Northwestern and Rutgers, including 20 wins at the NCAA Tournament. In his final collegiate season, he logged a 30-1 record with the Scarlet Knights and finished third at the 2022 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Detroit.

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Rutgers wrestling Dylan Shawver to represent Team Puerto Rico at the U23 World Championships

On October 23-24, 2023, Rutgers wrestling Dylan Shawver will represent Team Puerto Rico at the U23 World Championships.

On October 23-24, 2023, Rutgers wrestling Dylan Shawver will represent Team Puerto Rico at the U23 World Championships. The tournament location is yet determined, but Shawver, entering his fourth season with the Scarlet Knights, will compete in the 61-kilogram (135 Ibs.) weight class during the freestyle tournament. 

Shawver participated in the Big Ten Championship and qualified for the NCAA tournament last season. According to InterMat, the Ohio native from Lorain, Ohio, enters the 2023-24 collegiate season ranked No. 16 in the 133 weight class. In 2022, the junior wrestler ranked as high as No. 18 in the country while wrestling in the 125 weight class. He finished with a 15-5 record, producing 23 wins last season. Also, Shawver finished seventh at the 2022 Big Ten Championships and a bid to nationals.

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In three seasons at Rutgers, Shawver has won 39 matches and is one of 10 Scarlet Knights to appear in the 2023 preseason rankings by InterMat. According to the rankings, the Scarlet Knights are one of just seven programs in the country to feature all ten starters in the national rankings ahead of the season.

As a true freshman, Shawver finished the season with four wins, earning a postseason spot in the 125 weight class. He recorded his first varsity win as a Scarlet Knight against No. 11 Ohio State (January 24, 2021). The former Elyria High School wrestler went 2-3 at the Big Ten Championship, defeating No. 13 Patrick McKee (Minnesota) in the first round.

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Rutgers wrestling is top 15 in the InterMat preseason rankings

Rutgers wrestling is once again nationally ranked in the preseason.

It is a season of expectations for Rutgers wrestling, with the Scarlet Knights entering preseason once again ranked among the best teams in the nation.

Rutgers slots in at No. 14 in the InterMat dual rankings and No. 13 in their tournament rankings. Rutgers finished this past season at No. 22 in the final NWCA Coaches Poll.  

Not surprisingly, Penn State is the No. 1 team in the nation in the preseason rankings. They are one of four Big Ten teams ranked in the top 10.  

Last season, Rutgers went 10-7 (2-6 Big Ten) in what was a disappointing year for the program. They are looking to bounce back in a big way.  

This offseason, head coach Scott Goodale added several big pieces to his program via the transfer portal. Heavyweight Yaraslau Slavikouski is the big name addition this offseason. Last season at Harvard, Slavikouski went 30-6 last season and won three matches in the NCAA Tournament.  

In addition, Jacob Butler (an NCAA qualifier with Oklahoma who wrestled at 157 pounds) and Mitch Moore (who went 19-9 last year while also with Oklahoma) were both transfer portal additions.  

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Rutgers wrestling adds two more out-of-conference fixtures

Rutgers wrestling adds two more out-of-conference matches.

Rutgers wrestling continued to bulk up its schedule, adding a pair of quality out-of-conference match-ups.

On Monday, the Scarlet Knights announced that they have added Buffalo and Princeton to their non-conference schedule. The addition of Princeton is notable as the Tigers are traditionally one of the top programs in the Big Ten.

Last season, Princeton went a disappointing 4-11. They last won the Ivy League in 2020.

This could well be a bounce-back season for Rutgers, as the Scarlet Knights finished No. 22 in the final 2022-23 NWCA Coaches Poll. They did place two All-Americans last year (John Poznanski and Jackson Turley) but as a team, it was still a step down from their usual standard.

Last season, Rutgers had an epic contest with Princeton, winning 17-16 at Jadwin Gym (Princeton, N.J.)

Dates and times for the recently announced additions of Buffalo and Princeton are not yet known. Currently, seven home matches are known for Rutgers, including a recently announced match-up with Virginia Tech.

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