EVANSTON, Ill. – The University of Pennsylvania wrestling team opened the 2024 Midlands Championships with a bang as grapplers advanced to the semifinal rounds on Sunday night at the NOW Arena.
#17
Max Gallagher (125), #32
Ryan Miller (133), #11
CJ Composto (141), #19
Cross Wasilewski (149), and #5
Nick Incontrera (174) won their quarterfinal bouts to represent Penn in the semifinals of the tournament on Monday.
Quaker Notemeal
*
Brady Pruett (125),
Spencer Barnhart (133), freshman Wasilewski,
Reed Fullmer (165),
Paul Ognissanti (165),
Nate Taylor (184),
Josh Labarbera (197),
Jackson Zimmerman (197), and
John Pardo (285) made their Midlands debut during the first session.
*Junior Pruett,
Alex Almeyda (133),
Evan Mougalian (141),
Kelly Dunnigan (149), #15
Jude Swisher (157), and #22
Maximus Hale (184) will wrestler back in the consolation brackets at their weights during the third session on Monday.
How It Happened
Sophomore Gallagher tore through his first three matches of Midlands, grabbing major decision wins over Franklin & Marshall's Jack Parker (15-3) and SIUE's Drew Davis (13-3) before pinning Purdue's Isaiah Quintero in 5:43 to advance to the quarterfinals. The quarterfinal bout with Cal Poly's Koda Holeman was a gritty battle, going to sudden victory tied at 1-1. However, Gallagher prevailed, getting the takedown to win 4-1 and secure his spot in the semifinals.
Senior Miller won both his matches of the day, topping Markel Baker (Northern Illinois) by a close decision, 9-7, then edging out Central Michigan's Sean Spidle (4-0) to clinch his ticket in the 133 semifinals.
For the second year, Composto advanced to the 141 semifinals off three first-day victories. The senior opened the tournament with a tech fall over Purdue's Cole Solomey (17-1), followed by back-to-back decision wins over Stanford's Jason Miranda (6-2) and Pitt's Briar Priest (5-2) to move on to the second day of Midlands.
First-year Wasilewski continued his hot start to the season, beating all three opponents to secure his spot in Monday's third session. Wasilewski dominated in his opening battle, tech falling SIUE's Eric Almarinez (18-1) and beating Stanford's EJ Parco by decision, 8-3. The freshman's quarterfinal bout with Central Michigan's Mason Shrader went down to the wire, but Wasilewski came out on top in sudden victory, 4-1.
Incontrera stayed undefeated on the season after the first day of Midlands, winning a trio of bouts to move on to the 174 semifinals. The senior beat Princeton's Xavier Giles (17-2), SIUE's Luke Odom, and Stanford's Collin Guffey (8-0) to move to 9-0 on the young season.
Up Next
The Quakers complete the 2024 Midlands Championships on Sunday, Dec. 30. The third session is slated for 11:30 a.m. (ET).
125
#17 Max Gallagher
CHAMP R1: Gallagher def. Jack Parker (Franklin & Marshall), 15-3 MD
CHAMP R2: Gallagher def. Drew Davis (SIU Edwardsville), 13-3 MD
CHAMP R3: Gallagher def. Isaiah Quintero (Purdue), 5:46 F
QF: Gallagher def. Koda Holeman (Cal Poly), 4-1 DEC, SV
Brady Pruett
CHAMP R1: Bye
CHAMP R2: def. Mitchell Neiner (California Baptist), 1:29 F
CHAMP R3: Diego Sotelo (Harvard) def. Pruett, 2-0 DEC
CONS R4: Pruett def. Logan Brzozowski (Harvard), 4-2 DEC
CONS R5: Pruett def. Kaden Chinavare (Central Michigan), 8-5 DEC, SV
133
Alex Almeyda
CHAMP R1: Ben Davino (Ohio State) def. Almeyda, 5-1 DEC
CONS R1: Almeyda def. Drew Heethuis (Princeton), 5-2 DEC
CONS R2: Almeyda def. Tommy Maddox (West Virginia), 8-4 DEC
CONS R3: Almeyda def.
Spencer Barnhart (Penn), 4-3 DEC
Spencer Barnhart
CHAMP R1: Barnhart def. Brian Beers (Illinois), 1:11 F
CHAMP R2: Tristan Lujan (Michigan State) def. Barnhart, 5-3 DEC
CONS R2: Barnhart def. Charlie Bunting (George Mason), MFF
CONS R3:
Alex Almeyda (Penn) def. Barnhart, 4-3 DEC
#32 Ryan Miller
CHAMP R1: Bye
CHAMP R2: Miller def. Markel Baker (Northern Illinois), 9-7 DEC
QF: Miller def. Sean Spidle (Central Michigan), 4-0 DEC
Nico Nardone
CHAMP R1: Bye
CHAMP R2: Kurt Phipps (Bucknell) def. Nardone, 11-1 MD
CONS R2: Jacob Macatangay (Purdue) def. Nardone, 5-3 DEC
141
#11 CJ Composto
CHAMP R1: Composto def. Cole Solomey (Purdue), 17-1 TF
CHAMP R2: Composto def. Jason Miranda (Stanford), 6-2 DEC
QF: Composto def. Briar Priest (Pittsburgh), 5-2 DEC
Evan Mougalian
CHAMP R1: Mougalian def. Joey Buttler (Indiana), 15-0 TF
CHAMP R2: Mougalian def. Jayden Colon (Illinois), 19-1 TF
QF: Joesph Oliveri (Rutgers) def. Mougalian, 0:41 F
149
Kelly Dunnigan
CHAMP R1: Bye
CHAMP R2: Dylan Gilcher (Michigan) def. Dunnigan, 2-1 DEC, TB
CONS R2: Bye
CONS R3: Dunnigan def. Lucan O`Brien (Northern Illinois), 9-0 MD
CONS R4: Dunnigan def. Jaden Pepe (Harvard), 4-1 DEC
CONS R5: Dunnigan def. Alex Nini (Rutgers), 9-3 DEC
#19 Cross Wasilewski
CHAMP R1: Bye
CHAMP R2: Wasilewski def. Eric Almarinez (SIU Edwardsville), 18-1 TF
CHAMP R3: Wasilewski def. EJ Parco (Stanford), 8-3 DEC
QF: Wasilewski def. Mason Shrader (Central Michigan), 4-1 DEC, SV
157
#15 Jude Swisher
CHAMP R1: Swisher def. Ryan Bennett (Illinois), 12-1 MD
CHAMP R2: Swisher def. Jack Pletcher (Pittsburgh), 11-0 MD
QF: Logan Rozynski (Lehigh) def. Swisher, 4-1 DEC
165
Reed Fullmer
CHAMP R1: Cash Stewart (Cal Poly) def. Fullmer (Penn), 12-5 DEC
CONS R1: Zach Hanson (Stanford) def. Fullmer, 10-3 DEC
Paul Ognissanti
CHAMP R1: Ognissanti def. Edmund Enright (Northwestern), 4-2 DEC
CHAMP R2: Hunter Garvin (Stanford) def. Ognissanti (Penn), 17-3 MD
COS R2: Brett Smith (Northern Illinois) def. Ognissanti, 4-1 DEC
Andy Troczynski
CHAMP R1: Tyler Swiderski (Central Michigan) def. Troczynski, 9-5 DEC
CONS R1: Troczynski def. Hudson Hightower (Princeton), 11-1 MD
CONS R2: Troczynski def. Dominic Federici (Lehigh), 9-4 DEC
CONS R3: Ethan Birden (Ohio State) def. Troczynski, 9-1 MD
Adam Thomson
CHAMP R1: Gunnar Myers (Northwestern) def. Thomson, 1:35 F
CONS R1: Jared Keslar (Pittsburgh) def. Thomson, 8-0 MD
174
#5 Nick Incontrera
CHAMP R1: Incontrera def. Xavier Giles (Princeton), 17-2 TF
CHAMP R2: Incontrera def. Luke Odom (SIU Edwardsville), 8-0 MD
QF: Incontrera def. Collin Guffey (Stanford), 4-0 DEC
184
#22 Maximus Hale
CHAMP R1: Hale def. Matt Kubas (Northwestern), 1:51 F
CHAMP R2: Hale def. Codei Khawaja (Michigan), 8-1 DEC
CHAMP R3: Abraham Wojcikiewicz (Stanford) def. Hale, 5-4 DEC
CONS R4: Hale def. Jon Halvorsen (Northwestern), 11-5 DEC
CONS R5: Hale def.
Nate Taylor (Penn), 5-0 DEC
Nate Taylor
CHAMP R1: Bye
CHAMP R2: Reece Heller (Pittsburgh) def. Taylor, 22-5 TF
CONS R2: Taylor def. Dominic Heim (Northern Illinois), 12-7 DEC
CONS R3: Taylor def. Rada (Harvard), 8-3 DEC
CONS R4: Taylor def. Anthony Moscatello (Princeton), IDF
CONS R5:
Maximus Hale (Penn) def. Taylor, 5-0 DEC
197
Josh Labarbera
CHAMP R1: Bye
CHAMP R2: Luke Cochran (Central Michigan) def. LaBarbera, 18-6 MD
CONS R2: Bye
CONS R3: PJ Casale (Rutgers) def. LaBarbera, MFF
Jackson Zimmerman
CHAMP R1: Bye
CHAMP R2: Nick Stemmet (Stanford) def. Zimmerman, 18-2 TF
CONS R2: Bye
CONS R3: Brook Byers (Stanford) def. Zimmerman, 20-5 TF
285
Zach Delsanter
CHAMP R1: Delsanter def. Will Sather (Princeton), 6-2 DEC
CHAMP R2: Josh Heindselman (Michigan) def. Delsanter, 19-4 TF
CONS R2: Nolan Springer (Bucknell) def. Delsanter, MFF
John Pardo
CHAMP R1: Pardo def. Jackson Mankowski (Stanford), 28-12 TF
CHAMP R2: Jacob Bullock (Indiana) def. Pardo, 17-1) TF
CONS R2: Pardo def. (SIU Edwardsville), 20-6 MD
CONS R3: John O`Donnell (Rutgers) def. Pardo, 4:19 F
