WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The University of Pennsylvania wrestling team competed at the Wilkes Open on Friday afternoon, leaving the Marts Center with an individual champion and four podium finishes.
 
Freshman Brian Heard led the charge for Penn at the open, winning the 174 crown off four wins to earn the first title of his collegiate career.
 
Quaker Notemeal
*Wyatt Stout (157), Heard, and Matthew Cruise (285) all made it to the final bouts at the weights.
 
*Stout landed runner-up at 157, Cruise garnered it at 285, and Xander Kuokkanen placed sixth at 184 to round of the Quakers who grabbed spots on the podium.
 
*Jackson Zimmerman (197) and Denzel Perez (285) also competed for the Red and Blue at the Wilkes Open
 
Up Next
The Quakers close out 2025 action on Monday, Dec. 22, hosting Virginia for a 7 p.m. dual inside the Palestra.
 
157
Wyatt Stout – SECOND
R32: Stout def. Jahaan Fields, 16-1 TF
R16: Stout def. Cole Albert, 17-6 MD
QF: Stout def. Mateo Hernandez, 16-3 MD
SF: Stout def. Anthony Tresch, 4-1 DEC SV
FINAL: Conner Doherty def. Stout, 4-2 DEC
 
174
Brian Heard – CHAMPION
R16: Heard def. Joshua Wilkins, 1:14 F
QF: Heard def. Gavin Cole, 16-0 TF
SF: Heard def. Nadav Nafshi, 11-1 MD
FINAL: Heard def. Elliot Humphries, MFOR
 
184
Xander Kuokkanen – SIXTH
R16: Kuokkanen def. Sawyer Lester, 18-1 TF
QF: Noah Banko (Army Prep) def. Kuokkanen, 9-0 MD
CONS 8 (2): Kuokkanen def. Foxx Kurtz, 14-2 MD
CONS 4: Kuokkanen def. Dennis Meza Velasqu, 8-1 DEC
5th: Connor Bercume def. Kuokkanen, 5-0 DEC
197
Jackson Zimmerman
R16: Bye
QF: Lorenzo Pellot-Vazquez def. Zimmerman, DEF
CONS 8 (2): Jamil Morrow def. Zimmerman, MFF
285
Matthew Cruise – SECOND
R32: Cruise def. Talan Hogan, 13-2 MD
R16: Cruise def. Kurt Scheuerman, 5:51 F
QF: Cruise def. Luke Abilio, 9-0 MD
SF: Cruise def. Alexander Bajoras, 2-1 DEC
FINAL: Charles Weidman def. Cruise, 7-1 DEC
Denzel Perez
R16: Nick Cook def. Perez, 10-4 DEC
CONS 8 (1): Perez def. Andrew Perez, 8-2 DEC
CONS 8 (2): Luke Abilio def. Perez, 4-1 DEC SV