ITHACA, N.Y. (February 25, 2018)  – Sophomore Troy Stanich, freshman Brett Kaliner, senior Zach Wilhelm and junior Thomas Poklikuha were each crowned regional champions as the sixteenth-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology wrestling team finished second at the 2018 Mideast Regional Championship Sunday in Ithaca, New York. Stanich received the regional's Most Outstanding Wrestler Award for the second consecutive year. All four grapplers will represent Stevens at the upcoming NCAA Championships in Cleveland, Ohio (Mar. 9-10).

Sophomore Dylan Van Sickell finished third at 149 pounds and will join the quartet of regional champions at the NCAAs. The Ducks went a perfect 4-for-4 in championship bouts and joined The College at Brockport as the only programs to post multiple individual champions, although Stevens led all 17 competing teams with five individual titles. Ithaca won the regional's team championship, amassing 145 points to finish 29 points ahead of the Ducks.

"To go 4-for-4 in the finals with one wrestler taking bronze and another placing fourth is huge," commented head coach Joe Favia. "It is exactly what we need to do in Cleveland to win as a team."

Junior Joey Borai finished fourth at 125 pounds, as Stevens placed six wrestlers among the top-five finishers in their respective weight classes. The Ducks have sent at least five wrestlers to the national championships in each of the last three seasons.

"We might not have qualified the most wrestlers [for the NCAAs] and we might not have won the regional, but no other team had four champions," Favia reflected.

"I'm really proud of the fight they all showed today," Favia continued. "They understand the goals of this program and the mentality it takes to win. It was on full display in the final round. I'm excited to take this mentality to Cleveland."

At 125 pounds, Borai dropped a 10-2 major decision to the top seed in the weight class, Brockport's Jonathan Haas. The Toms River, New Jersey native rebounded to defeat Centenary's Tyreek Staton via decision (5-4) in the consolation bracket. In the third-place bout, Borai dropped a hard-fought 2-1 decision to Cortland's Josh Antoine, whom the junior grappler pinned in the quarterfinals.

Stanich, ranked No. 1 in the country at 133 pounds, continued his dominant sophomore campaign, remaining undefeated with a technical fall over Ithaca's Tito Colom in the semifinals. The Roxbury, New Jersey native was leading 17-0 at the time of the stoppage. In the championship match, Stanich earned his 34th win of the year with a 9-1 major decision over Oneonta's Austin Sisco to repeat as regional champion. Sisco entered the weekend ranked eighth in the country. 

Kaliner earned his first regional title with a 16-9 decision over Elizabethtown's Joseph Ghione in the semifinals and an 8-3 decision over Ithaca's Ben Brisman in the championship bout. Ranked third nationally at 141 pounds, the West Chester, Pennsylvania native earned victories over the nation's fifth and sixth-ranked wrestlers in the weight class to win the individual crown.

Van Sickell finished third at 149 pounds with three victories to win the consolation bracket. The Little Silver, New Jersey native began his day with a pin of Scranton's T. J. Conlon and then reached the third-place match with a 10-1 major decision over Oswego's Rocco Russo. Van Sickell then completed his day with a thrilling 5-4 decision over Ithaca's Demetri D'Orsaneo to advance to the NCAA Championships.

At 157 pounds, Wilhelm earned his second consecutive technical fall over Merchant Marine's Kieran Duggan to reach the championship match. Wilhelm was leading 18-3 at the time of the stoppage. In the championship match, earned a 12-3 major decision victory over RIT's Kaidon Winters to win his first regional title.

At 165 pounds, Poklikuha bested two top-10 wrestlers en route to a regional championship. The West Creek, New Jersey native pinned No. 8 Zach Zupan (Cortland) in the semifinals and then won a 6-4 decision over Ithaca's Nick Velez in the first sudden-victory period. Velez came into the tournament ranked fourth in the country. 

Up Next: No. 16 Wrestling heads to Cleveland, Ohio for the 2018 NCAA Championships

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