WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (January 12, 2024) – Graduate student Akhil Vega went a perfect 3-0 to lead No. 8/5 Stevens Institute of Technology wrestling to three victory Friday on the opening day of the Budd Whitehill Duals, hosted by Lycoming College at Lamade Gymnasium.

Each of Vega's wins came with bonus points as the Cupertino, California native recorded a major and a pair of tech falls in helping the Ducks down McDaniel (30-12), Wilkes (27-15) and Ithaca (31-9). The Ducks wrapped up pool play with a perfect 3-0 record to advance to Saturday's semifinal round where a matchup with Washington & Lee awaits. The victory over McDaniel was the Ducks' 10th straight over the Green Terror, formerly annual opponents in the Centennial Conference. Stevens' triumph over Wilkes was the third straight win over the Colonels, while the Ducks downed the Bombers for the fourth straight time. The trio of wins extended the Ducks' winning streak to five and moved Stevens' dual record to 8-2. 

Senior Luke Hoerle, ranked 11th by both the National Wrestling Coaches Association and The Open Mat, joined Vega in posting a perfect record, going 2-0 on the day with a tech fall. Sophomore Nico Diaz (2-0), first-year Carmen Cortese (1-0), sophomore Ryan Smith (2-0), sophomore Steve Dalling (1-0), junior Chris Stathopoulos (2-0, with each win taking place in a different weight class), graduate student Stefan Major (2-0), senior Joel Martsinovsky (2-0) and junior Brendan Newbury (1-0) joined Vega and Hoerle in finishing the first day of competition with an unblemished record in pool play. 

Additionally, junior Branden Bulatao (2-0), Newbury, senior Andrew Finateri, first-year Giorgio Corica, Cortese, first-year Chris Piazza, sophomore Anthony Bistany, junior Jack Bailey, Dalling and first-year Ben Sanders all earned victories in extra countable matches.

The 35th annual event is held annually in honor of Lycoming's former longtime head wrestling coach.

The Rundown

• Vega began the day with a major decision (15-2) over McDaniel's Romeo Tsai as the Ducks claimed the first two matches of the dual to take an early 9-0 lead. Vega's win was followed by Hoerle's 17-2 tech fall at 133. McDaniel got on the board with a pin at 141 before a 14-8 decision victory by graduate student Pasquale Vizzoni at 149 over No. 5/3 Thomas Monn and an impressive 19-2 tech fall for Smith followed. Stathopoulos extended the Stevens lead to 21-6 with an 8-0 major over Max Bentley at 165. Stathopoulos would later add a decision victory at 174 in the dual with Wilkes. Major followed with a second-period pin of Yoann Olympio, while Newbury earned a hard-fought 6-5 decision over Valentino Pryor at 184 for the Ducks' final victory of the dual. McDaniel had decision wins in the final two bouts to produce the final margin of victory.
• Against Wilkes, Vega again put Stevens on the board early with an 18-1 tech fall over Connor Kerwin to give the Ducks a 5-0 lead. Wilkes took the lead – the only time Stevens trailed on the day – with a pin at 133. However, the Colonels' advantage was short lived as the Ducks reeled off six straight wins to take a nearly insurmountable lead of 27-6 with two bouts left in the dual. Diaz began the run with a decision win at 141 with Cortese earning a 7-1 decision one match later. Dalling recorded his second pin of the year with a fall at 4:24 over Jaryn Hartranft. Junior Harrison Hinojosa extended the lead with a 17-4 major over Trevor DuBoff with decision wins from Stathopoulos (4-0) and Martsinovsky (9-4) moving the Ducks' point total to 27. Wilkes' nationally ranked competitors at 197 and 285 amassed nine points across the final two matches to produce the Ducks' final margin of victory.
• Vega sparked the Ducks against Ithaca with a 20-2 tech fall over Cosmo Damiani. Stevens would win each of the first three matches, including a pair of tech falls, to take a 13-0 lead through three matches. Ithaca collected a decision win at 149, but Smith thwarted any Bomber hopes for a comeback with a 21-4 tech fall at 157. A decision win at 165 briefly slowed Stevens down but the Ducks won the next three matches to put the dual out of reach. Major began the run with a 7-3 decision win, with Martsinovsky and junior Blaise Wagner posted consecutive tech falls for the Ducks' final two wins of the day. A decision win at heavyweight produced the final 31-9 score.

Top Performers

• Hoerle's tech fall in the opening dual was the Westfield, New Jersey native's team-leading 14th of the year.
• Smith's tech falls were his second and third of the year, respectively, and extended his winning streak to nine. Smith joined Vega as one of nine wrestlers in the entire event to score two or more tech falls.
• Stevens posted an impressive five victories by tech fall in the win over Ithaca. The Ducks amassed eight on the day, which is tied with No. 9/6 Wisconsin-Eau Claire for most in the field. 
• Vega's 14 team points (two tech falls and a major) is tied for third among all wrestlers. 
• Smith, Martsinovsky and Wagner each finished a match with 21 points, which ranked third among all wrestlers.

Around the Middle Atlantic Conference 

• Messiah and York joined Stevens in competing at the Budd Whitehill Duals. Messiah went 1-2 in pool play, defeating Williams (33-18) and falling to SUNY Cortland (25-21) and #9/6 Wisconsin Eau-Claire (50-1), while York went 0-3. 
• #14/13 Alvernia went 2-0 at the opening day of the Virginia Duals. The Golden Wolves defeated St. Andrews University 55-0 before besting Liberty 36-11. Alvernia will face Reinhardt University Saturday. 
• King's downed Sussex County Community College 49-4 in a home dual at McGrane Gymnasium.
• Delaware Valley hosted Western New England University in a dual at James Work Gymnasium and came away with a 37-15 victory.

Up Next

• No. 8/5 Stevens will take on former Centennial Conference opponent Washington & Lee in Saturday's semifinal round. The Generals went 3-0 in the D Pod, defeating Ohio Northern (23-16), Lycoming (34-10) and York (31-12). The Ducks have won 12 straight duals in the all-time series. The match is scheduled to get underway at 10:30, with live stats and video links posted to StevensDucks.com.

Athletic Department Social Media
Facebook: "Like" Stevens Athletics         
Twitter: @stevensducks
Instagram: @stevensducks

Wrestling Social Media
Facebook: "Like" Duck Wrestling
Twitter: @duckwrestling
Instagram: @duckwrestling

#AllRise