WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Junior Ryan Smith, senior Harrison Hinojosa, and senior Blaise Wagner all went 3-0 during the first day of the Lycoming College-hosted Budd Whitehill Duals as the Stevens Institute of Technology wrestling team, No. 14 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) rankings, went 2-1 and placed second in their pool.
 
The trio combined for five falls across the three duals, part of an 11-pin day for the team, who posted commanding wins over McDaniel (45-10) and the host Warriors (31-15), before falling in their final dual of the day to Springfield, 30-27, in a wild affair that featured eight pins and lead changes after each of the final four matches.
 
In addition to the 3-0 trio, four more Ducks all picked up at least two wins, with junior Anthony Bistany, sophomore Carmen Cortese, and senior Max Ruiz each posting 2-1 days on the mat, plus a 2-0 mark from senior Chris Stathopoulos. Fellow senior Jack Bailey picked up one of the 11 pins in his only match of the day,
 
The Rundown - McDaniel
Junior Naci Robinson picked up the first win of the day for the Red and Gray with as 10-0 major decision win at 133 and Bistany picked up the first fall, wrapping his match in 1:57. After a McDaniel major decision win knotted the match at 10, Smith, competing for the first time in nearly two months, pinned his opponent at 157 in 2:26. Bailey followed at 165 with a pin in 1:47, with Hinojosa and Martsinovsky each pinning their opponents at 174 and 184, respectively, in 58 seconds. Wagner earned a 22-5 tech fall win at 197 and Ruiz closed the book on the team's highest point total in a dual this season with a pin in just 36 seconds; Wagner's tech fall victory was his fifth of the season, tying him with Cortese, Tyler Roe, and Branden Bulatao for the team lead
 
The Rundown - Lycoming
Trailing 10-0 entering the 141-pound matchup, the Ducks pulled within a point following a decision win from Bistany and a victory by injury forfeit in Cortese's match at 149. Following a 19-2 tech fall win for Smith and a pin for Stathopoulos at 165, Hinojosa picked up three key points with a win in sudden victory. Lycoming kept itself within striking distance after picking up five points in the 184-pound contest, but Wagner slammed the door on any chance of a comeback with a 22-6 tech fall win and Ruiz put the icing on the cake with a 4-3 decision win.
 
The Rundown - Springfield
Trailing 18-0 following a forfeit and two defeats via fall, the Ducks' comeback began with Cortese picking up a fall at 149. Smith made it back-to-back falls and Stathopoulos, in the lone match of the dual to go the distance, picked up a 9-5 decision win, pulling the Ducks within three, 18-15.
 
Hinojosa provided the first lead change of the match, picking up a fall in 2:10 at 174. After Springfield took the lead right back following a win at 184, Wagner put the Ducks on the cusp of competing for the Invitational championship on Saturday, but the Pride picked up the final fall of the day at 285, claiming the narrow victory.
 
Up Next

• The team will compete for fifth place tomorrow against the second-place finishers from the other three pools. The Ducks will face Wilkes in one dual, and Messiah will face Washington & Lee in the other. The winners of those duals will square off in the fifth-place match.

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

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

#AllRise