Williamsport, PA… The College of New Jersey wrestling team won its first two matches on Saturday at the annual Budd Whitehill Duals, before falling in the fifth-place match to finish the two-day tournament with a 3-2 record.
 
The 23^rd-ranked Lions (6-5) started the day by doubling up the United States Coast Guard Academy 28-14 and then posted a 30-16 triumph over John Carroll University. In the match for fifth place, 19^th-ranked Ohio Northern University won the final two weight classes to secure a 24-19 win.
 
Top-seed University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point won the team title winning all five of its matches, including a tight 18-16 win over sixth-seeded Messiah College in the finals.
 
The win over USCGA was highlighted by a pair of pins as third-ranked Brian Broderick (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) and Nathaniel Leer (Teaneck, NJ/Teaneck) each won by fall. Broderick recorded his in 2:51 at 184 pounds, while Leer needed only 1:03 at 197.
 
The Lions won seven of the 10 weight classes against John Carroll with 197-pounder Dan Brill (Livingston, NJ/Livingston) winning by fall in 4:33. Broderick also won convincingly racking up a 17-2 technical fall at 184.
 
TCNJ raced out to a 9-0 lead against Ohio Northern with Kevin Churchill (Newton, NJ/Newton) at 125, Joey DiCarlo (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) at 133, and PJ Schmidt (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) at 141 each winning by decision.
 
The Polar Bears tied the match winning the next two weight classes and TCNJ later led 19-14 after a major decision by John Darling (Moorestown, NJ/Moorestown) at 165 and Broderick's pin at 184. Ohio Northern then pulled to within 19-18 following a win at 197 and completed the comeback with another win at heavyweight.
 
Churchill, Darling, and Broderick each went a perfect 3-0 on the day, while Dylan Thorsen (Belvidere, NJ/Belvidere) was 2-0.
 
The Lions will participate in another dual-meet tournament next weekend traveling to the Metropolitan Conference Duals hosted by Centenary College.
 
#23 The College of New Jersey 28, US Coast Guard Academy 14
 125: Kevin Churchill (TCNJ) by forfeit
 133: Nate Giorgio (CG) maj. dec. Joey DiCarlo, 10-1
 141: Michael Giorgio (CG) fall PJ Schmidt, 3:22
 149: Dylan Thorsen (TCNJ) dec. Joe Kidwell, 10-5
 157: Antonio Mancella (TCNJ) maj. dec. Ben Greene, 15-6
 165: John Darling (TCNJ) dec. Mike Shermot, 7-2
 174: Luke Taylor (CG) maj. dec. KC Murphy, 11-0
 184: Brian Broderick (TCNJ) fall Marc Wagner, 2:51
 197: Nathaniel Leer (TCNJ) fall Virgil Moreno, 1:03
 285: Mark Howard (CG) maj. dec. Jeff Furbish, 14-5
 
#23 TCNJ 30, John Carroll University 16
 125: Kevin Churchill (TCNJ) maj. dec. Mike Buckiso, 12-2
 133: John Cobos (JCU) fall Jimmy Gill, 3:40
 141: Dylan Thorsen (TCNJ) dec. Doug Hayes, 10-4
 149: PJ Schmidt (TCNJ) dec. John Connick, 5-3
 157: Terner Gott (JCU) maj. dec. Antonio Mancella (TCNJ) 12-2
 165: John Darling (TCNJ) by forfeit
 174: Zach Zotollo (TCNJ) dec. Dan McNamara, 5-3
 184: Brian Broderick (TCNJ) tech. fall Brian Steinmetz, 17-2, 5:24
 197: Dan Brill (TCNJ) fall Bryan Adams, 4:33
 285: Will Porter (JCU) by forfeit
 
#19 Ohio Northern University 24, #23 TCNJ 19
125: Kevin Churchill (TCNJ) dec. Jerome Pasquale, 5-1
133: Joe DiCarlo (TCNJ) dec. Jeremy Jones, 9-4
141: PJ Schmidt (TCNJ) dec. Cody Harting, 6-1
149: Kyle Brezovec (ONU) dec. Derek Zehnbauer, 7-0
157: Jeff Stover (ONU) fall Antonio Mancella, 0:29
165: John Darling (TCNJ) maj. dec. Tyler Gargano, 12-1
174: Kyle Kwiat (ONU) tech. fall Zach Zotollo, 20-3, 5:33
184: Brian Broderick (TCNJ) fall Kyle Raber, 4:44
197: Michael Pawlitz (ONU) maj. dec. Nathaniel Leer, 10-2
285: Cody Lovejoy (ONU) fall Jeff Furbish, 1:57