Full Brackets

ROANOKE, Va. – The College of New Jersey wrestling team advanced three members to day two at the NCAA Championships Friday. The 13^th-ranked Lions have scored 25.0 team points and sit in 10^th place in the team standings.
 
Jake Giordano, Ryan Budzek, and Dan Kilroy each advance to day two and guaranteed themselves All-America honors.
 
Giordano won his opening match before pushing the top-seed to overtime before ultimately falling. In the wrestlebacks, Giordano secured his second victory of the championships to guarantee a top eight finish.
 
Budzek opened action with a pig-tail victory. He then carried that momentum into a victory over the second-seed in his weight class. Budzek closed out the day with a win in the championship quarterfinals to guarantee a top six finish.
 
Kilroy earned his second career All-America honors with a pair of victories. His quarterfinal win over the five-seed in his bracket secured a top six finish.
 
JT Beirne and Robert Dinger wrestled tough in their final action of the season.
 
The remaining Lions take to the mats Saturday beginning at 10 a.m.
 
Jake Giordano – 133 pounds
 
Giordano, the eight seed, scored points early and often in his opening round match. Giordano scored a takedown just 10 seconds into the bout and used the position to earn a pair of back points. His opponent got on the board with an escape and over a minute of neutral wrestling followed. Giordano earned his second takedown of the opening frame with just under a minute to go and again went to work on top. He earned four back points and got a second turn in the waning seconds. Giordano was awarded a pair of back points which were confirmed after video review and he led 12-1 after the first period. Giordano won the coin toss and selected neutral to start the second period. After a takedown along the edge of the circle, Giordano turned his opponent one final time, earning the necessary back points for a technical fall.
 
In  the championship quarterfinals, Giordano faced top-seeded Jordin James of Mount Union. Giordano struck first with a takedown early in the first period. James fired back quickly escaping then earning a takedown of his own to grab a 3-2 lead. The rest of the period belonged to Giordano. The Lion earned a takedown with a double leg that he quickly converted into a pair of back points.  Giordano would ride out the period to maintain a 7-3 lead. Giordano won the toss and selected bottom. He extended the lead early in the period with a quick escape and a penalty point for hands to the face. James took over from that point forward. The top seed earned a takedown midway through the second period. Giordano would escape, but took a stall warning in the waning seconds. Trailing 10-5, James selected bottom to begin the third. A quick escape and a stall cut the advantage to 10-7. A takedown from James with a quick escape by Giordano set up a frantic final sequence. James landed a takedown on the edge of the circle with just four seconds remaining to tie the score and Giordano was unable to escape in a final restart which forced overtime. James continued his aggression in the extra frame, earning a takedown and the victory midway through.
 
Giordano had to quickly regroup for a consolation bracket, where he faced off against Owen Doster of Wabash with the winner guaranteed a top eight position and All-America honors. Giordano came out hot, scoring a pair of takedowns in the opening period. Each was answered by quick escapes, giving Giordano a 4-2 lead at the end of one. Giordano won the toss and selected neutral. An uneventful period ensued with each side drawing a stall warning. Doster chose to begin the third period on bottom, and as he did all match earned a quick escape. Giordano continued to display his dominance in the neutral position, with a takedown that extended the lead to 6-3. Doster would respond gaining top position to cut the lead to just one, but Giordano escaped and avoided any further scoring to secure the victory.
 
Giordano matches up against unseeded Taylor 'Ki Dial of the Merchant Marine Academy in the consolation quarterfinals.
 
Robert Dinger – 141 pounds
 
Dinger faced off against the sixth-seed, Chris Williams of Millikin, in the opening round. Williams got on the board first with a takedown in the opening period, but Dinger needed just 10 seconds to escape and cut the deficit in half. Dinger won the toss and deferred. Williams selected bottom and quickly earned the escape point. Dinger kept the pressure on and forced a pair of stall warnings to again cut the lead to a single point. In the third period, Dinger selected bottom and earned the escape to even the score at three. A scramble at the end of the third period forced a video review, but no points were awarded and the match advanced to overtime. With just three seconds remaining in the extra period, Williams earned the takedown and the secured the match victory.
 
Dinger then matched up against Jimmy McAuliffe of Elmhurst. McAuliffe scored early and often securing a pair of takedowns in the opening frame. Dinger fought hard from the bottom, earning escapes following each takedown. McAuliffe won the toss and selected bottom to begin the second. McAuliffe was dominant in the second period, quickly escaping and earning a takedown. Dinger again responded with an escape. McAuliffe earned a takedown and rode out the final 30 seconds of the second to take a 9-3 lead into the third. Dinger selected bottom and earned the escape and takedown, slicing the lead in half. McAuliffe shut the door at that point, escaping and earning a takedown of his own to put the bout out of reach. Dinger escaped late in the period, but McAuliffe had already earned the riding time point.
 
Dinger closes out his sophomore season with a 31-10 record.
 
Ryan Budzek – 149 pounds
 
Budzek took control of his pig-tail match early in the first period. Budzek shot for a double leg and earned a takedown to go up 2-0. He would ride out the opening period, while his opponent received a warning for stalling. Budzek won the coin flip and elected to defer. His opponent selected neutral to begin the second period and Budzek quickly earned another takedown. For the second consecutive period, Budzek rode out the remaining time with his opponent earning another stall warning to give Budzek a 5-0 lead. In the third period, Budzek selected bottom and after a thirty-second ride his opponent chose to allow the escape back to neutral. Budzek appeared to be closing in on a single leg in the final ten seconds, but time ran out and he walked away with a 7-0 victory.
 
In the round of 16 match-up, Budzek squared off against second-seeded Zachary Cooper of Alma. Cooper earned a takedown early in the first period, but Budzek was active on the bottom earning a pair of penalty points to even the score. Budzek won the coin toss and deferred. Cooper swiftly reversed the position, but again Budzek was active from the bottom, earning four penalty points to take a 6-4 lead. The final penalty was the fifth stalling call against Cooper which earned Budzek a disqualification win.
 
Budzek was part of a large number of upset on the bottom half of the bracket and would draw unseeded Logan Schlough in the championship quarterfinals. Budzek got on the board first with a takedown just under a minute into the first. Schlough earned the escape and neither side would score again in the period. Schlough won the toss and selected bottom. A reversal midway through the period gave Schlough the lead. Budzek countered with an escape followed by a takedown to regain the lead at 5-3. He would ride out the second to maintain that lead. Budzek chose bottom to begin the third and extended the lead with an escape. A second stall call against Budzek closed the gap to 6-4. Shlough earned a takedown in the waning seconds of the match, but with the riding time point secured Shlough allowed the escape and was unable to score in the final seconds as Budzek advanced to the championship semi-finals and guaranteed All-America status.
 
Budzek faces sixth-seeded Alex Wilson in the championship semi-finals.
 
JT Beirne – 157 pounds
 
Beirne drew second-seeded Ryan Epps in his first match. Epps opened the scoring with a takedown in the opening minute of the match. Beirne would get the escape late in the first period to cut the deficit to 2-1 after the first. Beirne won the coin toss and selected bottom. Epps was strong on top riding out the entire period. Epps selected bottom to begin the third. Beirne was called for his second stall and an escape from Epps pushed the advantage to 4-1. The riding time point produced the final score.
 
Beirne faced seventh-seeded Trevor Corl in the consolation bracket. Corl earned a takedown in the first and Beirne got the escape. Corl won the toss and deferred. Beirne selected bottom and quickly escaped to tie the score. Corl took control of the match in third period. He selected bottom and earned a quick escape. Corl then earned a takedown, extending the lead to 5-2. An escape from Beirne, led to one final takedown from Corl. Riding time produced the final score.
 
Beirne ends his career at TCNJ with a 38-25 career record.
 
Dan Kilroy – 174 pounds
 
Kilroy, the four seed, went to work quick in his opening round match, scoring a takedown 13 seconds into the first period. After throwing his opponent to the mat, the position was reversed and the match evened at two after the first period. His opponent won the toss and deferred. Kilroy selected neutral, and his opponent fought back early in the second period with a takedown just six seconds into the frame. Kilroy remained composed and earned the escape and a takedown of his own to take a 5-4 lead into the third. With his opponent selecting bottom to start the third, Kilroy was called for stalling to even the score and the escape would give his opponent the lead at 6-5 with 90 seconds remaining. Kilroy was awarded a penalty point for unnecessary roughness, but was called for stalling again with just over a minute to go. Kilroy then earned a takedown and rode out the remaining 53 seconds securing a bonus point and a 9-7 victory.
 
Wrestling against fifth-seeded A.J. Aeberli of the Coast Guard Academy. Neither side was able to break through in the opening frame. Kilroy won the toss and selected bottom. Kilroy took the lead with an escape. Neutral wrestling did not produce any scoring for the remainder of the period. Aeberli selected bottom, but was unable to escape and Kilroy earned his second All-America honors and a guaranteed top six finish.
 
In a bracket that has remained chalk, Kilroy matches up against top-seeded Darden Schurg of Wabash in the semi-finals.