Full Results
ITHACA, N.Y. – The No. 9 TCNJ wrestling team advanced five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships on its way to claiming first place at the NCAA Mideast Regional on Sunday. The Lions had nine total place winners at the regional, led by the first-place finish of Quinn Haddad at 197 pounds.
 
TCNJ and Ithaca tied for the regional championship with 144.5 points.
 
The first-place regional finish is the first for the Lions since the NCAA switched to the regional format in 2013. The five national qualifiers matches the Lions' total from a season ago. Joining Haddad on the national team are returning All-Americans Jake Giordano and Dan Kilroy. Robert Dinger will make his second-straight trip to nationals. Dan Ortega will round out the squad with his first national appearance.

With four wins on the weekend, Kilroy moved into a tie for eighth on the TCNJ career wins list.
 
The NCAA Division III Championships take place in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on March 13.
 
Dan Ortega – 125
Ortega advanced to Sunday with a major decision and a technical fall. He faced Logan Ninos of Ithaca in the semifinals. Ortega took Ninos down early in the first period and maintained top position for over two minutes. Ninos escaped late in the first to earn a point. Ortega chose bottom to begin the second period and quickly escaped to increase the lead to 3-1. Midway through the second, Ortega took his opponent to the mat again. After receiving a penalty point due to a stalling call, Ortega truned Ninos to earn two back points and take an 8-1 lead into the third. Ninos chose neutral to begin the final period. Neither side could produce a scoring play in the third, and the riding time point gave Ortega a 9-1 major decision victory.
 
Ortega faced Matt Caccamise of SUNY Brockport in the final. Ortega opened the match with a takedown early in the first period. Caccamise escaped quickly and Ortega held the 2-1 lead through the end of the first period. Ortega chose bottom to begin the second and quickly returned to his feet. Neither side could find another score in the second. Caccamise chose bottom to begin the second and quickly escaped to draw within a single point. Caccamise scored a takedown with a minute to go to take a 4-3 lead. Ortega quickly evened the match to force overtime. Both sides chose bottom and escaped in the first set of extra periods. In the second sudden victory period, Caccamise earned a takedown to win the match.
 
Jake Giordano – 133
 
Giordano advanced to Sunday with a pair of forfeits and a decision victory. In the championship semifinals, Giordano faced Caleb Kreitter of USMMA. Giordano opened the scoring with a takedown midway through the first period. Kreitter quickly escaped, but Giordano returned the match to the mat. Giordano turned Kreitter to earn four back points before Kreitter escaped, allowing Giordano to take an 8-2 lead at the end of the first period. Giordano chose neutral to begin the second and earned another takedown. Kreitter escaped to cut the lead to 10-3 after two periods. Kreitter chose top to begin the third. Giordano quickly escaped and with the riding time point earned a 12-3 major decision.
 
In the championship against Travis Jones of Ithaca, Jones earned a takedown early in the first. He turned Giordano to earn the pin late in the period.
 
Robert Dinger – 141
 
Dinger advanced to Sunday with a tech. fall and decision win. In the championship semifinals, Dinger faced Chandler Merwin of SUNY Cortland. Neither side scored in the opening period. Merwin chose bottom and earned the escape. Dinger earned a takedown as the second period came to a close to go up 2-1. Dinger chose bottom to begin the third and quickly escaped to neutral. Dinger took down his opponent to go up 5-1 with 20 seconds remaining in the third. Merwin countered with a reversal in the waning seconds and earned two back points to force overtime. In the extra session, Merwin earned an escape to win 6-5.
 
In the consolation semifinals, Dinger battled Tito Colom of Ithaca. Dinger took his opponent down late in the first. Dinger chose bottom to begin the second, and earned the escape, taking a 3-0 lead into the final period. Colom chose neutral to begin the third, but no further scoring occurred.
 
Dinger faced Ahken Chu in the consolation final for the right to advance to the NCAA Championships. Dinger took Chu down twice in the opening period to build a 4-1 lead. Dinger chose bottom to begin the second and earned the escape point. Chu chose top to begin the third. He would force Dinger into a pair of stall calls, but Dinger maintained a 5-3 lead to take third place.
 
Anthony Gagliano – 149
 
Gagliano reached Sunday with a pin and decision victory. In the semifinals, Gagliano faced nationally top-ranked Ryan Anderson of Centenary. Anderson earned a takedown and forced a pair of stalling warnings to take a 3-0 lead after the first period. Gagliano chose neutral to begin the second. Neither side could find a scoring move during the frame. Anderson chose bottom to begin the third. He quickly escaped and earned a takedown. The riding time point gave Anderson a 7-0 win.
 
In the consolation semifinals, Gagliano faced Anthony Sherman of Muhlenberg. Sherman built an 11-5 lead in the second period before pinning Gagliano. Tyler Brazinski of SUNY Oneonta pinned Gagliano in the fifth-place match, forcing Gagliano to take sixth place.
 
John Garda – 165
Garda pinned his opponent in the consolation bracket to advance to Sunday. In his first action on Sunday, Garda faced Jeremy Nurnberger of Centenary. Garda held a 3-1 lead late in the third period, when he flattened his opponent to earn the pin.
 
In the consolation semifinals, Garda battled Dylan Schwartz of Muhlenberg. Schwartz used three takedowns to build a 6-2 lead at the end of the first period. Schwartz chose bottom to begin the second and quickly escaped before earning two more takedowns to build an 11-4 lead after two periods. Gard chose top to begin the third. Both sides drew stalling calls that produced penalty points and Schwartz advanced with a 12-5 win.
 
In the fifth-place match, Garda battled Kieren Duggan of USMMA. Garda earned a late takedown in the first period on his way to a 3-0 win.
 
Dan Kilroy – 174
 
Kilroy pinned each of his opponents to advance to Sunday. In the championship semifinals, Kilroy faced Demitereus Henry of SUNY Cortland. After a scoreless first period, Kilroy chose bottom to begin the second. Henry used three straight takedowns to build a 6-4 lead. Kilroy tied the score with a takedown, but Henry's escape gave the Red Dragon a 7-6 lead after two periods. Henry chose bottom to start the third and earned a penalty point along with the escape to claim a 9-6 victory.
 
In the consolation semifinals, Kilroy faced Christopher Eames of SUNY Brockport. Kilroy jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a penalty point and takedown in the first period. Kilroy chose bottom and got a quick escape to begin the second. After a takedown and penalty point, Kilroy took a 7-0 lead into the third period. Eames chose neutral to begin the third. Kilroy earned another takedown and penalty to earn a 10-0 win.
 
In the consolation final, Kilroy battled Joe Lupisella of RIT. After a scoreless opening period, Kilroy chose bottom and quickly escaped to take a 1-0 lead after two periods. Lupisella chose bottom to begin the third and equaled Kilroy's escape. Kilroy quickly returned Lupisella to the mat, but a penalty and escape by Lupisella tied the match at 3-3. With just four seconds remaining in the match, Kilroy shot and took his opponent down to earn two and take the victory to ensure his spot at the NCAA Championships.
 
Daniel Surich – 184
 
Surich won a pair of matches in the wrestle backs to advance to Sunday. In his first bout Sunday, Surich faced Joe Yanis of SUNY Brockport. Surich opened the scoring with a takedown midway through the first, taking a 2-1 lead into the second. Surich chose bottom and escaped. Yanis chose bottom and escaped midway through the third. Surich would take complete control of the match at that point, taking Yanis back down to the mat and turning him for four points. With the riding time point added, Surich earned a major decision with a 10-2 win.
 
In the consolation semifinals, Surich faced Jimmy Fratantoni of Muhlenberg. Surich jumped out to a 4-1 lead after two periods. Fratantoni selected neutral to begin the third period. Fratantoni earned a takedown midway through the period. Surich escaped to maintain a 5-3 lead. Fratantoni tied the score with a takedown with 18 seconds remaining and turned Surich to earn four back points that were the difference in the match.
 
Surich bounced back in the fifth-place match with a second-round pin of Ursinus' Kyle Schaffer.
 
Quinn Haddad – 197
 
Haddad used a tech. fall and major decision to advance to Sunday. In the championship semifinal, Haddad faced Dylan Dubuque of SUNY Cortland. Dubuque opened the scoring with a takedown in the first period. Haddad responded with an escape and takedown. Late in the first, Haddad turned his opponent to earn four back points to take a 7-2 lead after one. Haddad chose bottom and escaped to extend the lead. Haddad led by six after the second period. Both sides scored three points in the third as each scored a takedown and escape. Haddad advanced to the final with a 13-7 decision.
 
Haddad received a forfeit in the championship match to stand atop the podium.
 
Thomas Marretta – HWT
 
Marretta bounced back from a first-round loss with a pair of wins in the wrestle backs to advance to Sunday. In his first action on Sunday, Marretta faced Dalton Elias of Ithaca. Maretta earned a takedown late in the first period. He chose bottom to begin the second and escaped to push the lead to 3-0. Elias chose bottom to begin the third and quickly escaped. Marretta would keep Elias off the board for the remainder of the match to win, 3-1.
 
Marretta battled Trentyn Rupert of SUNY Cortland in the consolation semifinals. Marretta earned a takedown late in the first period to go up 2-0. Rupert chose top to begin the second and Marretta earned the escape. Rupert got on the board with a late second-period takedown and used the position to earn two back points. Marretta chose bottom and escaped to tie the score, but Rupert had enough riding time to earn a bonus point and take a 5-4 win.
 
Marretta fought back in the fifth-place match against Scott Schaeffer of Muhlenberg. Leading 15-8 in the third period, Marretta flattened Schaeffer to earn the pin.