EWING, N.J. – The No. 11 TCNJ wrestling team ran way with a nationally ranked showdown on Friday night, racking up bonus points from start to finish in a 41-9 season-opening rout of No. 20 Wilkes.
 
Six wrestlers notched either a tech fall or a pin for the Lions, who made swift work of a Wilkes squad that boasts four regionally ranked grapplers.
 
Matt Griffin started the party with a second-period pin at 125, and Kyle Nase followed with an 18-1 tech fall at exactly the same point of conclusion (4:41) as his predecessor.
 
Sam Kotch grabbed a 9-5 decision over Michael Richardson before Mike Conklin finished off a 16-1 tech fall over Colton Thorpe with the second of two four-point near falls in the waning seconds of the second period of their 149-pount bout.
 
Wilkes got on the board at 157, where 11^th-ranked Jaryn Hartranft edged out a 3-1 decision over Ryan Datz; the Lions attempted to challenge on a possible takedown with 7 seconds left in the match, but the official ruled against it.
 
Nick Sacco, the reigning 165-pound NCAA champion, pinned Caleb Lawrence just before the second-period buzzer at 165.
 
Hunter Mays, making his dual debut for the Lions, racked up 10 first-quarter points en route to a 19-3 tech fall on a four-point near fall in the second period. Alex Strashinsky matched Mays with a tech fall of his own at 184, turning a 3-1 lead after one into a 16-1 victory in the span of just 50 seconds with a reversal and back-to-back four-point near falls before a clinching takedown.
 
D.J. Henry needed just 94 seconds to pin Patrick Gordon at 197 before the 9^th-ranked Caleb Burkhart picked up a pin at heavyweight to make it a 41-9 final.
 
The Lions are right back at it on Saturday, taking on McDaniel and Muhlenberg in a tri-match inside the Rec Center.
 
TCNJ 41, Wilkes 9
125 – No. 7 Matt Griffin (T) pinned Cadden Kucek, 4:41 (6-0)
133 – Kyle Nase (T) tech fall Connor Kerwin, 18-1 (4:41) (11-0)
141 – Sam Kotch (T) dec. Michael Richardson, 9-5 (14-0)
149 – No. 7 Mike Conklin (T) tech fall Colton Thorpe, 16-1 (4:59) (19-0)
157 – No. 11 Jaryn Hartranft (W) dec. Ryan Datz, 3-1 (19-3)
165 – No. 1 Nick Sacco (T) pinned Caleb Lawrence, 4:59 (25-3)
174 – Hunter Mays (T) tech fall Lucas Miller, 19-3 (3:40) (30-3)
184 – Alex Strashinsky (T) tech fall Christopher Nuss, 16-1 (3:50) (35-3)
197 – D.J. Henry (T) pinned Patrick Gordon, 1:34 (41-3)
285 – No. 9 Caleb Burkhart (W) pinned Matt Coon, 0:56 (41-9)