YORK, Pa. – TCNJ advanced nine wrestlers to the quarterfinals and six more remain alive in the consolation rounds after a strong showing on the first day of the annual New Standard Invitational at York on Friday night.
 
Matthew Griffin (125), Kyle Nase (133), Sam Kotch (141), Mike Conklin (149), J.J. Giordano (157), Josh Lee (157), Hunter Mays (174), D.J. Henry (197), and Matt Coon (285) all made it to the quarterfinals of their respective weight classes. The Lions accumulated 47.5 points on the day and sit in fourth place, just 3 points back of leader Merchant Marine atop a crowded leaderboard.
 
Griffin notched a 26-10 technical fall in his lone match of the day.
 
Nase dominated, picking up pins against a wrestler from Ursinus and another from New England, the latter in under two minutes, to reach the final 8.
 
Kotch needed three wins to gain the quarterfinals and got them all, posting an 18-3 tech fall and a second-period pin before outlasting a W&L opponent, 4-2.
 
Conklin made short work of his two foes, routing a York wrestler, 18-1, before pinning one from Johnson & Wales in just over a minute.
 
TCNJ had two quarterfinalists at 157. Giordano scored a pin and then edged JWU's Vincent Faldetta by a 5-3 count, while Lee impressed with back-to-back technical falls by a combined tally of 34-1.
 
Mays blanked his opening opponent, 17-0, and notched a 20-7 major decision over Stevens' Ian Flanagan to reach the quarters at 174.
 
Henry cruised in his lone bout, an 18-1 tech fall against an opponent from JWU.
 
Coon posted a pair of pins, one against W&L and another versus Alfred State, to roll into the heavyweight quarterfinals.
 
Colin Menier and Luke Reitter both lasted through the day at 133, as did Dan Hong at 141 and Gavin Rucci at 149. James Romaine (184) and Luke Theis (197) will also wrestle on Day 2 in the consolation rounds.
 
Hong, Menier, and Romaine each tallied a technical fall, while Rucci recorded a pin and a major decision.
 
Day 2 gets underway at 10 a.m. on Saturday.