CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The No. 4 TCNJ wrestling team took two losses on Saturday, but not before giving the two top-ranked teams in the nation all they could handle.
 
The Lions dropped tight duals to No. 1 Wartburg – by a 24-15 count in the semifinals – and to No. 2 Augsburg – by a score of 25-17 in the third-place bout – to finish fourth at the NWCA National Duals, its best finish in more than 20 years at the prestigious showcase.
 
Back east, the Lions' reserves dropped a pair of duals – 26-21 to Cortland and 25-16 to MSOE –
to settle for 12^th at the Budd Whitehill National Duals.
 
Wartburg and Augsburg have combined to win every NCAA championship since 1994, but the challenger from the East Coast was undaunted, taking four bouts in each dual in a day full of nationally ranked tussles.
 
TCNJ had the top-ranked Knights on notice early in the semifinals, grabbing a quick 9-0 lead behind Matthew Griffin's tech fall at 125 and Garrett Totten's major decision at 133.
 
Wartburg, however, won the next four bouts – three of them by either one or two points. No. 8 Vinnie Santaniello lost, 2-1, to No. 5 Kade Blum at 141, while J.J. Giordano dropped a hard-fought 4-2 match to No. 9 Caleb Olson at 149.
 
At 165, Jordan Ayyash nearly pulled an upset before No. 9 Aiden Brosinski managed to eke out a 1-0 decision.
 
No. 1 Hunter Mays got the Lions back on track with an 8-3 defeat of No. 12 Mike Slade at 174, and No. 2 D.J. Henry worked a 5-1 decision against No. 10 Cal Dorota at 197. Wartburg, however, picked up a tech fall at 184, and No. 1 Mitch Williamson sealed it with a pin at heavyweight.
 
The loss sent TCNJ into the third-place bout and a crack at the other 'Burg. Once again, the blue and gold put the highly touted home-state program in a big hole.
 
This time, rookie Joey DeAngelo made his mark with a 20-4 technical fall at 125.
 
Totten needed a mere 15 seconds to pin Carter Freeman at 133, and Santaniello tallied a 4-1 victory over Cade Willis to expand the TCNJ advantage to 14-0.
 
Augsburg pulled even with a major decision followed by a pair of tech falls, but Mays put TCNJ back on top with a 9-4 win against Nick Alexander at 174.
 
The Auggies went ahead for good with a major decision at 184 and put the Lions on the brink of defeat when No. 8 Ethan Winkleman handed Henry his first loss of the season, 5-1 at 197.
 
Needing a major decision to tie the dual, Matt Coon lost 11-3 to No. 5 Tyler Raway.

NOTES

• Henry's win overDorota was the 50th of his career
• Mays is still unbeaten on the season, rolling along at a perfect 14-0

#1 Wartburg 24, #4 TCNJ 15
125 – #9 Matthew Griffin (TCNJ) tech. fall James Levy, 19-4
133 – #4 Garrett Totten (TCNJ) major dec. Patrick Mullen, 11-3
141 – #5 Kade Blum (W) dec. #8 Vinnie Santaniello, 2-1
149 – #9 Caleb Olson (W) dec. J.J. Giordano, 4-2
157 – #1 Charlie Dojan (W) major dec. Jackson Bush, 13-3
165 – #9 Aiden Brosinski (W) dec. Jordan Ayyash, 1-0
174 – #1 Hunter Mays (TCNJ) dec. #12 Mike Slade, 8-3
184 – #2 Kasey Ross (W) tech. fall Luke Theis, 19-4
197 –#2 D.J. Henry (TCNJ) dec. #10 Cal Dorota, 5-1
285 – #1 Mitch Williamson (W) pinned Matt Coon, 3:52
 
#2 Augsburg 25, #4 TCNJ 17
125 – Joey DeAngelo (TCNJ) tech. fall Ethan Aird, 20-4
133 – #4 Garrett Totten (TCNJ) pinned Carter Freeman, 0:15
141 – #8 Vinnie Santaniello (TCNJ) dec. Cade Willis, 4-1
149 – Lucas Jagodzinske (A) major dec. J.J. Giordano, 10-0
157 – Cole Dummer (A) tech. fall Jackson Bush, 18-2
165 – #2 Cooper Willis (A) tech. fall Jordan Ayyash, 15-0
174 – #1 Hunter Mays (TCNJ) dec. Nick Alexander, 9-4
184 – #4 Brandt Bombard (A) major dec. Luke Theis, 10-1
197 – #8 Ethan Winkleman (A) dec. #2 D.J. Henry, 5-1
285 – #5 Tyler Raway (A) major dec. Matt Coon, 11-3
 
BUDD WHITEHILL NATIONAL DUALS
After a pair of tech falls on Friday, Aidan Carmody continued his hot stretch of wrestling by pinning Wyatt Gentzel in a mere 54 seconds to open Saturday's dual with Cortland.
 
Ahmad Hussain defeated David Ensminger, 9-4, at 149.
 
Konnor Tubin picked up an impressive win at 174, handing regionally ranked Joey Visciano an 11-4 defeat, and Ethan Dalling cruised to a 7-1 decision against Luke Chernaski at 184. With the match already settled, Clifford Dirkes still ended on a high note by pinning Chris Ayala just after the start of the second period.
 
Carmody worked yet another bonus-point result against MSOE, beginning the dual with a tech fall.
 
Sam Kotch worked a major decision at 149, and Colin Menier secured a 5-1 decision at 157. Ethan Dalling was the other winner for the Lions, posting a 10-1 major at 184.
 
Cortland 26, TCNJ 21
125 – Aidan Carmody (TCNJ) pinned Wyatt Gentzel, 0:54
133 – Rocco Futia (CORT) major dec. Luke Reitter, 17-6
141 – Culley Bellino (CORT) pinned Ethan Kerlin, 0:30
149 – Ahmed Hussain (TCNJ) dec. David Ensminger, 9-4
157 – Colton Havens (CORT) pinned Colin Menier, Fall 2:55
165 – Justin Klein (CORT) pinned Nick Acque, 2:27
174 – Konnor Tubin (TCNJ) dec. Joey Visciano, 11-4
184 – Ethan Dalling (TCNJ) dec. Luke Chernaski, 7-1
197 – Ethan Gallo (CORT) major dec. Henry Saxon, 12-2
285 – Clifford Dirkes (TCNJ) pinned Chris Ayala, 3:15
 
MSOE 25, TCNJ 16
125 – Aidan Carmody (TCNJ) tech. fall Lane Anderson, 16-1 (3:50)
133 – Alexander Ramirez (MSOE) pinned Luke Reitter, 1:56
141 – Liam Anderson (MSOE) major dec. Ethan Kerlin, 9-1
149 – Sam Kotch (TCNJ) major dec. Alex Morales, 12-4
157 – Colin Menier (TCNJ) dec. Ben Messier, 5-1
165 – Diego Snell-Martinez (MSOE) dec. Nick Acque, 4-0
174 – Toren Vandenbush (MSOE) tech. fall Konnor Tubin, 15-0 (2:37)
184 – Ethan Dalling (TCNJ) major dec. Colin Duren, 10-1
197 – Gavin Graham (MSOE) major dec. Henry Saxon, 8-0
285 – Jake Schmitt (MSOE) dec. Clifford Dirkes, 1-0