CEDAR FALLS, Iowa and WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – For the first time in at least two decades, the TCNJ wrestling team is among the last four standing at the NWCA National Duals.
 
The 4^th-ranked Lions doubled up Millikin, 30-15, before holding off 5^th-ranked Loras in a 22-18 nail-biter to punch their ticket to the semifinals of the prestigious showcase held at the UNI Dome. For its efforts, TCNJ earned a date with No. 1 Wartburg on Saturday.
 
Nearly 1,000 miles east, the Lions' reserves went 1-2 at Lycoming's Budd Whitehill National Duals, ending the first day of competition on a high note with a 29-18 victory over Wilkes.
 
NWCA NATIONAL DUALS
TCNJ 30, Millikin 15
The Lions got something of a surprise before even taking the met as Millikin upset No. 15 Baldwin-Wallace, 20-19, in the preliminary round. TCNJ made sure that was as far as the Cinderella bid went, however, handing the previously unbeaten Big Blue (13-0) their first dual loss of the season.
 
Matthew Griffin came up just shy of a tech fall in the opening bout, settling for a resounding 17-3 major decision over Mason Franklin at 125.
 
Garrett Totten had no trouble at 133, tacking eight near-fall points onto an early takedown before pinning Charlie Armstrong with less than 90 seconds gone by.  
 
Vinnie Santaniello controlled the whole bout with Colin Claffey at 141, racking up nearly four minutes of riding time in an 11-3 major decision.
 
J.J. Giordano continued the bonus points parade with a 13-3 major decision at 149 to make it 18-0 before Millikin got on the board with a decision at 157 and an injury default at 165.
 
Hunter Mays restored order with a rout at 174, using 11 near-fall points to post an 18-1 technical fall in under two minutes.
 
Millikin got to within 23-15 on a pin at 184, but No. 2 D.J. Henry put the match on ice with a xx-xx defeat of No. 13 Mateo Casillas in the only nationally ranked tussle of the dual. In the Big Blue's first match, Casillas had battled No. 1-ranked Joseph Petrella to a 1-0 decision, but Henry notched a quick takedown and went up 5-1 with a reversal early in the second. He rode out the rest of the period and added another takedown in the third and only missed out on a major decision when Casillas escaped late in the final frame.
 
Matt Coon stamped the win with a routine 11-2 major decision against Leno Campbell at heavyweight, pulling away after a scoreless first frame.
 
TCNJ 22, Loras 18
Griffin again staked the Lions to an early lead in the quarterfinal showdown with 5^th-ranked Loras, cruising past Aidan Gruenenfelder, 16-9, with two takedowns in each of the first two periods.
 
Totten and Santaniello posted back-to-back major decisions, and the Lions were off and running with an 11-0 advantage.
 
Loras started to turn the tide with victories at 149 and 157, but Jordan Ayyash came up with a huge momentum-stopping result at 165, downing Braylon Griffiths by an 11-7 decision to keep TCNJ in front.
 
Mays prevailed in the match of the day, edging Dustin Bohren, 6-3, in a showdown of the two top-ranked 174-pounders in Division III.
 
That match ultimately proved decisive, as D.J. Henry ultimately sealed the Lions' semifinal slot with a 20-4 tech fall over Kam Royster at 197.
 
NWCA National Duals Results
#4 TCNJ 22, #5 Loras 18
125 - #9 Matthew Griffin (TCNJ) over Aidan Gruenenfelder, Dec 16-9
133 - #4 Garrett Totten (TCNJ) over Connor Fiser, MD 13-2
141 - #8 Vinnie Santaniello (TCNJ) over Aaron Boone, MD 10-2
149 – #12 Chase Fiser (L) over J.J. Giordano, Dec 5-1
157 – #6 Eric Kinkaid (L) over Jackson Bush, TF 19-4
165 – Jordan Ayyash (TCNJ) over Braylon Griffiths, Dec 11-7
174 – #1 Hunter Mays (TCNJ) over #2 Dustin Bohren, Dec 6-3
184 – #8 Landry Barker (L) over Luke Theis, MD 17-4
197 – #2 D.J. Henry (TCNJ) over Kam Royster, TF 20-4
285 – #6 Jonah Clark (L) over Matt Coon, Fall (0:36)
 
#4 TCNJ 30, Millikin 15
125 – #9 Matthew Griffin (TCNJ) over Mason Franklin, MD 17-3
133 – #4 Garrett Totten (TCNJ) over Charlie Armstrong, Fall (1:28)
141 – #8 Vinnie Santaniello (TCNJ over Colin Claffey, MD 11-3
149 – J.J Giordano (TCNJ) over Sabri Sino, MD 13-3
157 – Chase Mirelez (M) over Josh Lee, Dec 14-7
165 – Carter Hutchison (M) over Steve Dalling, Inj. (1:28)
174 – #1 Hunter Mays (TCNJ) over Vincent Fiore, TF 18-1 (1:46)
184 – Kody Marschner (M) over Dave Giulian, Fall (2:48)
197 – #2 D.J. Henry (TCNJ) over #13 Mateo Casillas, Dec 9-2
285 – Matt Coon (TCNJ) over Leno Campbell, MD 11-2
 
BUDD WHITEHILL NATIONAL DUALS
#11 UW-Eau Claire 43, TCNJ 0
The Lions were outmanned in their opening dual with No. 11 Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the No. 1 seed and three-time reigning tournament champion which started the majority of its top lineup, but the defeat was not without its bright spots. Sam Kotch battled No. 15 Landon Church to the hilt at 149, dropping a 6-5 decision after Church managed to eke out 1:02 of riding time.  
 
In his TCNJ debut, Ethan Dalling was locked in a scoreless stalemate for almost two full periods before conceding a 6-0 decision at 184.
 
Clifford Dirkes also made his collegiate debut after spending the fall with the TCNJ football team, dropping an 8-0 major decision at heavyweight.
 
Ithaca 32, TCNJ 12
Aidan Carmody got the Lions off to a hot start against Ithaca, needing a little over a minute to post three separate four-point near falls and a 15-0 tech fall over Cosmo Damiani at 125.
 
After Ithaca equalized with a tech fall of its own at 133, Ethan Kerlin overcame a 6-1 deficit at 141, going in front for good on a takedown late in the second period and adding another for insurance in an eventual 11-7 victory over Ben White.
 
Colin Menier extended the Lions' lead to 12-5 with a dominating 16-2 major decision against William Bentrim at 149, but the Bombers claimed the next six bouts – including a pin and three tech falls – to take control.
 
Jeffrey Gessner impressed in his collegiate debut at heavyweight, surrendering a close 2-0 decision to regionally ranked Kamdyn Dorchester.
 
TCNJ 29, Wilkes 18
Carmody grabbed his second tech fall in as many matches with a 17-1 rout of Thomas Longo of Wilkes, and Luke Reitter compounded it with his own tech fall at 133.
 
Colin Menier's 16-15 thriller over Ben Grater at 149 was the only one of the next four matches that went TCNJ's way, though, and the Colonels had taken a 14-13 lead.
 
Konnor Tubin gave the Lions the lead for good with a 17-7 major decision at 174, and Ethan Dalling picked up his first collegiate win by injury default at 184.
 
After Henry Saxon took a tight 4-3 loss at 197, all Dirkes had to do was avoid a pin. He did that and more, pinning Trevor Gitski in just over a minute to seal TCNJ's first dual win of the day.
 
Budd Whitehill National Duals Results
#11 Wisconsin-Eau Claire 43, TCNJ 0
125 – Travis Moelter (UWEC) over Aidan Carmody, Dec 15-10
133 – Wyatt Unser (UWEC) over Andrew Mucciolo, MD 14-5
141 – Ty Fink (UWEC) over Dean Meissner, TF 18-2 (3:36)
149 – #15 Landon Church (UWEC) over Sam Kotch, Dec 6-5
157 – Clayton Solberg (UWEC) over Mike Meissner, Fall (2:28)
165 – Jon Harvey (UWEC) over Nick Acque, Fall (0:45)
174 – Ben Peterson (UWEC) over Konnor Tubin, MD 11-1
184 – Zak McPhee (UWEC) over Ethan Dalling, Dec 6-0
197 – #7 Ian Pepple (UWEC) over Henry Saxon, TF 20-0 (5:46)
285 – Cole Matalenko (UWEC) over Clifford Dirkes, MD 8-0
 
Ithaca 32, TCNJ 12
125 – Aidan Carmody (TCNJ) over Cosmo Damiani, TF 15-0 (1:15)
133 – #14 Jay McDonnell (IC) over Luke Reitter, TF 19-4 (7:00)
141 – Ethan Kerlin (TCNJ) over Ben White, Dec 11-7
149 – Colin Menier (TCNJ) over William Bentrim, MD 16-2
157 – Akio Sanders (IC) over Vincent Genna, Fall (1:07)
165 – Christopher Reddy (IC) over Nick Acque, TF 17-2 (6:25)
174 – #3 Konrad Parker (IC) over Jack Miller, TF 20-5 (4:00)
184 – Eamon Callaghan (IC) over Ethan Dalling, Dec 9-6
197 – Ryan Galka (IC) over Henry Saxon, TF 20-3 (5:32)
285 – Kamdyn Dorchester (IC) over Jeffrey Gessner, Dec 2-0
 
TCNJ 29, Wilkes 18
125 – Aidan Carmody (TCNJ) over Thomas Longo, TF 17-1 (2:13)
133 – Luke Reitter (TCNJ) over Samuel Kimmel, TF 16-0 (3:10)
141 – Ashton Romberger (W) over Ethan Kerlin, MD 12-1
149 – Colin Menier (TCNJ) over Ben Grater, Dec 16-15
157 – Jaryn Hartranft (W) over Sam Kotch, TF 19-3 (4:49)
165 – Colton Thorpe (W) over Nick Acque, Fall (2:57)
174 – Konnor Tubin (TCNJ) over Omari Watson, MD 17-7
184 – Ethan Dalling (TCNJ) over Souleymane Diarra, Inj. (1:33)
197 – Patrick Gordon (W) over Henry Saxon, Dec 4-3
285 – Clifford Dirkes (TCNJ) over Trevor Gitski, Fall (1:04)