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Rutgers at Big Ten Wrestling Championships: Rivera medically forfeits, 7 national qualifiers

bob jordan, asbury park press
·4 min read

Sebastian Rivera's injured right knee prompted him to take a medical forfeit in the semifinals of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships Saturday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Still, Rivera's two wins earlier Saturday clinched an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships on March 17-19 in Detroit.

In all, Rutgers had seven national qualifiers - Dylan Shawver (125), Joseph Olivieri (133), Rivera (141), Michael VanBrill (149), Connor O'Neill (174), John Poznanski (184) and Greg Bulsak (197).

It's the eighth straight year Rutgers had five or more qualifiers to the NCAAs.

Rutgers cooled off after winning its first three bouts in Saturday's first round but only Rivera reached the semifinals. The three-time All-American would have faced Iowa’s Jaydin Eierman in the semis.

Shawver, VanBrill and Bulsak all made it to the quarterfinals but lost there.

Michigan's Nick Suriano, right, wrestles Rutgers' Dylan Shawver at 125 pounds during the first session of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships, Saturday, March 5, 2022, at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Michigan's Nick Suriano, right, wrestles Rutgers' Dylan Shawver at 125 pounds during the first session of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships, Saturday, March 5, 2022, at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Shaver's loss came at the hands of former Rutgers star Nick Suriano, now at Michigan. Suriano had five takedowns en route to an 18-6 triumph.

Suriano, the Paramus native who was a four-time undefeated state champion at Bergen Catholic, beat Devin Schroder of Purdue by fall in 2:39 in semifinals, then scored a 12-4 major decision over Wisconsin’s Eric Barnett in the final Sunday night. Suriano also won the league title at 133 pounds for Rutgers in 2019.

Michigan won the team title with 143 points.

Also in the finals:

  • At 133 pounds, Penn State’s Roman Bravo-Young posted a 3-1 decision over Austin DeSanto of Iowa.

  • The Nittany Lions’ Nick Lee took home the 141-pound championship following a medical forfeit by Iowa’s Jaydin Eierman.

  • The 149-pound title went to the Badgers’ Gomez, who earned an 8-5 decision over defending champion Sammy Sasso of Ohio State.

  • At 157 pounds, top-ranked Ryan Deakin of Northwestern successfully defended his title to become a three-time champion with a 7-2 decision against Michigan’s Will Lewan.

  • Iowa’s Alex Marinelli successfully defended his championship at 165 pounds with a 2-1 decision against Cameron Amine of Michigan.

  • Penn State’s Carter Starocci took home the 174-pound championship with a 5-1 decision over Michigan’s Logan Massa.

  • At 184 pounds, the Wolverines’ Amine upset the two-time defending champion Aaron Brooks of Penn State with a 6-4 win in SV1.

  • Max Dean of Penn State captured the 197-pound title following a 4-2 victory against Eric Schultz of Nebraska.

  • Gable Steveson of Minnesota claimed his third 285-pound title with a medical forfeit by Iowa’s Tony Cassioppi.

How did others with New Jersey connections do?

  • Suriano's Michigan teammate Patrick Brucki, a transfer from Princeton, finished third from the 11 seed, using a second-period double leg to edge Iowa's Jacob Warner, 3-1, in his 197-pound medal match. Brucki also scored an upset in the quarterfinals with a 3-1 decision against Iowa's fourth-ranked Jacob Warner on a late first-period takedown. Brucki, who was fourth in the 2019 NCAAs, fell to Nebraska's third-ranked Eric Schultz, 3-2, in the semifinals. He was 4-1 in the tournament.

  • Maryland’s Kyle Cochran, who was a 2016 state champion for Paramus, had a first-round victory to punch his ticket to the NCAA Wrestling Championships. Cochran at 184 pounds lost to Penn State’s Aaron Brooks in the quarterfinals, then decisioned Rutgers’ Poznanski 4-0 in the Round 2 consolation. He went 2-3 and finished sixth.

  • Wisconsin’s Joe Zargo, who wrestled at Bergen Catholic, lost to Penn State’s Nick Lee via technical fall in the 141 quarterfinals.

  • Oceanport native Chris Cannon, wrestling for Northwestern, went 5-1 and finished fifth. He secured a spot in the NCAAs as part of winning his first match, then winning two consolation matches after a 7-3 loss to Austin DeSanto of Iowa in the 133 quarterfinals. Cannon took a 4-2 decision over Rutgers’ Olivieri in the Round 2 consolations.

Iowa's Michael Kemerer, left, wrestles Rutgers' Connor O'Neill at 174 pounds during the first session of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships, Saturday, March 5, 2022, at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Iowa's Michael Kemerer, left, wrestles Rutgers' Connor O'Neill at 174 pounds during the first session of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships, Saturday, March 5, 2022, at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska.

High school wrestling: Complete coverage of the state wrestling championships in Atlantic City

Tournament preview

It would appear to be all systems are go for the Rutgers University wrestling team as it gets ready to compete in the Big Ten Conference Tournament Saturday and Sunday in Lincoln, Nebraska, with 141-pounder Sebastian Rivera and 157-pounder Robert Kanniard cleared to compete in the tournament. Rivera, a three-time NCAA top six finisher and four-time All-American sustained a knee injury during the Scarlet Knights' next-to-last dual meet against Princeton on Feb. 18 and Kanniard had his nose broken in that same match. FULL STORY: Rutgers wrestling healthy and ready for the Big Ten Tournament

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers at Big Ten Wrestling Championships: Sebastian Rivera medically forfeits