The Binghamton University wrestling team was quite busy over the winter recess. It competed in two tournaments at the end of December, before competing in six dual meets this month, compiling a 2-3-1 record in those matches.
Several Binghamton grapplers took part in the Wilkes Open on Dec. 28 at Wilkes University, finishing the tournament with three men placing. Senior 285-pound wrestler Corey Waite took second place, while redshirt freshman Garrett Morabito and redshirt junior Ryan McGarity each took third place, at 133 and 157 respectively.
The Bearcats also sent wrestlers to the 47th annual Midlands Championship, one of college wrestling’s most prestigious events. Senior All-American Josh Patterson and redshirt freshman Nate Schiedel competed at the 184-pound weight class. The 10th-seeded Patterson finished 1-2, while Schiedel went 0-2. Schiedel lost his first match to eventual champion John Dergo of the University of Illinois. Redshirt freshman Donnie Vinson competed at the 149-pound weight class, finishing 0-2, including an 8-1 loss to University of Wisconsin All-American Kyle Ruschell. Binghamton finished tied for 39th out of 54 in the team standings.
The team’s first event of the new year was a road dual meet against in-state rival University at Buffalo on Jan. 3. Each team won five matches, but the Bulls came out on top 19-16. The Bearcats were without Patterson for this match, as he nursed an injury. Schiedel (184), Waite (285), junior Anwar Goeres (141) and sophomores Justin Lister (165) and Matt Kaylor (174) won matches for the Bearcats. Lister and Kaylor each bumped up a weight class for this match.
Six days later, the Bearcats had another road match at the University of Pennsylvania. Patterson was unable to wrestle once again, as was Vinson. These two were missed as the Bearcats lost their second dual in a row, falling to the Quakers 24-13. Binghamton won three matches; Goeres won at 141 by decision, Schiedel won by fall at 184 and Waite won by major decision at 285. Lister and Kaylor were back at their normal weight classes for this match, but ran into nationally ranked wrestlers. Lister lost to then-16th-ranked Matt Dragon 13-8, while Kaylor fell to then-20th-ranked Gabriel Burak 12-2.
The following week the Bearcats rebounded with a good showing at the CAA duals at George Mason on the 16th. The team finished 2-1-1 in its four matches, aided by the returns of Patterson and Vinson.
Binghamton began the day with a 25-15 win over Drexel. Freshman James Inghram won by technical fall 15-0 at 125. Goeres (141) and Vinson (149) each won by decision. Kaylor (165) and Schiedel (197) each won by major decision, and Patterson recorded a fall at 1:06.
In the second round of matches, Rider University defeated Binghamton in the next dual 18-15. This match was tight in every weight class. The teams split the matches, each winning five. Each match was won by regular decision with the exception of one. At 174, Kaylor was pinned by freshman Jim Resnick, which made the difference in the dual. Inghram (125), Goeres (141), Lister (157), Schiedel (184) and Patterson (197) won for the Bearcats.
The team tied its next dual against 25th-ranked Old Dominion 17-17 during the third round of matches. The Monarchs were coming off dominant wins over Boston (35-7) and Drexel (32-10) in the first two rounds, before being held in check by the Bearcats. Each team was docked team points for misconduct warnings, but Old Dominion was docked two points while Binghamton was docked just one, which led to the tie. Each team won five matches. After going down 8-0, Goeres, Vinson and Lister gave the Bearcats three straight wins at 141, 149 and 157 respectively. The Monarchs stormed back with major decisions from seniors Chris Brown and Eric Decker at 165 and 174. Patterson then recorded a fall at 184 in just nine seconds, which is a school record. Schiedel then lost at 197. Down three team points, Waite won 7-3 in the final match to secure a tie for Binghamton.
The Bearcats enjoyed an easy win in the final round of matches, defeating Sacred Heart 35-7. They won eight out of 10 bouts. Goeres finished the day 4-0 and moves to 24-5 on the season, leading the team in winning percentage. He and Schiedel lead the team in dual wins this year; they are both 12-2. Patterson finished the day 3-0 and is a perfect 9-0 in duals.
The Bearcats brought their record to 9-5-1 in dual meets this season. Their next dual is scheduled for Thursday against American University, the team’s first home match in over six weeks. The dual is set for a 7 p.m. start.