It had been 35 years since the Binghamton University wrestling team had won a dual meet against Hofstra University; that drought came to an end this past Saturday afternoon at the West Gym.

The Bearcats (13-6-1, 4-1-1 CAA) defeated the eight-time reigning CAA champion Pride 28-8. They won seven of the 10 bouts. The loss was just Hofstra’s third loss in conference in its last 71 conference dual meets. Head coach Pat Popolizio was proud that his team was finally able to get over the hump and beat the Pride.

“It was a very intense dual meet,” he said. “For the last several years, we’ve been dominated by Hofstra. To reverse the way things went, for us to dominate them, was extremely rewarding. It’s a reflection of all the hard work and dedication that the guys on this team and the people associated with this program have put into building [the program] back up.”

Bearcat freshman James Inghram won the first bout at the 125-pound weight class 3-1 over freshman Jamie Franco. After freshman Luke Vaith tied the dual by winning for the Pride at 133, Binghamton junior Anwar Goeres, who is top-ranked at 141 in the CAA, responded with a 5-2 victory over junior Jeff Rotella. Redshirt freshman Donnie Vinson recorded a technical fall at the 4:36 mark at the 149-pound weight class.

Sophomore Justin Lister had a tough task ahead of him at 157, taking on defending two-time CAA champion Jonny Bonilla-Bowman. Lister was ready for the challenge, and it showed on the mat. Bonilla-Bowman, ranked 16th in the nation, fell to Lister 10-8, bringing the Binghamton lead to 14-3 at a critical point in the dual meet. Popolizio praised Lister’s effort and talent.

“Justin Lister is a phenomenal wrestler,” he said. “He’s got every tool he needs to win a national title. A win over a guy like [Bonilla-Bowman] puts him up to where he needs to be this time of the year. He’s progressed a great deal since he’s been in this program. He needed that individual win to let him know where he stands.”

At 165, sophomore Matt Kaylor lost 6-4 to sophomore P.J. Gillespie, ranked 17th in the nation. Senior and reigning All-American Josh Patterson recorded a technical fall at 174. Redshirt freshman Nate Schiedel pinned Pride sophomore Ben Clymer, the CAA’s top-ranked 184-pounder, to put the dual out of reach for Hofstra. It was the first time Clymer had been pinned in his collegiate career. Senior Corey Waite won by decision at 285.

The Bearcats also faced Columbia University on Saturday, and defeated the Lions 30-14. After dropping the first bout at 125, Binghamton won the next seven bouts to secure the victory. Junior Tyler Malmberg (133) and Goeres (141) each recorded pins. Goeres now has a 30-7 record for the season. Vinson (149) and Kaylor (165) won by decision, while Lister (157), Patterson (174) and Schiedel (184) won by major decision. Popolizio was pleased to see his squad win in an overpowering fashion.

“It’s a good feeling,” he said. “In years past we haven’t been able to dominate teams. We had good individuals, but we had a lot of holes in our lineup in years past. [Now] we have 10 guys that can go out on the mat and compete with anyone in the country. It’s nice to know that the guys can focus on their individual matches instead of the team effort; if the individuals win it’s going to help the team, obviously, and it’s nice that these guys can just go out there and worry about themselves and get the wins.”

Binghamton ended their last two seasons with 13 wins in dual meets. This year they have reached 13 again, but have three duals left, giving them a great chance to set a new school record for Division I dual wins. Popolizio gives credit to his coaching staff for the strides the team has made.

“We have an extremely dedicated coaching staff,” he said. “[Assistant coach] Dennis Papadatos, he’s relentless with the work and time he puts in; it means the world to him. It means the world to [assistant coach] Scott Green. Anytime you have a coaching staff that cares as much as those guys do, it makes it easy to put the time and dedication in when it means a lot to the coaching staff. I think the [wrestlers] see the dedication that the coaching staff puts in, and it’s easy for them to work for us, when we’re working just as hard as they are.”

Binghamton’s next dual meet is scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. at East Stroudsburg University.