Photo by: (Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics)
2018-19 Wrestling Season Preview: 125 & 133 Pounds
Oct 12 | Wrestling
Suriano looks to build off of historic 2018 season
Editor's Note: This is the first of five previews of the 2018-19 Rutgers wrestling season
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Last season, 125 and 133 pounds were the two most consistent and productive weight classes for the Rutgers wrestling program. Nick Suriano (125) and Scott DelVecchio (133) combined for 23 dual wins and 51 victories overall at those spots in the lineup, as both secured All-America accolades for the first time in their careers.
DelVecchio and his 89 career victories – good for 23rd all-time in program history – are gone. But fortunately for the Scarlet Knights, 125 and 133 continue to be two of the deeper spots in the lineup heading into the 2018-19 season.
It helps that this talented group features a 2018 national finalist.
Suriano returns after he produced one of the most historic seasons in program history. The 2018 All-American finished his first year as a Scarlet Knight with a 25-1 record, which included 17 wins by bonus points, an 11-0 mark in dual action and an undefeated regular season. At the 2018 NCAA Championships, Suriano collected wins over the No. 1, 12 and 13 seeds en route to a runner-up result at the national tournament.
Suriano's performance on the sport's biggest stage helped the team secure its best finish at NCAA's in program history, as RU finished 11th with 42.5 team points. For head coach Scott Goodale, Suriano's run to the national final had implications beyond the final impressive team result.
"Having him in the final was important because when you are recruiting, you talk to recruits about winning national titles, making the finals and becoming All-Americans," Goodale said. "Suriano has shown that it can be done right here at Rutgers. We have one step left – we need to have an individual champion – but the fact that he can do it shows we have all the resources here to allow guys to accomplish their goals"
While there is no question on Suriano's importance to Rutgers' team aspirations, there is a question on whether he will wrestle at 125 pounds or move up to 133 pounds. No matter what position, Goodale said it is Suriano's decision.
"He is really good and trains really hard," Goodale said. "He is everything you want. He's very low maintenance when it comes to training and he has an idea of what he wants to do every single day. He knows where he wants to be, knows what he wants to do and we let him roll with it."
If Suriano moves up to 133 pounds, there is plenty of talent waiting in the wings.
When Suriano was sidelined for a month due to injury last winter, Goodale pulled the redshirt off of Shane Metzler to have him available for Rutgers' final two duals of the season. The then-rookie responded in dominate fashion.
In his dual debut on Feb. 16 at No. 18 Wisconsin, Metzler pinned two-time NCAA qualifier Johnny Jimenez in the third period, helping the team secure a 24-12 win over the Badgers in Madison. Metzler followed with a win in sudden victory over Princeton's Matteo DeVincenzo on Feb. 18, showcasing what he is capable of bringing to the RU lineup.
The weight also features talented rookie Nicolas Aguilar, a three-time NHSCA Junior national champion, two-time Fargo Cadet national champion and a 2018 California individual state title winner. Sophomore Luke Ecklof – who saw time in the varsity lineup last season – and redshirt freshman Nick Denora add to the depth in the weight class.
"Metzler has had a really good preseason and Nick Aguilar is a really good freshman, so those two depending on what happens with Suriano, will battle," Goodale said. "Even Nick Denora and Luke Ecklof are better, so that is certainly one weight we feel really confident about."
There is also a mix of experience and young talent at 133 pounds. Redshirt sophomore Zach Firestone is out for the year due to injury, but redshirt junior Peter Lipari and redshirt sophomore Kyle DiNapoli return for the Scarlet Knights. Lipari – who can be plugged in at 133 and 141 pounds this season – finished the season with 10 wins, with two at the Midlands Championships last December. As a redshirt last season, DiNapoli picked up 14 wins, including five major decisions and two pins.
Another true freshman Goodale is excited about at 133 pounds is Malcolm Robinson. The former prep standout helped Blair Academy secure back-to-back USA Today/NHSCA national titles and a 2018 National Prep championship, appearing as high as the No. 3 recruit nationally at 138 pounds by FloWrestling.
"DiNapoli is much improved from last season," Goodale said. "Lipari will push guys at both 133 and 141 pounds. We're extremely excited about what Robinson can do for us this year, but we're still up in the air on whether to wrestle him this season or have him redshirt. 133 is another weight that features a lot of talent."
With the amount of talent available for Goodale at the front-end of his lineup, fans have reason to be excited about those weights with the season fast approaching.
Rutgers returns six wrestlers with NCAA Championships' experience in 2018-19, including Suriano and three-time All-American Anthony Ashnault. NCAA qualifiers Nicholas Gravina (3x), John Van Brill (2x), Jordan Pagano (1x) and Matthew Correnti (1x) will also be available for the Scarlet Knights, who open their season on Nov. 3 against Fresno State, Centenary and Johnson & Wales at the RAC. Suriano (No. 2 at 125 pounds), Ashnault (No. 3 at 149 pounds), Van Brill (No. 9 at 157 pounds) and Gravina (No. 12 at 184 pounds) all appear in preseason rankings by FloWrestling.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (/RutgersAthletics) and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding Rutgers wrestling, follow the program on Twitter (@RUWrestling) and Instagram (@RUWrestling). Fans can receive timely information, including special offers and giveaways throughout the year on our social media outlets along with www.ScarletKnights.com. For additional updates, please download the Gameday App.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Last season, 125 and 133 pounds were the two most consistent and productive weight classes for the Rutgers wrestling program. Nick Suriano (125) and Scott DelVecchio (133) combined for 23 dual wins and 51 victories overall at those spots in the lineup, as both secured All-America accolades for the first time in their careers.
DelVecchio and his 89 career victories – good for 23rd all-time in program history – are gone. But fortunately for the Scarlet Knights, 125 and 133 continue to be two of the deeper spots in the lineup heading into the 2018-19 season.
It helps that this talented group features a 2018 national finalist.
Suriano returns after he produced one of the most historic seasons in program history. The 2018 All-American finished his first year as a Scarlet Knight with a 25-1 record, which included 17 wins by bonus points, an 11-0 mark in dual action and an undefeated regular season. At the 2018 NCAA Championships, Suriano collected wins over the No. 1, 12 and 13 seeds en route to a runner-up result at the national tournament.
Suriano's performance on the sport's biggest stage helped the team secure its best finish at NCAA's in program history, as RU finished 11th with 42.5 team points. For head coach Scott Goodale, Suriano's run to the national final had implications beyond the final impressive team result.
"Having him in the final was important because when you are recruiting, you talk to recruits about winning national titles, making the finals and becoming All-Americans," Goodale said. "Suriano has shown that it can be done right here at Rutgers. We have one step left – we need to have an individual champion – but the fact that he can do it shows we have all the resources here to allow guys to accomplish their goals"
While there is no question on Suriano's importance to Rutgers' team aspirations, there is a question on whether he will wrestle at 125 pounds or move up to 133 pounds. No matter what position, Goodale said it is Suriano's decision.
"He is really good and trains really hard," Goodale said. "He is everything you want. He's very low maintenance when it comes to training and he has an idea of what he wants to do every single day. He knows where he wants to be, knows what he wants to do and we let him roll with it."
If Suriano moves up to 133 pounds, there is plenty of talent waiting in the wings.
When Suriano was sidelined for a month due to injury last winter, Goodale pulled the redshirt off of Shane Metzler to have him available for Rutgers' final two duals of the season. The then-rookie responded in dominate fashion.
In his dual debut on Feb. 16 at No. 18 Wisconsin, Metzler pinned two-time NCAA qualifier Johnny Jimenez in the third period, helping the team secure a 24-12 win over the Badgers in Madison. Metzler followed with a win in sudden victory over Princeton's Matteo DeVincenzo on Feb. 18, showcasing what he is capable of bringing to the RU lineup.
The weight also features talented rookie Nicolas Aguilar, a three-time NHSCA Junior national champion, two-time Fargo Cadet national champion and a 2018 California individual state title winner. Sophomore Luke Ecklof – who saw time in the varsity lineup last season – and redshirt freshman Nick Denora add to the depth in the weight class.
"Metzler has had a really good preseason and Nick Aguilar is a really good freshman, so those two depending on what happens with Suriano, will battle," Goodale said. "Even Nick Denora and Luke Ecklof are better, so that is certainly one weight we feel really confident about."
There is also a mix of experience and young talent at 133 pounds. Redshirt sophomore Zach Firestone is out for the year due to injury, but redshirt junior Peter Lipari and redshirt sophomore Kyle DiNapoli return for the Scarlet Knights. Lipari – who can be plugged in at 133 and 141 pounds this season – finished the season with 10 wins, with two at the Midlands Championships last December. As a redshirt last season, DiNapoli picked up 14 wins, including five major decisions and two pins.
Another true freshman Goodale is excited about at 133 pounds is Malcolm Robinson. The former prep standout helped Blair Academy secure back-to-back USA Today/NHSCA national titles and a 2018 National Prep championship, appearing as high as the No. 3 recruit nationally at 138 pounds by FloWrestling.
"DiNapoli is much improved from last season," Goodale said. "Lipari will push guys at both 133 and 141 pounds. We're extremely excited about what Robinson can do for us this year, but we're still up in the air on whether to wrestle him this season or have him redshirt. 133 is another weight that features a lot of talent."
With the amount of talent available for Goodale at the front-end of his lineup, fans have reason to be excited about those weights with the season fast approaching.
Rutgers returns six wrestlers with NCAA Championships' experience in 2018-19, including Suriano and three-time All-American Anthony Ashnault. NCAA qualifiers Nicholas Gravina (3x), John Van Brill (2x), Jordan Pagano (1x) and Matthew Correnti (1x) will also be available for the Scarlet Knights, who open their season on Nov. 3 against Fresno State, Centenary and Johnson & Wales at the RAC. Suriano (No. 2 at 125 pounds), Ashnault (No. 3 at 149 pounds), Van Brill (No. 9 at 157 pounds) and Gravina (No. 12 at 184 pounds) all appear in preseason rankings by FloWrestling.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (/RutgersAthletics) and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding Rutgers wrestling, follow the program on Twitter (@RUWrestling) and Instagram (@RUWrestling). Fans can receive timely information, including special offers and giveaways throughout the year on our social media outlets along with www.ScarletKnights.com. For additional updates, please download the Gameday App.
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