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2019-20 Recap: Wrestling’s Young Core Shines during Impressive Season

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – After losing five of its six NCAA qualifiers from a year ago, including 2019 individual national champions Nick Suriano (Olympic Redshirt) and Anthony Ashnault (graduation), the 2019-20 campaign was supposed to be a period of transition for Rutgers wrestling.

Eight true or redshirt freshmen appeared in this year’s varsity lineup, including three rookies who were in high school just months prior. While the Scarlet Knights experienced their fair share of growing pains, the program continued to impress under reigning NCAA Tournament Coach of the Year Scott Goodale. This included;

  • A winning dual record for the 14th consecutive season and 13th since Goodale took over in 2007.
  • A top-25 ranking in the final NWCA Coaches Poll for the ninth time during Goodale’s tenure.
  • Producing five or more national qualifiers for the sixth consecutive season.
  • Hosting the Big Ten Championships at the RAC, arguably the most prestigious conference tournament in the country.
  • Finishing top-5 in national attendance (4,492 per home dual) for the fifth consecutive season.

True freshman Sammy Alvarez (133) and redshirt freshman Billy Janzer (184) both locked up automatic bids to nationals after their performances at Big Tens, while redshirt freshman Nicolas Aguilar (125), Michael VanBrill (157) and Jordan Pagano (197) all earned at-large selection the NCAA Championships, which were to be held from March 19-21 in Minneapolis.

However, those plans were put on hold after the Big Ten Conference announced the cancellation of athletic competition for the remainder of this academic year.

“I hurt for the athletes," Goodale said. “This is our end year — the culmination of everything they’ve worked for. I understand why (the tournament is not being held), but I have so many different emotions for so many different guys."

Despite an abrupt and disappointing conclusion to the season, there was plenty to build off of heading into 2020-21. Those moments are found below.

Rutgers Wrestling is presented by Eat Clean Bro, an Official Partner of Rutgers Athletics.

Aug. 27, 2019: Wrestling moved into its new home at the RWJBarnabas Health Athletic Performance Center. The top-of-the-line facility features a three-mat practice area, a locker room with lounge, and coaching and administrative offices.
JoJo Aragona
Nov. 2, 2019: Rutgers held its annual quad meet to open the season, as it swept LIU (43-3), Centenary (38-6) and Pitt-Johnstown (22-9) at the RAC. The Scarlet Knights won 25 out of 30 individuals bouts during their three dual matches, as JoJo Aragona went 3-0 in his highly-anticipated RAC debut
Gerard Angelo
Dec. 7, 2019: Dawning exclusive camouflage singlets, Rutgers moved to 6-0 in duals with its 28-11 victory over Big Ten foe Maryland at the RAC. No. 12 Nicolas Aguilar (125) and No. 24 Gerard Angelo (149) picked up pins, while Joseph Grello (174) worked a win over a ranked foe to highlight action for the Scarlet Knights, who wrestled in front of a season-high 5,405 fans.
Sammy Alvarez
Jan. 1-2, 2020: Rookie Sammy Alvarez cemented himself as not just one of the top freshman in the country, but one of the best 133-pounders in the nation after he claimed an individual title at the 2020 Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Alvarez picked off two top-10 opponents during the tournament and used a takedown in the final 20 seconds against No. 2-seed Cam Sykora (NDSU) to earn a 5-4 decision in his championship bout. Alvarez defeated then-No. 9 Sykora and then-No. 4 Micky Phillippi (Pitt) during his title run.
Billy Janzer
Jan. 12, 2020: Rutgers picked up its first road Big Ten dual win of the season with its 25-12 victory over Michigan State in East Lansing. The team result was highlighted by Billy Janzer's 6-4 decision over No. 18 Cameron Caffey, who finished as the Big Ten runner up in his weight class later in the season.
Anthony Ashnault
Jan. 19, 2020: Prior to its match against No. 19 Cornell, Rutgers unveiled 2019 NCAA Championship banners for Anthony Ashnault and Nick Suriano, who helped the Scarlet Knights make history last March in Pittsburgh by claiming the program's first individual national titles.
Matthew Correnti
Jan. 24, 2020: Gerard Angelo (149) picked off No. 16 Graham Rooks, No. 9 Sammy Alvarez (133) and Brett Donner (165) muscled major decisions and Matthew Correnti (HWT) bumped up a weight class to close out the dual with a first-period fall to highlight action for No. 22 Rutgers in its 29-7 win over Indiana at the RAC.
Jackson Turley
Jan. 26, 2020: In a back-and-forth matchup that came down to the last bout of the afternoon, Rutgers dropped a 20-18 Big Ten Conference dual to No. 13 Purdue in front of 4,240 fans at the RAC. The Scarlet Knights worked four wins over the Boilermakers – including a second-period fall from rookie Jackson Turley (165).
Billy Janzer
Feb. 1, 2020: Despite working a five-five match split, including a win from Billy Janzer (184) over a top-15 opponent, No. 23 Rutgers wrestling lost to No. 25 Michigan, 21-16, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Jordan Pagano
Feb. 9, 2020: Using eight individual victories – including a Top-10 win from No. 19 Jordan Pagano (197) and another ranked triumph from JoJo Aragona (141) – No. 25 Rutgers wrestling defeated Rider, 25-6, at Alumni Gym. The win secured the 14th consecutive winning dual season for the Scarlet Knights and 13th since head coach Scott Goodale took over the program in 2007.
Senior Day Wrestling
Feb. 14, 2020: Behind six individual victories, including a fall from Alex Esposito (HWT) and a Top-10 upset from No. 25 Nicolas Aguilar (125), Rutgers defeated No. 25 Northwestern, 25-13, in front of 3,497 fans at the RAC. Prior to the match, the Scarlet Knights honored its 2020 senior class – Willie Scott, Christian Colucci, Zach Firestone, Anthony Olivieri, and Jordan Pagano. Sam Cali, a member of the team who passed away after his redshirt freshman season in 2016, was also honored during the ceremony with his family in attendance.
Jordan Pagano
Feb. 23, 2020: No. 19 Jordan Pagano (197) picked off No. 3 Patrick Brucki for his biggest individual win of the season, but No. 25 Rutgers dropped an 18-15 dual to No. 14 Princeton at Jadwin Gymnasium.
Nicolas Aguilar
March 7-8, 2020: Sammy Alvarez (133) and Billy Janzer (184) both secured automatic bids to nationals as Rutgers wrestling wrapped up the 2020 Big Ten Wrestling Championships at the RAC. The two-day, four session tournament drew close to 20,000 fans to campus, as the Scarlet Knights hosted the prestigious conference event for the first time since it joined the Big Ten in 2014-15. Michael VanBrill (157) also clinched a spot on the podium, while VanBrill, Nicolas Aguilar (125) and Jordan Pagano (197) all collected at-large selections after the conference event.
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