Friday, March 19
St. Louis, MO
Rutgers University
at
NCAA Championships
Wrestling Secures Three All-Americans after Day Two of NCAA Championships
Mar 19 | Wrestling
ST. LOUIS – For the first time in program history, Rutgers wrestling has three All-Americans at the same national tournament, as Sebastian Rivera (141), Jackson Turley (174) and John Poznanski (184) all locked up top-eight finishes after the second day of the NCAA Championships in St. Louis.
Rivera and Poznanski advanced to their respective championship semifinal bouts on Friday night before each suffered hard-fought losses to move to the consolation side of the bracket. After he dropped his opening-round match on Thursday, Turley wrestled back with four consecutive wins over the past two days to earn the first All-America accolades of his career. Poznanski and Rivera can finish as high as third, while Turley will wrestle for seventh beginning Saturday morning at the Enterprise Center.
Under head coach Scott Goodale, Rutgers has now produced two-or-more All-Americans at the national tournament for the sixth consecutive season. Poznanski and Rivera's appearances in Friday night's semifinals also marked back-to-back NCAA Championships with multiple national semifinalists for the Scarlet Knights after Anthony Ashnault and Nick Suriano did so in 2019 en route to their NCAA individual titles. Including the NWCA All-America designations given last year due to the 2020 NCAA Championships being canceled due to COVID-19, 10 Scarlet Knights have combined for 15 All-America laurels under Goodale after the program produced just eight All-Americans prior to his arrival.
Poznanski became the first true freshman to All-America for Rutgers in program history and the first freshman eligibility wise to do so since Ashnault placed in 2015. Rivera secured All-America accolades for the fourth time in his career. Turley went 3-1 on Friday with a pin, a tech fall, 14 back points, six takedowns and three reversals during his streak to the podium.
With three wrestlers still alive for Saturday's medal round, Rutgers is 16th in the team race with 30.5 team points.
"To get three of our guys on the podium at this tournament is a huge accomplishment for this program," Goodale said. "All three of those guys wrestled hard today to become All-Americans, but we have more work to do tomorrow morning in our placement matches."
Rivera faced No. 2 seed Nick Lee (Penn State) in the 141-pound semifinal and landed a takedown for an early 2-0 lead on Lee after the first period. After Lee collected four points in the second period, Rivera chose bottom in the third and quickly escaped for a 4-3 deficit with 1:51 left in the third period. However, Lee muscled a takedown in the final 30 seconds and secured his bout with a two-point near fall.
Poznanski took on No. 2 seed Trent Hidlay (NC State) and wrestled to a 1-1 tie after regulation. With no scoring in the sudden victory period, Poznanski started tiebreaker one bottom and was unable to get out. The rookie then cut Hidlay to start tiebreaker two and nearly landed a takedown before Hidlay held on for the 2-1 final.
Turley had a back-and-forth matchup with No. 6 seed Andrew McNally (Kent State), as both landed reversals in the second period for a 4-3 lead in favor of Turley. Turley then added three points in the third period on two escapes and a penalty point to win his blood round match, 7-5. Turley would lose by injury default in the third period to No. 5 seed Logan Massa (Michigan) to drop to tomorrow's seventh-place match.
Session III
Poznanski wrestled a thriller against No. 3 seed Lou DePrez (Binghamton) to clinch All-America status. Down 2-1 and bottom in the second period, Poznanski worked a reversal and rode out DePrez for a 3-2 lead. DePrez landed another takedown, but Poznanski escaped to tie 4-4. DePrez then almost landed another two-pointer, but the ruling on the mat confirmed no takedown, as the score held 4-4 with 25 seconds to go. With a neutral start, Poznanski caught DePrez on his back for a takedown and two-point nearfall for an 8-4 decision.
Rivera also battled in his quarterfinal bout with No. 6 seed Allan Hart (Missouri), as Rivera countered Hart's first takedown with one of his own for a 3-2 lead after one. The Toms River, New Jersey, native then used another takedown in the second and rode out Hart in the third for his 7-3 decision, collecting four minutes of riding time in the process.
Turley faced No. 9 seed Donnell Washington (Indiana) and exploded hit three near falls en route to a 14-point first period. Turley then iced the tech fall with a reversal in the second period to advance in the consolation bracket. Turley followed against No. 17 seed Benjamin Pasiuk (Army) and pinned him in the first period to advance to the blood round.
141: (3) Sebastian Rivera (3-1)
149: (10) Michael VanBrill (0-2)
174: (26) Jackson Turley (4-2)
184: (6) John Poznanski (3-1)
197: (33) Billy Janzer (1-2)
Rivera and Poznanski advanced to their respective championship semifinal bouts on Friday night before each suffered hard-fought losses to move to the consolation side of the bracket. After he dropped his opening-round match on Thursday, Turley wrestled back with four consecutive wins over the past two days to earn the first All-America accolades of his career. Poznanski and Rivera can finish as high as third, while Turley will wrestle for seventh beginning Saturday morning at the Enterprise Center.
Under head coach Scott Goodale, Rutgers has now produced two-or-more All-Americans at the national tournament for the sixth consecutive season. Poznanski and Rivera's appearances in Friday night's semifinals also marked back-to-back NCAA Championships with multiple national semifinalists for the Scarlet Knights after Anthony Ashnault and Nick Suriano did so in 2019 en route to their NCAA individual titles. Including the NWCA All-America designations given last year due to the 2020 NCAA Championships being canceled due to COVID-19, 10 Scarlet Knights have combined for 15 All-America laurels under Goodale after the program produced just eight All-Americans prior to his arrival.
Poznanski became the first true freshman to All-America for Rutgers in program history and the first freshman eligibility wise to do so since Ashnault placed in 2015. Rivera secured All-America accolades for the fourth time in his career. Turley went 3-1 on Friday with a pin, a tech fall, 14 back points, six takedowns and three reversals during his streak to the podium.
With three wrestlers still alive for Saturday's medal round, Rutgers is 16th in the team race with 30.5 team points.
"To get three of our guys on the podium at this tournament is a huge accomplishment for this program," Goodale said. "All three of those guys wrestled hard today to become All-Americans, but we have more work to do tomorrow morning in our placement matches."
Rivera faced No. 2 seed Nick Lee (Penn State) in the 141-pound semifinal and landed a takedown for an early 2-0 lead on Lee after the first period. After Lee collected four points in the second period, Rivera chose bottom in the third and quickly escaped for a 4-3 deficit with 1:51 left in the third period. However, Lee muscled a takedown in the final 30 seconds and secured his bout with a two-point near fall.
Poznanski took on No. 2 seed Trent Hidlay (NC State) and wrestled to a 1-1 tie after regulation. With no scoring in the sudden victory period, Poznanski started tiebreaker one bottom and was unable to get out. The rookie then cut Hidlay to start tiebreaker two and nearly landed a takedown before Hidlay held on for the 2-1 final.
Turley had a back-and-forth matchup with No. 6 seed Andrew McNally (Kent State), as both landed reversals in the second period for a 4-3 lead in favor of Turley. Turley then added three points in the third period on two escapes and a penalty point to win his blood round match, 7-5. Turley would lose by injury default in the third period to No. 5 seed Logan Massa (Michigan) to drop to tomorrow's seventh-place match.
Session III
Poznanski wrestled a thriller against No. 3 seed Lou DePrez (Binghamton) to clinch All-America status. Down 2-1 and bottom in the second period, Poznanski worked a reversal and rode out DePrez for a 3-2 lead. DePrez landed another takedown, but Poznanski escaped to tie 4-4. DePrez then almost landed another two-pointer, but the ruling on the mat confirmed no takedown, as the score held 4-4 with 25 seconds to go. With a neutral start, Poznanski caught DePrez on his back for a takedown and two-point nearfall for an 8-4 decision.
Rivera also battled in his quarterfinal bout with No. 6 seed Allan Hart (Missouri), as Rivera countered Hart's first takedown with one of his own for a 3-2 lead after one. The Toms River, New Jersey, native then used another takedown in the second and rode out Hart in the third for his 7-3 decision, collecting four minutes of riding time in the process.
Turley faced No. 9 seed Donnell Washington (Indiana) and exploded hit three near falls en route to a 14-point first period. Turley then iced the tech fall with a reversal in the second period to advance in the consolation bracket. Turley followed against No. 17 seed Benjamin Pasiuk (Army) and pinned him in the first period to advance to the blood round.
141: (3) Sebastian Rivera (3-1)
| First Round | (30) Dylan D'Emilio (Ohio State) | W-D, 8-1 |
| Second Round | (14) Dylan Duncan (Illinois) | W-D, 10-4 |
| Quarterfinals | (6) Allan Hart (Missouri) | W-D, 7-3 |
| Semifinals | (2) Nick Lee (Penn State) | L-D, 9-3 |
| Cons. Semis | (14) Dylan Duncan (ILL) | Sat., 11 a.m. ET |
149: (10) Michael VanBrill (0-2)
| First Round | (23) Tristan Lara (Northern Iowa) | L-D, 12-7 |
| Cons. Rd. 1 | (26) Anthony Cheloni (Northern Illinois) | L-D, 8-4 |
174: (26) Jackson Turley (4-2)
| First Round | (7) Kaleb Romero (Ohio State) | L-D, 7-2 |
| Cons. Rd. 1 | (23) Anthony Mantanona (Oklahoma) | W-Fall (2:20) |
| Cons. Rd. 2 | (9) Donnell Washington (Indiana) | W-TF, 16-1 |
| Cons. Rd 3 | (17) Benjamin Pasiuk (Army) | W-Fall (2:10) |
| Cons. Rd 4 | (6) Andrew McNally (Kent State) | W-D, 7-5 |
| Cons. Quart | (5) Logan Massa (Michigan) | L-Inj. (5:31) |
| 7th Place | (8) Daniel Bullard (NC State) | Sat., 11 a.m. ET |
184: (6) John Poznanski (3-1)
| First Round | (27) Taylor Brown (Army) | W-MD, 14-2 |
| Second Round | (11) Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State) | W-D, 7-3 |
| Quarterfinals | (3) Lou Deprez (Binghamton) | W-D, 8-4 |
| Semifinals | (2) Trent Hidlay (NC State) | L-TB2, 2-1 |
| Cons. Semis | (11) Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State) | Sat., 11 a.m. ET |
197: (33) Billy Janzer (1-2)
| Pigtail | (32) Logan Andrews (Chattanooga) | W-D, 8-6 |
| First Round | (1) Myles Amine (Michigan) | L-MD ,8-0 |
| Cons. Rd. 1 | (17) JT Brown (Army) | L-D, 5-3 |
Players Mentioned
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