PISCATAWAY, N.J. – No. 15 Rutgers wrestling opens its 2024-25 dual season at Journeymen's WrangleMania on Saturday in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The Scarlet Knights face Duke (2 p.m.) and Franklin & Marshall (4 p.m.) during the showcase at Liberty High School.
 
Tickets for event, which also features Arizona State, Bloomsburg, Buffalo, Cal Baptist, Campbell, Illinois, LIU, NC State Sacred Heart and VMI, can be purchased here. Live results and streaming will be provided by FloWrestling.
 
Six wrestlers also compete attached at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic on Sunday at Freedom High School in Bethlehem. Wrestling begins at 9 a.m. with results provide by Flo Arena.
 

From the Wrestling Room

Back to the Valley
By Bradly Derechailo

Assistant coach Steve Mytych can't put a number on how many times he's stepped foot inside Bethlehem's Liberty High School – where Rutgers opens its season on Saturday with Duke and Franklin & Marshall. The Northampton, Pennsylvania native said the first time he entered the famous gym was when he was 10 years old.
 
But Mytych, who enjoyed a standout scholastic career at Northampton High School, is quick to recount the memories of competing in one of Lehigh Valley's most iconic wrestling venues. The gym plays host to the state's District 11 championships, among other events.
 
"When we would have dual meets against Easton, neither of our gyms could hold the crowds, so we would have to have those matches at Liberty," Mytych said. "Those environments were unforgettable to me. The whole area has such a rich tradition and has some of the best wrestling in the country. The support of the sport there rivals anywhere."
 
Mytych churned out a memorable scholastic career at Northampton, where he competed for the top ranked public high school in the country in 2004. Mytych was a four-time PIAA state qualifier from 2002-2005, placing eighth in 2003 and 4th in 2004, and was also a three-time Liberty Classic State Champion and a 2005 District II Most Outstanding Wrestler.
 
Mytych credits those experiences for the success he had at the collegiate level. A four-time NCAA qualifier at Drexel, Mytych left as the Dragons' all-time wins leader with 137 career victories.
 
"I felt like wrestling in the Lehigh Valley prepared me to be able to wrestle as a true freshman," Mytych said. "I was able to wrestle right away and become a national qualifier my first season. I think those experiences I had in the Lehigh Valley allowed me to be ready to go at the Division I level."
 
Mytych is not the only member of the staff with ties to the region, as assistant coach Mikey Labriola knows plenty about Bethlehem. An Easton native, Labriola enjoyed a standout scholastic career at Bethlehem Catholic, where he racked up 166 career victories and earned back-to-back PIAA State titles in 2016 and 2017. As a senior in 2017, Labriola finished 44-0 en route to the 2017 Pennsylvania state title at 170 pounds.
 
Labriola moved on to Nebraska, where he was a five-time All-American and 2023 national runner up at 174 pounds. Labriola was most recently a member of the Lehigh Valley Wrestling Club before head coach Scott Goodale added him to this year's staff.
 
"The Valley is where some of the top dogs are," Labriola said. "From Darian Cruz to Jordan Oliver to even myself, the list is really long. It's a tough area for wrestling and we all have just built each other up over the years."
 
The Lehigh Valley – and Pennsylvania in general – is a point of emphasis for the staff as it continues to add talent to its loaded room. Six Scarlet Knights hail from the Keystone State – Brandan Chletsos (Easton), Dagen Condomitti (Northampton), Mason Gibson (Johnstown), Conner Harer (Montgomery), Hadyn Packer (Jersey Shore) and Ayden Smith (Allentown).
 
True freshmen Gibson, Harer and Smith are members of the nation's No. 4 overall signing class, according to Intermat. The 11-wrestler group is the highest-rated rookie class under Goodale since 2007.
 
Harer and Smith are listed in RU's projected lineup for this weekend. Harer was a three-time PIAA state champion at Montgomery, while Smith secured two PIAA state titles at Notre Dame-Green Pond.
 
One of three wrestlers on the roster from the Lehigh Valley, Smith represents the type of talent Mytych and Labriola would like to continue to bring over state lines to Piscataway. The Allentown, Pennsylvania, native was the No. 2 125-pound signee in the country and No. 34 overall prospect nationally by MatScouts, representing Pennsylvania at the prestigious Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic along with Harer.
 
"[The Lehigh Valley] is one of the best wrestling areas in the country," Mytych said. "We're slowly starting to get recruits from that area, and there will definitely be more to come. Those guys are prepared for the next level, and the competition is top notch. It's important for us."
 
Rutgers gets a chance to make their own memories in the Valley, as the Scarlet Knights bring their top 15 ranking and eight ranked individuals to Liberty High School to begin their season.
 
"There's always a lot of energy in that gym," Labriola said. "It's an old, huge gym, so it will be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to getting back there this weekend."
 

Projected Lineups

No. 15 Rutgers (0-0)
125: 11/10 Dean Peterson (0-0) -OR- Ayden Smith (0-0) -OR- Kurt Wehner (0-0)
133: 6/6 Dylan Shawver (0-0)
141: 22/NR Joseph Olivieri (0-0)
149: 26/NR Michael Cetta (0-1) -OR- Andrew Clark (3-1) -OR- Alex Nini (0-0)
157: Conner Harer (0-0) -OR- Dylan Weaver (3-2)
165: Anthony White (2-1) -OR- Luke Gayer (3-2)
174: 13/15 Jackson Turley (0-0) -OR- Eric Freeman (3-2)
184: 21/21 Brian Soldano (0-0) -OR- Shane Cartagena-Walsh (3-1)
197: 12/15 John Poznanski (0-0) -OR- PJ Casale (2-2)
HWT: 5/5 Yaraslau Slavikouski (0-0) -OR- John O'Donnell (1-1)
Rankings Intermat/Flo
 
Duke (0-0)
125: Ethan Grimminger (0-0)
133: Raymond Adams (0-2)
141: Noah Kochman (0-0) -OR- Christian Colman (0-2)
149: SP O'Donnell (0-0) -OR- Peter Chacon (1-2)
157: Nick Tattini (1-2)
165: Aidan Wallace (2-3)
174: Gaetano Console (1-2)
184: Logan Richey (0-0)
197: Vincent Lee (4-2)
HWT: Connor Barket (3-1)
 
Franklin & Marshall (0-0)
125: Jimmy Garcia (3-1) -OR- Jack Parker (4-2)
133: Mason Leiphart (2-2)
141: Bryce Kresho (4-1) -OR- Aidan O'Shea (0-2)
149: Josh Hillard (0-0)
157: Luke Bender (2-2) -OR- Jake Neill (0-2)
165: Josh Palmucci (1-2)
174: Dom Wheatley (0-1) -OR- Noah Bash (0-2) -OR- Nick Alvarez (0-2)
184: Jake Allred (0-2) -OR- Leo Varga (0-2)
197: RJ Moore (2-2)
HWT: Brody Kline (1-2)
 
Journeymen Classic Entries (All Attached)
125: Ayden Smith
141: Max Hermes
149: Alex Nini
149: Nick Villani
165: Ryan Ford
184: Brian Soldano
 

Quote of the Week

"Our coaches did a great job recruiting. We're all really close. We have the same goals. This year is going to be a great year, and each year, we're going to keep getting better and better." – Conner Harer, 157 pounds.
 

In the Rankings

Rutgers remained No. 15 in this week's NWCA Coaches poll, joining fellow Big Ten programs No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Iowa, No. 4 Nebraska, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 10 Michigan, No. 13 Minnesota and No. 17 Illinois in the rankings. The Scarlet Knights face four top 10 programs this season, including back-to-back out-of-conference matchups with No. 7 NC State and No. 8 Virginia Tech later this month.
 
There was little movement in the individual rankings, with No. 5 Yaraslau Slavikouski (HWT) and No. 6 Dylan Shawver (133) hold top 10 rankings in their individual weight classes by Intermat. Dean Peterson (125) checks in as high as No. 9 in the country, according to FloWrestling, while Jackson Turley (174) and John Poznanski (197) are both No. 12 at their respective weights by Intermat.
 

Wrestler	Intermat	FloWrestling	The Open Mat	AWN
Dean Peterson (125)	10	9	12	11
Dylan Shawver (133)	6	6	6	6
Joseph Olivieri (141)	22	NR	NR	20
Michael Cetta (149)	33	NR	NR	NR
Jackson Turley (174)	12	14	12	12
Brian Soldano (184)	20	20	17	19
John Poznanski (197)	12	15	13	13
Yaraslau Slavikouski (HWT)	5	5	5	5

 

Against Duke & Franklin & Marshall

• Saturday will be the third all-time meeting against Duke and second in as many seasons. Rutgers won the previous two matchups, including a 47-0 sweep in last year's season opener out in California. The Blue Devils will be the first of three ACC programs the Scarlet Knights compete against this month, joining NC State and Virginia Tech.
• RU has faced Franklin & Marshall 43 times since the first meeting in 1961, leading the all-time series, 31-12. The schools last wrestled on November 1, 2015 – also a 47-0 shutout. The Scarlet Knights have won the last 19 meetings dating back to 1987.

Up Next

Rutgers returns to New Jersey to compete in the Journeymen Jersey Jostle on Sunday, November 17 at RWJBarnabas Health Arena in Toms Rivers. The Scarlet Knights wrestle LIU at 2 p.m., followed by NC State at 4 p.m. Tickets for the showcases begin at $25 and can be purchased here.