Rutgers University Athletics

The Pagano File

• 2x NCAA qualifier (2017, 2020)
• 81 career victories (active leader)
• 2020 NCAA Championships Qualifier (197 Pounds)
• 2017 NCAA Championships Qualifier (174 Pounds)
• 2019 Navy Classic Champion (197 Pounds)
• 2017 "Shorty" Hitchcock Memorial Champion
• 2016 Midlands Championships Placewinner

2019-20 (Graduate Student)

• NCAA qualifier (at-large) who finished graduate season with a 22-9 record
• Earned No. 17 seed at nationals
• Finished season ranked 19/15/19 (Intermat/FloWrestling/Open Mat) with wins over six ranked foes (Intermat)
• Picked off No. 3 Patrick Brucki for highest ranked win of career (Feb. 23)
• Notched a last-second takedown in sudden victory to defeat No. 7 Ethan Laird in road dual win at Rider (Feb. 9)
• Recorded a 6-5 decision in dual against No. 25 Michigan at Madison Square Garden (Feb. 1)
• Produced a win over No. 7 Christian Brunner in home dual against No. 13 Purdue (Jan. 26)
• Collected a major decision over Jonathon Fagen in home dual against No. 19 Cornell (Jan. 17)
• Finished seventh at the 2020 Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tennessee (Jan. 1-2)
• 2019 Navy Classic champion (Nov. 23)
• Made return to the mat after an injury last season and went 2-0 with wins over opponents from Centenary and Pitt-Johnstown (Nov. 2)

2018-19 (As a redshirt senior): Missed majority of season due to injury and earned a sixth year of eligability for 2019-20 ... collected a 9-4 decision over Alan Clothier (Appalachian State) at the 2018 Journeymen Duals (Nov. 10) ... picked up dual wins against Centenary (TF) and Fresno State (Nov. 3).

2017-18 (As a redshirt junior): Missed majority of season due to injury ... finished third at the Shorty Hitchcock Classic (Jan. 13) ... picked up three wins at 55th Annual Midlands Championships (Dec. 29-30) ... wrestled up at 184 pounds and defeated Corey Hazel of Lock Haven (Dec. 1) ... secured the 174-pound title at the Mat-Town Open (Nov. 26) ... runner up at the Black Knight Invitational in West Point, N.Y. (Nov. 19) ... has appeared at 174 pounds in Rutgers first three duals ... preseason No. 14 at 174 pounds by FloWrestling.

2016-17 (As a redshirt sophomore): Finished 2017 NCAA Championships 1-2 (March 16-18) ... earned at-large selection for NCAA's ... scored the biggest win of his career by upsetting No. 4 Ryan Preisch, 10-4, on the road at Lehigh (Feb. 17) … the win vaulted Pagano to No. 15 in the following Intermat rankings … earned the first Intermat ranking of his career a week prior, coming in at No. 19 (Feb. 7) … hung on to defeat No. 17 (FloWrestling) Devin Skatzka of Indiana, 2-0 (Feb. 5) … won the “Shorty” Hitchcock Memorial Classic (Jan. 14) … posted a 5-2 record to take seventh place at the 54^th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships (Dec. 29-30) … earned a 5-2 decision against No. 18-ranked David Kocer (South Dakota State) in the tournament … went 4-1 with three falls and a major decision to finish as runner-up at the Cleveland State Open (Dec. 17) … picked up a decision win at the Journeymen Tussle (Dec. 4) … won by fall in dual action against Mitchell Owens (San Francisco State) in a 45-0 RU win (Nov. 11) … went 4-1 at the East Stroudsburg University for a runner-up finish (Nov. 6).

2015-16 (As a redshirt freshman): Compiled a 16-11 overall record competing unattached … competed at the 53^rd Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships, going 2-2 (Dec. 29-30) … went 4-3 to finish sixth at the Nittany Lion Open (Dec. 6) … posted a strong 4-2 performance at the Mat Town Open, finishing fourth (Nov. 22) … went 2-2 at the Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open … made his Rutgers debut with a fall over Centenary’s Anthony Kubish in 3:49 at the Rutgers Duals (Nov. 1).

Prior to Rutgers: Spent one season at Penn State, posting an 8-8 record wrestling unattached … wrestled for four seasons at Bergen Catholic, going 128-29 with a fourth-place NJSIAA State Championships finish at 160 pounds in 2014 … a two-time district, region, and county champ … placed seventh at the Beast of the East.

Personal: Son of James and Brigitte … has two siblings, James and Jianna.