“Scarlet Knights Gear Up: A Thrilling Wrestling Weekend Awaits at Midlands!”

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – No. 16 Rutgers wrestling aims to clinch a team championship at the 2024 Ken Kraft Midlands Championships, taking place Sunday and Monday in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Events at NOW Arena kick off on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ET, with all matches available for streaming on Big Ten Plus.
 
The tournament over two days features wrestlers from 37 teams, including athletes from 10 ranked teams and nine Big Ten Conference rivals – No. 5 Ohio State, No. 9 Michigan, No. 11 Illinois, No. 16 Rutgers, No. 25 Indiana, Northwestern, Michigan State, Purdue, and Wisconsin.
 

Sunday, December 29

10:30 a.m.: First Session (10 Mats) – (Championship Rounds 1 & 2, Wrestlebacks)
8 p.m.: Second Session (10 Mats) – (Quarterfinals, Wrestlebacks)
 
Monday, December 30
11:30 a.m.: Third Session (8 Mats) – (Semifinals)
4 p.m.: Fourth Session (4 Mats) – (Men’s 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th place matches)
 

No. 16 Rutgers (8-2)
125: 18/15 Dean Peterson (6-2)* | Ayden Smith (2-2)
133: 16/15 Dylan Shawver (7-2)*
141: 20/20 Joseph Olivieri (7-2)* | Joe Fongaro (2-2) | Max Hermes (4-4)
149: 33/30 Andrew Clark (11-4)* | Alex Nini (2-2)
157: 33/NR Conner Harer (7-2)*
165: Andrew Barbosa (2-1)* | 25/27 Anthony White (9-2) | Ryan Ford (2-2)
174: 22/22 Jackson Turley (6-2)*
184: NR/19 Brian Soldano (12-4)* | 29/NR Shane Cartagena-Walsh (10-4)
197: 14/18 John Poznanski (6-1)* | PJ Casale (5-6)
HWT: 5/6 Yaraslau Slavikouski (5-1)* | John O’Donnell (5-1)
Rankings Intermat/Flo
*Results count towards team scoring
 

• Brian Soldano (184) achieved three consecutive pins to claim an individual title at the 2024 Sheridan Tournament on December 20 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This marked Soldano’s eighth consecutive pin since November 24.
• In dual competitions, Rutgers secured three dual victories earlier this month, defeating Clarion (38-6), Gardner-Webb (32-6), and Kent State (42-3) on the road.
• The Scarlet Knights won 26 out of 30 matches across these three dual victories, recording five pins thanks to falls from Brian Soldano (184) (2), John O’Donnell (HWT), John Poznanski (197), and Jackson Turley (174).
• Joseph Olivieri (141) achieved a 4-0 decision against No. 25 Todd Carter (Gardner-Webb), adding a ranked victory to his record.

• Rutgers has attained eight victories during the initial two months of the season, the highest among teams ranked in the NWCA Coaches Poll. The Scarlet Knights’ sole losses this season have been against No. 6 NC State and No. 7 Virginia Tech.
• RU has already notched 37 pins this season, including a team-leading 11 from Soldano.
• All 10 weight classes are ranked in at least one poll as the new year approaches. Soldano and Shane Cartagena-Walsh are both positioned in the rankings at 184 pounds ahead of Midlands, with Cartagena-Walsh ranking as high as No. 16 according to Amateur Wrestling News.

• Rutgers moved up to No. 16 in this week’s NWCA Coaches poll, joining fellow Big Ten teams No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Iowa, No. 4 Nebraska, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 7 Minnesota, No. 9 Michigan, No. 11 Illinois, and No. 25 Indiana. The Scarlet Knights are set to compete against five of these teams during the Big Ten dual season – Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio State, and Penn State.
• Eleven Scarlet Knights are represented in at least one poll in the third week of the regular season. Yaraslau Slavikouski (HWT) is ranked as high as No. 5 nationally (Intermat), while Dean Peterson (125), Dylan Shawver (133), and John Poznanski (197) each possess at least one top 12 ranking.

• Last year, Rutgers sent six participants to the Midlands Championships. Shawver achieved a runner-up finish at 133 pounds, utilizing consecutive ranked victories to reach the title bout against Dylan Ragusin (Michigan). Competing unattached, Luke Gayer also secured a top spot with a seventh-place finish at 165 pounds.
• In the 2022 iteration of the championships, six Scarlet Knights placed, marking the last time the program sent a complete team to Midlands. Current athletes Andrew Clark, Dean Peterson, and Brian Soldano all placed.
• RU’s best team performance at the Midlands was during the 2017-18 season, when the Scarlet Knights finished in second place with 109.5 team points, including 16 bonus-point victories, five top finishers, and a 125-pound individual title won by Nick Suriano.

• Rutgers will commence Big Ten Conference action with away duals against No. 25 Indiana (Friday, January 10) and No. 5 Ohio State (Sunday, January 12). The match against the Hoosiers is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. on Big Ten Plus, while Sunday’s dual with the Buckeyes will be broadcast nationally at 6 p.m. on BTN.