Midlands Showdown: No. 16 Wrestling Sends Eight Warriors into Semifinals!

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. – No. 16 Rutgers wrestling saw eight competitors claim semifinal positions following the first day of competition at the 2024 Ken Kraft Midlands Championships on Sunday in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. No. 5 Yaraslau Slavikouski (HWT), No. 14 John Poznanski (197), No. 16 Dylan Shawver (133), No. 18 Dean Peterson (125), No. 20 Joseph Olivieri (141), No. 29 Shane Cartagena-Walsh (184), No. 33 Andrew Clark (149) and Brian Soldano (184) all triumphed in their quarterfinal matches at NOW Arena to remain competitive on the championship side of the bracket.
 
With these eight semifinalists, the Scarlet Knights currently hold the leading position with 87.5 points, surpassing Stanford (76.5) and Penn (71.5). The third session on Monday, which includes championship semifinals and wrestlebacks, is set to commence at 11:30 a.m. ET, with all matches available for streaming on Big Ten Plus.
 
Midlands Championships Agenda (All Times Eastern)
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)
 
Semifinal Matchups
125: No. 18 Dean Peterson vs. No. 25 Jacob Moran (Indiana)
133: No. 16 Dylan Shawver vs. Ben Davino (Ohio State)
141: No. 20 Joseph Olivieri vs. No. 18 Dylan Chappell (Bucknell)
149: No. 33 Andrew Clark vs. No. 19 Cross Wasilewski (Penn)
184: Brian Soldano vs. No. 19 Reece Heller (Pittsburgh)
184: No. 29 Shane Cartagena-Walsh vs. No. 33 Nathan Haas (California Baptist)
197: No. 14 John Poznanski vs. No. 26 Gabe Sollars (Indiana)
HWT: No. 5 Yaraslau Slavikouski vs. No. 23 Jacob Bullock (Indiana)
Intermat Rankings
 
Day 1 Outcomes
Dean Peterson (125)
Champ. Round 1 – Dean Peterson (Rutgers) secured a victory by tech fall over Anthony Ruzic (Illinois) (TF 18-1)
Champ. Round 2 – Dean Peterson (Rutgers) achieved a win by tech fall over Luqman Masud (Missouri) (TF 17-2)
Champ. Round 3 – Dean Peterson (Rutgers) claimed victory by decision over Marc-Anthony McGowan (Princeton) (Dec 7-1)
Quarterfinal – Dean Peterson (Rutgers) triumphed by tech fall over Dedrick Navarro (Northwestern) (TF 19-4)
 
Ayden Smith (125)
Champ. Round 1 – Ayden Smith (Rutgers) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Ayden Smith (Rutgers) achieved a decision victory over Colyn Limbert (Pittsburgh) (Dec 4-2)
Champ. Round 3 – Ethan Rivera (Princeton) won by decision over Ayden Smith (Rutgers) (Dec 9-2)
Cons. Round 4 – Ayden Smith (Rutgers) secured a decision win over Jack Parker (Franklin & Marshall) (Dec 7-4)
Cons. Round 5 – Christopher Vargo (Edinboro) won by decision over Ayden Smith (Rutgers) (Dec 8-3)
 
Dylan Shawver (133)
 
Champ. Round 1 – Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) won by major decision against Andrew Hampton (Michigan State) (Maj 15-4)
Champ. Round 2 – Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) achieved a decision win over Vince Perez (Central Michigan) (Dec 4-3)
Quarterfinal – Dylan Shawver (Rutgers) won by decision against Kurt Phipps (Bucknell) (Dec 3-2)
 
Max Hermes (141)
Champ. Round 1 – Danny Martinez (SIU Edwardsville) won by major decision over Max Hermes (Rutgers) (Maj 9-0)
Cons. Round 1 – Max Hermes (Rutgers) won by medical forfeit against Evan Herriman (Michigan State) (MFF)
Cons. Round 2 – Nathan Jerore (Michigan) earned a decision win over Max Hermes (Rutgers) (Dec 4-2)
 
Joseph Olivieri (141)
Champ. Round 1 – Joseph Olivieri (Rutgers) achieved a tech fall victory over Jaden Crumpler (Michigan State) (TF 21-4)
Champ. Round 2 – Joseph Olivieri (Rutgers) won by tech fall against Jameson Garcia (Harvard) (TF 20-4)
Quarterfinal – Joseph Olivieri (Rutgers) secured a fall victory over Evan Mougalian (Penn) (Fall 0:41)
 
Joseph Fongaro (149)
Champ. Round 1 – Briar Priest (Pittsburgh) achieved a major decision victory over Joseph Fongaro (Rutgers) (Maj 8-0)

Cons. Round 1 – Bryce Kresho (Franklin & Marshall) earned a decision win over Joseph Fongaro (Rutgers) (Dec 9-5)
 
Andrew Clark (149)
Champ. Round 1 – Andrew Clark (Rutgers) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Andrew Clark (Rutgers) achieved a decision victory over Matt Hart (Indiana) (Dec 12-5)
Champ. Round 3 – Andrew Clark (Rutgers) won by decision over Hayden Whidden (SIU Edwardsville) (Dec 8-3)
Quarterfinal – Andrew Clark (Rutgers) claimed victory by decision over Finn Solomon (Pittsburgh) (Dec 5-3)
 
Alex Nini (149)
Champ. Round 1 – Alex Nini (Rutgers) won by fall against Donald Pigoni (Harvard) (Fall 3:34)
Champ. Round 2 – Malyke Hines (Lehigh) won by decision over Alex Nini (Rutgers) (Dec 4-2)
Cons. Round 2 – Alex Nini (Rutgers) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 – Alex Nini (Rutgers) achieved a decision win against Anthony Bahl (Indiana) (Dec 8-2)
Cons. Round 4 – Alex Nini (Rutgers) won by decision over Ej Parco (Stanford) (Dec 6-5)
Cons. Round 5 – Kelly Dunnigan (Penn) won by decision over Alex Nini (Rutgers) (Dec 9-3)
 
Conner Harer (157)
Champ. Round 1 – Jt Chance (George Mason) won by decision over Conner Harer (Rutgers) (Dec 6-5)
Cons. Round 1 – Conner Harer (Rutgers) won by decision over Antonio Alvarado (Illinois) (Dec 7-0)
Cons. Round 2 – Conner Harer (Rutgers) reached victory by medical forfeit against Ryan Michaels (Edinboro) (MFF)
Cons. Round 3 – Conner Harer (Rutgers) achieved a win by decision over Griffin Gonzalez (Lehigh) (Dec 6-0)
 
Michael Cetta (157)
Champ. Round 1 – Logan Rozynski (Lehigh) won by decision over Michael Cetta (Rutgers) (Dec 13-7)
Cons. Round 1 – Michael Cetta (Rutgers) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 – Michael Cetta (Rutgers) won by decision against Abe Hinrichsen (Cal Poly) (Dec 13-11)
Cons. Round 3 – Cade Wirnsberger (Bucknell) won by decision over Michael Cetta (Rutgers) (Dec 5-1)
 
Andrew Barbosa (165)
Champ. Round 1 – Andrew Barbosa (Rutgers) achieved a tech fall victory over Cael Berg (Harvard) (TF 21-6)
Champ. Round 2 – Andrew Barbosa (Rutgers) won by decision against Bradley Gillum (SIU Edwardsville) (Dec 8-3)
Quarterfinal – Hunter Garvin (Stanford) won by decision over Andrew Barbosa (Rutgers) (Dec 6-3)
 
Anthony White (165)
Champ. Round 1 – Anthony White (Rutgers) triumphed by decision over Jared Keslar (Pittsburgh) (Dec 4-2)
Champ. Round 2 – Anthony White (Rutgers) triumphed by decision over Gunnar Myers (Northwestern) (Dec 6-5)
Quarterfinal – Tyler Lillard (Indiana) secured victory in sudden death – 1 against Anthony White (Rutgers) (SV-1 2-1)
 
Ryan Ford (165)
Champ. Round 1 – Ryan Ford (Rutgers) emerged victorious by decision over E`Than Birden (Ohio State) (Dec 4-2)
Champ. Round 2 – Evan Maag (George Mason) prevailed by decision over Ryan Ford (Rutgers) (Dec 10-7)
Cons. Round 2 – Jared Keslar (Pittsburgh) bested Ryan Ford (Rutgers) by decision (Dec 7-1)
 
Jackson Turley (174)
Champ. Round 1 – Jackson Turley (Rutgers) secured a win by decision over Aiden Vandenbush (Northwestern) (Dec 5-3)
Champ. Round 2 – Jackson Turley (Rutgers) clinched victory by decision over Haden Bottigleiri (Harvard) (Dec 14-7)
Quarterfinal – Luca Augustine (Pittsburgh) achieved victory in sudden death – 1 over Jackson Turley (Rutgers) (SV-1 8-5)
 
Brian Soldano (184)
Champ. Round 1 – Brian Soldano (Rutgers) obtained a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Brian Soldano (Rutgers) prevailed by decision over Logan Deacetis (Bucknell) (Dec 6-1)
Champ. Round 3 – Brian Soldano (Rutgers) won by fall against Cody Brenner (Central Michigan) (Fall 2:03)
Quarterfinal – Brian Soldano (Rutgers) secured victory by major decision over Michael Squires (Princeton) (Maj 8-0)
 
Shane Cartagena-Walsh (184)
Champ. Round 1 – Shane Cartagena-Walsh (Rutgers) obtained a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Shane Cartagena-Walsh (Rutgers) achieved a win by tech fall against Cory Thomas (Michigan State) (TF 18-3)
Champ. Round 3 – Shane Cartagena-Walsh (Rutgers) triumphed by decision over Anthony Moscatello (Princeton) (Dec 8-2)
Quarterfinal – Shane Cartagena-Walsh (Rutgers) won by decision against Abraham Wojcikiewicz (Stanford) (Dec 7-3)
 
John Poznanski (197)
Champ. Round 1 – John Poznanski (Rutgers) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – John Poznanski (Rutgers) achieved a tech fall victory over Cameron Wood (Central Michigan) (TF 22-6)
Quarterfinal – John Poznanski (Rutgers) clinched victory by decision over Rune Lawrence (West Virginia) (Dec 10-9)
 
PJ Casale (197)
Champ. Round 1 – Pj Casale (Rutgers) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Mac Stout (Pittsburgh) won by major decision over Pj Casale (Rutgers) (Maj 14-6)
Cons. Round 2 – Pj Casale (Rutgers) emerged victorious by tech fall against Mason Pellegri (Harvard) (TF 15-0)
Cons. Round 3 – Pj Casale (Rutgers) won by medical forfeit over Josh LaBarbera (Penn) (MFF)
 
Yaraslau Slavikouski (HWT)
Champ. Round 1 – Yaraslau Slavikouski (Rutgers) triumphed by decision over Nolan Springer (Bucknell) (Dec 11-4)
Champ. Round 2 – Yaraslau Slavikouski (Rutgers) won by disqualification against Josh Terrill (Michigan State) (DQ)
Quarterfinal – Yaraslau Slavikouski (Rutgers) clinched a tech fall victory over Nick Pavlechko (Indiana) (TF 15-0)
 
John O`Donnell (HWT)
Champ. Round 1 – Logan Shephard (Bucknell) achieved victory by fall against John O`Donnell (Rutgers) (Fall 3:19)
Cons. Round 1 – John O`Donnell (Rutgers) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 2 – John O`Donnell (Rutgers) emerged victorious by tech fall against Dirk Morley (Northwestern) (TF 15-0)
Cons. Round 3 – John O`Donnell (Rutgers) won by fall over John Pardo (Penn) (Fall 4:19)