Bucknell Wrestling Goes 2-1 at Quad Dual

Sunday, November 11

Lewisburg, Pa.

11 a.m.

Bucknell University

VMI

Photo by: Marc Hagemeier

11/11/2018 4:25:00 PM | Wrestling

LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell wrestling team went 2-1 at its season-opening quad dual on Sunday at Davis Gym.

The Bison scored commanding victories over VMI (36-3) and Cleveland State (25-10) but fell to Buffalo (12-25) in a hard-fought match to wrap up their day. Bucknell's big winners were Zach Hartman (3-0 at 157 pounds), Drew Phipps (3-0 at 197 pounds) and Geo Barzona (2-0 at 125 pounds), who all emerged undefeated and also scored bonus points in at least one of their bouts.

Hartman was impressive in his collegiate debut, pinning his first ever opponent in 6:42 and scoring his two other victories by decision. Most notably, he knocked off Buffalo's Alex Smythe, who entered the day ranked as high as No. 17 nationally, by a slim 8-7 decision. Hartman entered the third period trailing, 7-6; after scoring a quick escape to even the score, the freshman fought off multiple takedown attempts to defend the riding time advantage he had built up over the course of the first two frames. That riding time point proved to be the difference in the bout.

🚨 UPSET ALERT! 🚨

Freshman Zach Hartman knocks off #17 Alex Smythe, 8-7, at 157 pounds. The riding time point was the difference. #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/k9QcY76XbT
— Bucknell Wrestling (@Bucknell_WRST) November 11, 2018

Phipps, a 2018 EIWA placewinner at 184 pounds, got off to a strong start at 197 pounds. He won his first two bouts by a combined 23-1 margin and then downed Buffalo's Brett Perry, 8-2, to close a successful showing.

Barzona opened the day on a high note, dispatching VMI's Derek Shockey by a resounding 21-5 technical fall. It was the sophomore's second career technical fall and first in dual competition. He later edged Buffalo's Kyle Akins, 5-4, to put the Bulls in their first hole of the day.

The Bison next attend the Navy Classic on Saturday, Nov. 17. They then host Penn State on Friday, Nov. 30 in Sojka Pavilion. The dual, which is presented by Geisinger, Fairfield Auto Group and Giant, is set for 7 p.m. and will be streamed on FloWrestling.

Bucknell 36 – VMI 3
125: Geo Barzona (BU) tech fall over Derek Shockey (VMI) 21-5
133: Brett Rezendes (BU) dec. over Hunter Starner (VMI) 8-2
141: Matthew Kolonia (BU) dec. over Dominick Gallo (VMI) 5-2
149: Joey Schiele (BU) dec. over Jerrod Hunziker (VMI) 2-1
157: Zach Hartman (BU) fall over Darren Ostrander (VMI) 6:42
165: D.J. Hollingshead (BU) fall over Jakob Kennedy (VMI) 4:34
174: Neal Richards, II (VMI) dec. over Nick Stephani (BU) 13-7
184: Kyle Inlander (BU) dec. over Max Gallahan (VMI) 5-2
197: Drew Phipps (BU) maj. dec. over Christopher Beck (VMI) 10-0
285: Brandon Stokes (BU) dec. over Tre Momon (VMI) 7-0

On the strength of winning nine of 10 bouts, Bucknell dispatched VMI, 36-3, in its first dual of the 2018-19 campaign. After Geo Barzona (125) gave the Bison early momentum with a 21-5 technical fall over Derek Shockey, they never looked back, rattling off six-straight victories to build a 26-0 lead.

Zach Hartman (157) and D.J. Hollingshead (165) scored back-to-back pins for Bucknell, with Hartman's coming in 6:42 and Hollingshead's in 4:34. In total, the Bison collected bonus points in four bouts as Drew Phipps (197) picked up a decisive 10-0 major decision over Christopher Beck.

Hartman and Brett Rezendes (133), the lone freshmen to start, scored their first collegiate victories. Rezendes was an 8-2 winner over Hunter Starner. In addition, Inlander, a junior who previously wrestled exclusively in tournaments, won his dual debut, a 5-2 decision over Max Gallahan.

Of Bucknell's nine individual wins, only one came by two points or fewer.

Bucknell 25 – Cleveland State 10
125: Jakob Campbell (BU) dec. over Cameron Lathem (CSU) 2-0
133: Armando Torres (CSU) dec. over Brett Rezendes (BU) 5-0
141: Matthew Kolonia (BU) fall over Kyle Hennig (CSU) 1:11
149: Brady Barnett (CSU) maj. dec. over Joey Schiele (BU) 10-1
157: Zach Hartman (BU) dec. over Nico O'Dor (CSU) 8-2
165: D.J. Hollingshead (BU) dec. over John Vaughn (CSU) 3-1
174: Nick Stephani (BU) dec. over Dimitri Williams (CSU) 8-4
184: Kyle Inlander (BU) dec. over Chris Morrow (CSU) 4-3
197: Drew Phipps (BU) maj. dec. over Ben Smith (CSU) 13-1
285: Collin Kelly (CSU) dec. over Brandon Stokes (BU) 5-4

Bucknell won five-straight bouts between 157 and 197 pounds en route to a 25-10 victory over Cleveland State. The Bison turned a slim 9-7 lead into a 21-7 advantage on the strength of that stretch, which proved to be the difference in the dual.

After the teams traded decisions to start, Matthew Kolonia (141) pinned Kyle Hennig in just 1:11 to stake Bucknell a 9-3 advantage. But Brady Barnett (149) answered with a 10-1 major decision, drawing Cleveland State back within two.

What an effort! 💪

Matthew Kolonia pins Kyle Hennig in just 1:11! #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/UAcZ4iYlAe
— Bucknell Wrestling (@Bucknell_WRST) November 11, 2018

That was as close as the Vikings would get. Zach Hartman (157) kicked off Bucknell's five-bout winning streak, moving to 2-0 on the day with a decisive 8-2 decision over Nico O'Dor. D.J. Hollingshead (165) then pulled off a tight 3-1 decision over John Vaughn behind a takedown in the final 10 seconds of the third period.

Nick Stephani's 8-4 decision over Dimitri Williams at 174 pounds gave Kyle Inlander (184) a chance to seal the Bison's second win of the day. And Inlander delivered in gritty fashion; tied 3-3 late in the third period, he rode out Chris Morrow to secure the riding point and emerge a 4-3 victor.

With Bucknell's win assured, Drew Phipps (197) put an exclamation mark on a commanding team performance, toppling Ben Smith by a 13-1 major decision.

Buffalo 25 – Bucknell 12
125: Geo Barzona (BU) dec. over Kyle Akins (UB) 5-4
133: Derek Spann (UB) maj. dec. over Brett Rezendes (BU) 11-0
141: #11/13/12 Bryan Lantry (UB) maj. dec. over Matthew Kolonia (BU) 13-5
149: Jason Estevez (UB) maj. dec. over Joey Schiele (BU) 12-3
157: Zach Hartman (BU) dec. over #17/18/- Alex Smythe (UB) 8-7
165: Noah Grover (UB) fall over D.J. Hollingshead (BU) 0:50
174: Nick Stephani (BU) dec. over Jake Lanning (UB) 9-6
184: Logan Rill (UB) dec. over Kyle Inlander (BU) 3-1 (SV-1)
197: Drew Phipps (BU) dec. over Brett Perry (UB) 8-2
285: #18/20/20 Jake Gunning (UB) maj. dec. over Brandon Stokes (BU) 9-0

Bucknell gave Buffalo a battle but ultimately came up short, ceding a 25-12 decision in its final dual of the day. The Bulls, who won their duals with VMI and Cleveland State by a combined margin of 69-10, used three-straight major decisions between 133 and 149 pounds to build an early 12-3 lead, which the Bison couldn't overcome.

Once again, Barzona gave Bucknell an early spark, edging Kyle Akins in an emotional, hard-fought bout by a 5-4 decision. But Buffalo responded, collecting bonus points in four of the next five bouts to take an 18-6 advantage. A pin at 165 pounds proved to be the dagger, as the Bison and Bulls split the final two bouts.

Zach Hartman (157) moved to 3-0 on the day on the strength of his upset of Alex Smythe, who entered the day ranked No. 17 by Intermat and No. 18 by The Open Mat. Hartman entered the third period trailing, 7-6; after scoring a quick escape to even the score, the freshman fought off multiple takedown attempts to defend the riding time advantage he had built up over the course of the first two frames. That riding time point proved to be the difference in the bout.

Nick Stephani (174) and Drew Phipps (197) were Bucknell's other victors. Stephani sealed a 9-6 decision over Jake Lanning with a takedown in the final seconds while Phipps was a methodical 8-2 winner over Brett Perry.

Nick Stephani (174) seals a 9-6 win over Jake Lanning with this last-second takedown. 💪 #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/QZ8X54EffC
— Bucknell Wrestling (@Bucknell_WRST) November 11, 2018

Looking to go an unbeaten 3-0, Kyle Inlander (184) fell in a sudden-victory heartbreaker to Logan Rill. Early in the bonus frame, Rill scored a takedown to earn a 3-1 win in one of the tightest bouts of the day.