Friday, November 30
Lewisburg, Pa.
7 p.m.
Bucknell University
vs
#1 Penn State
Photo by: Marc Hagemeier
Bucknell Wrestling Hosts Defending NCAA Champs on Friday
11/28/2018 6:00:00 AM | Wrestling
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell wrestling team welcomes No. 1 Penn State to Sojka Pavilion on Friday, Nov. 30.
The Bison and Nittany Lions, winners of seven of the past eight NCAA Championships, are set to square off at 7 p.m. The dual, which is presented by Geisinger, Fairfield Auto Group and Giant, has sold out and will be streamed live on FloWrestling for those who are not able to attend.Â
The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Before the dual, the Bull Run Tap House in Downtown Lewisburg will offer a buffet from 5 to 7 p.m. The cost is $12 for adults and $7 for children.
Parking information for fans visiting Bucknell's campus can be found at this link.
Bucknell Sells Out Sojka for Wrestling
• General public tickets for the Bucknell's dual against Penn State officially sold out on Nov. 7.
• Approximately 4,200 fans are expected to pack Sojka Pavilion, which would set a Bison record for wrestling attendance. In the history of the facility, which opened in January 2003, seven men's basketball games have eclipsed 4,200 fans.
• Said head coach Dan Wirnsberger on Bucknell's first Sojka sellout of a wrestling dual: "We're going to have a sold-out crowd in Sojka Pavilion. When Bucknell University re-established the varsity wrestling program with the help of Bill Graham, his dream was to sell out Sojka Pavilion for a wrestling dual. We're very excited to make that dream a reality. Obviously, it's awesome to have the defending national champions coming to our venue, and we're excited for the challenge."
FloWrestling Streams Sojka Duals
• Bucknell's Sojka Pavilion duals against Penn State and North Carolina will be streamed live on FloWrestling.
• To watch the Bison's duals against Penn State and North Carolina, as well as their appearances at the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships and EIWA Championships, join FloWrestling PRO by visiting FloWrestling.org.
Bucknell at a Glance
• Bucknell is currently 2-1 (0-0 EIWA) after downing VMI (36-3) and Cleveland State (25-10) and falling to Buffalo (12-25) on Nov. 11. The Bison's big winners were Zach Hartman (3-0 at 157), Drew Phipps (3-0 at 197) and Geo Barzona (2-0 at 125), who all emerged undefeated and also scored bonus points in at least one of their bouts.
• At the Navy Classic on Nov. 17, Hartman (157) and Frankie Guida, Jr. (174) finished third while Matthew Kolonia (141) and Phipps (197) took fourth to lead Bucknell to a seventh-place finish.
• Guida Jr. currently leads the Bison with eight wins while Hartman boasts the team's best winning percentage (.857 at 6-1).
• Hartman is also tied with Phipps for the team lead in dual winning percentage (1.000 at 3-0) and Jacob Ferreira (184) for the team high in pins (3). Phipps is the Bucknell leader with three victories by major decision.
• In 2018-19, the Bison returned one NCAA qualifier and three EIWA placewinners. Garrett Hoffman (184) earned an at-large bid to the 2017 NCAA Championships, where he bowed out after two bouts. David Campbell (133) and Phipps (184) each took eighth at the 2018 EIWA Championships while Joey Gould (133) was eighth at the 2017 rendition. All but Campbell have since changed weight classes.
• Bucknell's captains are Campbell, Hoffman, Phipps, Nick Stephani and Brandon Stokes.
• The Bison enjoyed one of their most successful stretches in program history from 2014 to 2017, compiling a combined record of 39-14 (23-5 EIWA) and placing third at the 2016 and 2015 EIWA Championships.
 • In 2017-18, Bucknell battled injuries and used 22 different starters in dual competition, ultimately finishing with a 3-14 (2-7 EIWA) ledger. The performance of 141-pounder Tyler Smith, one of six seniors lost to graduation, was a bright spot; he became the program's fifth four-time NCAA qualifier and seventh EIWA runner-up. He also put together the 11th undefeated dual season in school history and became the 10th Bison to reach the 100-win plateau.
• Headlining Bucknell's challenging 2018-19 schedule are its Sojka Pavilion duals against Penn State and North Carolina. The duals, presented by Geisinger, Fairfield Auto Group and Giant, will be streamed live on FloWrestling.
• Head coach Dan Wirnsberger, who is in his 14th year at the helm, has a 115-116 record. He and Bob Ferraro, who led the Bison to a 169-175-6 record from 1974 to 1997, are the program's only head coaches to reach the 100-win plateau.
Projected Bucknell Lineup
125: Geo Barzona (3-2) OR Jakob Campbell (2-2)
133: David Campbell (1-2) OR Noah Levett (2-2)
141: Matthew Kolonia (6-3) OR Joey Gould (--)
149: Joey Schiele (2-4)
157: Zach Hartman (6-1)
165: D.J. Hollingshead (2-1)
174: Nick Stephani (4-3) OR Frankie Guida, Jr. (8-5)
184: Kyle Inlander (4-3)
197: Drew Phipps (7-2)
285: Brandon Stokes (2-4)
No. 1 Penn State at a Glance
• Penn State has won seven of the past eight NCAA Championships, including the past three in a row.
• The Nittany Lions have three two-time defending NCAA champions on their 2018-19 roster: Jason Nolf (157), Vincenzo Joseph (165) and Bo Nickal (184). In addition, Mark Hall (174) won the 2017 title and was the 2018 runner-up. This season, Nickal has moved up to the 197-pound weight class.
• Nolf, Joseph and Nickal are looking to join Ed Ruth and Zain Retherford as Penn State's only three-time NCAA champions and David Taylor as its only four-time finalists.
• In this week's Intermat poll, Nolf, Joseph and Nickal were all ranked first. Other Nittany Lions in the top 15 were Hall (2nd), Nick Lee (4th at 141), Shakur Rasheed (4th at 184), Anthony Cassar (5th at 285) and Brady Berge (13th at 149).
• Penn State went undefeated in dual competition each of the past three seasons, posting a combined 44-0 (27-0 B1G) ledger. Dating back to 2014-15, the Nittany Lions have won 46-straight duals. Â
• Penn State was a unanimous No. 1 in the Theraworx NWCA Coaches Poll for the fourth-straight week.
• The Nittany Lions are currently 1-0 (0-0 B1G) after dropping then No. 24 Kent State, 52-3, on Nov. 11. They rode seven pins to their resounding victory.
• Penn State went on to place first at the three-team Keystone Classic with 192 points on Nov. 18. Eight Nittany Lions one individual titles while an additional six placed.
• Of the 12 wrestlers listed on Penn State's projected lineup, nine boast perfect records in 2018-19.
Projected Penn State Lineup
125: Devin Schnupp (2-3)
133: #-/20/- Roman Bravo-Young (4-0)
141: #4/4/4 Nick Lee (6-0)
149: #13/19/- Brady Berge (4-0) OR Jarod Verkleeren (5-2)
157: #1/1/1 Jason Nolf (5-0)
165: #1/1/1 Vincenzo Joseph (6-0)
174: #2/2/2 Mark Hall (5-0)
184: #4/5/5 Shakur Rasheed (5-0)
197: #1/1/1 Bo Nickal (4-0)
285: #5/3/2 Anthony Cassar (4-0) OR Nick Nevills (3-1)
The Bucknell/Penn State Series
• This will be the second official meeting between Bucknell and Penn State. Last year on Nov. 12, the Nittany Lions downed the Bison, 36-6, at a sold-out Rec Hall.
• For Bucknell, Jakob Campbell (125) and Garrett Hoffman (197) scored victories. Campbell edged Devin Schnupp by a 3-1 decision while Hoffman earned a hard-fought 11-8 victory over Anthony Cassar.
• For Penn State, defending national champions Zain Retherford (149) and Jason Nolf (157) pinned their opponents while Vincenzo Joseph (165) and Mark Hall (174) won by technical fall.
• In 1944-45, a team of servicemen stationed at Bucknell conducted a wrestling program. That group faced off against Penn State on Jan. 13 and was edged by a slim 17-11 margin. Bucknell went on to elevate wrestling to the varsity level in 1946-47.
Bison Take on Nation's Top Team
• Bucknell is set to take on the nation's top team for the third season in a row.
• In 2016, the Bison fell to No. 1 Oklahoma State, 36-3, on Nov. 6. At 157 pounds, Victor Lopez topped David Dolan by a 7-5 decision.
• Before that season-opening meeting with the Cowboys, Bucknell last faced the No. 1 team in the nation on Nov. 27, 2009 when it hosted No. 1 Iowa. A wrestling record 2,127 fans watched the Bison take on the Hawkeyes (7-29) and Rutgers (26-12) in Sojka Pavilion.
Bison Again Face Challenging Schedule
• The Bison's schedule is as grueling as ever, featuring three teams ranked in the first USA Today/NWCA Poll of 2018-19: No. 1 Penn State, No. 6 Lehigh and No. 23 North Carolina.
• Four of Bucknell's 2017-18 opponents were ranked at the time of their meeting: No. 1 Penn State, No. 10 Lehigh, No. 20 Lock Haven and No. 25 Edinboro.
Bucknell Starting Lineups
• Through Bucknell's first three duals, only 11 Bison have started. Bucknell featured the same starter at every weight class but 125, which has seen both Geo Barzona and Jakob Campbell take the mat.
• Twenty two different Bison started in dual competition in 2017-18, five more than the year before.
• Bucknell's starters included eight freshmen, six sophomores, five juniors and three seniors.
• Only Tyler Smith (141) and Drew Phipps (184/197) started all but one dual. Nick Stephani (174) missed just two starts over the course of the campaign. Â
• At least three different starters took the mat at five different weight classes: 125 (3), 149 (3), 157 (3), 197 (4) and 285 (3).
Bucknell at the 2018 NCAA and EIWA Championships
• Tyler Smith (141) represented Bucknell at the 2018 NCAA Championships on March 15-17. For the second-straight season, he finished one win away from earning All-America laurels, falling in the blood round to Penn State's Nick Lee.
• Smith became the first Bison to reach the quarterfinals since 2011 with a thrilling overtime victory over NC State's Kevin Jack. With 31 seconds remaining in the sudden victory period, Smith scored a low, single-leg takedown to edge the fifth-seeded Jack by a 6-4 decision.
• Smith, who went 2-2 at the NCAA Championships, wrapped up his collegiate career with a 107-37 record. He graduated ranked ninth in career victories and 11th in career winning percentage (.743).
• Smith was the fifth Bison to qualify for the NCAA Championships all four years of his collegiate career.
• The Bison placed 14th at the 2018 EIWA Championships, held March 3-4.
• Smith became Bucknell's seventh EIWA runner-up, joining David Marble (2008, 133), Andy Rendos (2009, 165), current assistant coach Kevin LeValley (2010, 149), Joe Stolfi (2015 & 2016, 285), Paul Petrov (2016, 125) and Tom Sleigh (2017, 197). Smith graduated as a three-time EIWA placewinner, as he took third as a freshman in 2015 and fourth as a junior in 2017.
• David Campbell (133) and Drew Phipps (184) took eighth at their first EIWA Championships, each going 2-3 over the course of the event. Phipps missed securing the EIWA's final auto bid in his weight class by one spot.
• The Bison have finished as high as third in the team standings at the EIWA Championships. They tied Penn for that spot in 2009 and claimed sole possession of it in 2015 and 2016. Â
• Bucknell wrestlers have captured an EIWA individual title on three occasions. Rendos won the 165-pound crown in 2010, LeValley earned the 149-pound title in 2011 and Stolfi was the 285-pound champion in 2014.
• Since the wrestling team was reinstated ahead of the 2006-07 campaign, 29 Bison have combined to place on the EIWA podium 58 times.
The Bison and Nittany Lions, winners of seven of the past eight NCAA Championships, are set to square off at 7 p.m. The dual, which is presented by Geisinger, Fairfield Auto Group and Giant, has sold out and will be streamed live on FloWrestling for those who are not able to attend.Â
The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Before the dual, the Bull Run Tap House in Downtown Lewisburg will offer a buffet from 5 to 7 p.m. The cost is $12 for adults and $7 for children.
Parking information for fans visiting Bucknell's campus can be found at this link.
No. 1 Penn State (1-0, 0-0 B1G) vs. Bucknell (2-1, 0-0 EIWA)
When: Friday, November 30 – 7 p.m.
Where: Sojka Pavilion – Lewisburg, Pa.
Internet Video: FloWrestling ($)
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_WRST
Bucknell Sells Out Sojka for Wrestling
• General public tickets for the Bucknell's dual against Penn State officially sold out on Nov. 7.
• Approximately 4,200 fans are expected to pack Sojka Pavilion, which would set a Bison record for wrestling attendance. In the history of the facility, which opened in January 2003, seven men's basketball games have eclipsed 4,200 fans.
• Said head coach Dan Wirnsberger on Bucknell's first Sojka sellout of a wrestling dual: "We're going to have a sold-out crowd in Sojka Pavilion. When Bucknell University re-established the varsity wrestling program with the help of Bill Graham, his dream was to sell out Sojka Pavilion for a wrestling dual. We're very excited to make that dream a reality. Obviously, it's awesome to have the defending national champions coming to our venue, and we're excited for the challenge."
FloWrestling Streams Sojka Duals
• Bucknell's Sojka Pavilion duals against Penn State and North Carolina will be streamed live on FloWrestling.
• To watch the Bison's duals against Penn State and North Carolina, as well as their appearances at the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships and EIWA Championships, join FloWrestling PRO by visiting FloWrestling.org.
Bucknell at a Glance
• Bucknell is currently 2-1 (0-0 EIWA) after downing VMI (36-3) and Cleveland State (25-10) and falling to Buffalo (12-25) on Nov. 11. The Bison's big winners were Zach Hartman (3-0 at 157), Drew Phipps (3-0 at 197) and Geo Barzona (2-0 at 125), who all emerged undefeated and also scored bonus points in at least one of their bouts.
• At the Navy Classic on Nov. 17, Hartman (157) and Frankie Guida, Jr. (174) finished third while Matthew Kolonia (141) and Phipps (197) took fourth to lead Bucknell to a seventh-place finish.
• Guida Jr. currently leads the Bison with eight wins while Hartman boasts the team's best winning percentage (.857 at 6-1).
• Hartman is also tied with Phipps for the team lead in dual winning percentage (1.000 at 3-0) and Jacob Ferreira (184) for the team high in pins (3). Phipps is the Bucknell leader with three victories by major decision.
• In 2018-19, the Bison returned one NCAA qualifier and three EIWA placewinners. Garrett Hoffman (184) earned an at-large bid to the 2017 NCAA Championships, where he bowed out after two bouts. David Campbell (133) and Phipps (184) each took eighth at the 2018 EIWA Championships while Joey Gould (133) was eighth at the 2017 rendition. All but Campbell have since changed weight classes.
• Bucknell's captains are Campbell, Hoffman, Phipps, Nick Stephani and Brandon Stokes.
• The Bison enjoyed one of their most successful stretches in program history from 2014 to 2017, compiling a combined record of 39-14 (23-5 EIWA) and placing third at the 2016 and 2015 EIWA Championships.
 • In 2017-18, Bucknell battled injuries and used 22 different starters in dual competition, ultimately finishing with a 3-14 (2-7 EIWA) ledger. The performance of 141-pounder Tyler Smith, one of six seniors lost to graduation, was a bright spot; he became the program's fifth four-time NCAA qualifier and seventh EIWA runner-up. He also put together the 11th undefeated dual season in school history and became the 10th Bison to reach the 100-win plateau.
• Headlining Bucknell's challenging 2018-19 schedule are its Sojka Pavilion duals against Penn State and North Carolina. The duals, presented by Geisinger, Fairfield Auto Group and Giant, will be streamed live on FloWrestling.
• Head coach Dan Wirnsberger, who is in his 14th year at the helm, has a 115-116 record. He and Bob Ferraro, who led the Bison to a 169-175-6 record from 1974 to 1997, are the program's only head coaches to reach the 100-win plateau.
Projected Bucknell Lineup
125: Geo Barzona (3-2) OR Jakob Campbell (2-2)
133: David Campbell (1-2) OR Noah Levett (2-2)
141: Matthew Kolonia (6-3) OR Joey Gould (--)
149: Joey Schiele (2-4)
157: Zach Hartman (6-1)
165: D.J. Hollingshead (2-1)
174: Nick Stephani (4-3) OR Frankie Guida, Jr. (8-5)
184: Kyle Inlander (4-3)
197: Drew Phipps (7-2)
285: Brandon Stokes (2-4)
No. 1 Penn State at a Glance
• Penn State has won seven of the past eight NCAA Championships, including the past three in a row.
• The Nittany Lions have three two-time defending NCAA champions on their 2018-19 roster: Jason Nolf (157), Vincenzo Joseph (165) and Bo Nickal (184). In addition, Mark Hall (174) won the 2017 title and was the 2018 runner-up. This season, Nickal has moved up to the 197-pound weight class.
• Nolf, Joseph and Nickal are looking to join Ed Ruth and Zain Retherford as Penn State's only three-time NCAA champions and David Taylor as its only four-time finalists.
• In this week's Intermat poll, Nolf, Joseph and Nickal were all ranked first. Other Nittany Lions in the top 15 were Hall (2nd), Nick Lee (4th at 141), Shakur Rasheed (4th at 184), Anthony Cassar (5th at 285) and Brady Berge (13th at 149).
• Penn State went undefeated in dual competition each of the past three seasons, posting a combined 44-0 (27-0 B1G) ledger. Dating back to 2014-15, the Nittany Lions have won 46-straight duals. Â
• Penn State was a unanimous No. 1 in the Theraworx NWCA Coaches Poll for the fourth-straight week.
• The Nittany Lions are currently 1-0 (0-0 B1G) after dropping then No. 24 Kent State, 52-3, on Nov. 11. They rode seven pins to their resounding victory.
• Penn State went on to place first at the three-team Keystone Classic with 192 points on Nov. 18. Eight Nittany Lions one individual titles while an additional six placed.
• Of the 12 wrestlers listed on Penn State's projected lineup, nine boast perfect records in 2018-19.
Projected Penn State Lineup
125: Devin Schnupp (2-3)
133: #-/20/- Roman Bravo-Young (4-0)
141: #4/4/4 Nick Lee (6-0)
149: #13/19/- Brady Berge (4-0) OR Jarod Verkleeren (5-2)
157: #1/1/1 Jason Nolf (5-0)
165: #1/1/1 Vincenzo Joseph (6-0)
174: #2/2/2 Mark Hall (5-0)
184: #4/5/5 Shakur Rasheed (5-0)
197: #1/1/1 Bo Nickal (4-0)
285: #5/3/2 Anthony Cassar (4-0) OR Nick Nevills (3-1)
The Bucknell/Penn State Series
• This will be the second official meeting between Bucknell and Penn State. Last year on Nov. 12, the Nittany Lions downed the Bison, 36-6, at a sold-out Rec Hall.
• For Bucknell, Jakob Campbell (125) and Garrett Hoffman (197) scored victories. Campbell edged Devin Schnupp by a 3-1 decision while Hoffman earned a hard-fought 11-8 victory over Anthony Cassar.
• For Penn State, defending national champions Zain Retherford (149) and Jason Nolf (157) pinned their opponents while Vincenzo Joseph (165) and Mark Hall (174) won by technical fall.
• In 1944-45, a team of servicemen stationed at Bucknell conducted a wrestling program. That group faced off against Penn State on Jan. 13 and was edged by a slim 17-11 margin. Bucknell went on to elevate wrestling to the varsity level in 1946-47.
Bison Take on Nation's Top Team
• Bucknell is set to take on the nation's top team for the third season in a row.
• In 2016, the Bison fell to No. 1 Oklahoma State, 36-3, on Nov. 6. At 157 pounds, Victor Lopez topped David Dolan by a 7-5 decision.
• Before that season-opening meeting with the Cowboys, Bucknell last faced the No. 1 team in the nation on Nov. 27, 2009 when it hosted No. 1 Iowa. A wrestling record 2,127 fans watched the Bison take on the Hawkeyes (7-29) and Rutgers (26-12) in Sojka Pavilion.
Bison Again Face Challenging Schedule
• The Bison's schedule is as grueling as ever, featuring three teams ranked in the first USA Today/NWCA Poll of 2018-19: No. 1 Penn State, No. 6 Lehigh and No. 23 North Carolina.
• Four of Bucknell's 2017-18 opponents were ranked at the time of their meeting: No. 1 Penn State, No. 10 Lehigh, No. 20 Lock Haven and No. 25 Edinboro.
Bucknell Starting Lineups
• Through Bucknell's first three duals, only 11 Bison have started. Bucknell featured the same starter at every weight class but 125, which has seen both Geo Barzona and Jakob Campbell take the mat.
• Twenty two different Bison started in dual competition in 2017-18, five more than the year before.
• Bucknell's starters included eight freshmen, six sophomores, five juniors and three seniors.
• Only Tyler Smith (141) and Drew Phipps (184/197) started all but one dual. Nick Stephani (174) missed just two starts over the course of the campaign. Â
• At least three different starters took the mat at five different weight classes: 125 (3), 149 (3), 157 (3), 197 (4) and 285 (3).
Bucknell at the 2018 NCAA and EIWA Championships
• Tyler Smith (141) represented Bucknell at the 2018 NCAA Championships on March 15-17. For the second-straight season, he finished one win away from earning All-America laurels, falling in the blood round to Penn State's Nick Lee.
• Smith became the first Bison to reach the quarterfinals since 2011 with a thrilling overtime victory over NC State's Kevin Jack. With 31 seconds remaining in the sudden victory period, Smith scored a low, single-leg takedown to edge the fifth-seeded Jack by a 6-4 decision.
• Smith, who went 2-2 at the NCAA Championships, wrapped up his collegiate career with a 107-37 record. He graduated ranked ninth in career victories and 11th in career winning percentage (.743).
• Smith was the fifth Bison to qualify for the NCAA Championships all four years of his collegiate career.
• The Bison placed 14th at the 2018 EIWA Championships, held March 3-4.
• Smith became Bucknell's seventh EIWA runner-up, joining David Marble (2008, 133), Andy Rendos (2009, 165), current assistant coach Kevin LeValley (2010, 149), Joe Stolfi (2015 & 2016, 285), Paul Petrov (2016, 125) and Tom Sleigh (2017, 197). Smith graduated as a three-time EIWA placewinner, as he took third as a freshman in 2015 and fourth as a junior in 2017.
• David Campbell (133) and Drew Phipps (184) took eighth at their first EIWA Championships, each going 2-3 over the course of the event. Phipps missed securing the EIWA's final auto bid in his weight class by one spot.
• The Bison have finished as high as third in the team standings at the EIWA Championships. They tied Penn for that spot in 2009 and claimed sole possession of it in 2015 and 2016. Â
• Bucknell wrestlers have captured an EIWA individual title on three occasions. Rendos won the 165-pound crown in 2010, LeValley earned the 149-pound title in 2011 and Stolfi was the 285-pound champion in 2014.
• Since the wrestling team was reinstated ahead of the 2006-07 campaign, 29 Bison have combined to place on the EIWA podium 58 times.
A Look Ahead
• The Bison next face off against Pitt in their first road dual of the 2018-19 campaign on Sunday, Dec. 16 at 2 p.m.
Note for projected lineups: 2018-19 record in parentheses; rankings are Intermat/The Open Mat/FloWrestling; lineups are subject to change
Players Mentioned
125/133
/ Wrestling
133
/ Wrestling
125
/ Wrestling
184
/ Wrestling
141
/ Wrestling
174
/ Wrestling
157
/ Wrestling
197
/ Wrestling
165
/ Wrestling
184
/ Wrestling
141/149
/ Wrestling
133/141
/ Wrestling
197
/ Wrestling
149/157
/ Wrestling
197
/ Wrestling
141
/ Wrestling
174
/ Wrestling
285
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