Bucknell Wrestling Hosts UNC Friday, F&M Sunday
1/30/2019 8:00:00 AM | Wrestling
The Bison and Tar Heels will square off on Friday, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m in Sojka Pavilion. Tickets remain on sale at Bucknell.edu/BoxOffice, with special rates available for groups of 10 or more. The dual, which is presented by Geisinger, Fairfield Auto Group and Giant, will be streamed live on FloWrestling for those who are not able to attend.Â
Following the North Carolina dual, the wrestling program will host a reception at the Towne Tavern in downtown Lewisburg. The reception, which will be held in the Towne Tavern Shanty, is scheduled for 9 to 11 p.m.
On Sunday, Feb. 3, Bucknell then welcomes EIWA foe Franklin & Marshall to Davis Gym for a 2 p.m. dual. As always, admission is free to Davis Gym duals.
No. 17 North Carolina (8-5, 1-0 ACC) vs. Bucknell (5-6, 3-3 EIWA)
When: Friday, February 1 – 7 p.m.
Where: Sojka Pavilion – Lewisburg, Pa.
Internet Video: FloWrestling ($)
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_WRST
Franklin & Marshall (2-4, 0-3 EIWA) vs. Bucknell (5-6, 3-3 EIWA)
When: Sunday, February 3 – 2 p.m.
Where: Davis Gym – Lewisburg, Pa.
Internet Video: Patriot League Network
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_WRST
Bucknell at a Glance
• Bucknell is currently 5-6 (3-3 EIWA) after besting both Sacred Heart (40-0) and Hofstra (20-18) last Saturday.
• In their afternoon dual against the Pioneers, the Bison scored their first shutout since Feb. 7, 2016, a 39-0 whitewashing of Sacred Heart that was their first since their 2013-14 opener. They picked up bonus points in five of their 10 bouts, with Zach Hartman (157) winning by fall.Â
• That night, back-to-back pins by Hartman (157) and D.J. Hollingshead (165), and a clutch major decision by Drew Phipps (197), propelled Bucknell to a 22-18 comeback victory over the Pride. The Bison flipped a 12-0 deficit into an 18-12 advantage thanks to Hartman and Hollingshead's pins and a Hofstra forfeit at 174 pounds. After a win by decision at 184 pounds drew the Pride within three points, Phipps sealed Bucknell's comeback victory with a decisive 11-3 major decision over Nezar Haddad.
• So far this season, the Bison have used 17 starters in dual competition. Four wrestlers have started every dual thus far: Matthew Kolonia (141/149), Hartman (157), Hollingshead (165) and Phipps (197).
• Hartman is the team leader in overall (18) and dual (9) victories; he also claimed sole possession of the team high in pins (7) thanks to pinning four of his past five opponents, all EIWA grapplers.
• Hartman is currently riding an eight-bout winning streak that dates back to the third-place bout of the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships.
• Phipps has paced Bucknell in technical falls (2); he is also tied with Jakob Campbell (125) for the team lead with four major decisions. Phipps and Geo Barzona (125) are the only Bison who have posted at least one fall, one technical fall and one major decision this season.
• J. Campbell suffered his first dual defeat of the 2018-19 campaign at Hofstra. He will enter this weekend's action 7-1 in duals.
• Bucknell's captains are David Campbell, Garrett Hoffman, Phipps, Nick Stephani and Brandon Stokes.
• In 2018-19, the Bison returned one NCAA qualifier and three EIWA placewinners. Hoffman (184) earned an at-large bid to the 2017 NCAA Championships, where he bowed out after two bouts. D. Campbell (133) and Phipps (184) each took eighth at the 2018 EIWA Championships while Gould (133) was eighth at the 2017 rendition. All but Campbell have since changed weight classes.
 • 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.
• 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.
• Head coach Dan Wirnsberger, who is in his 14th year at the helm, has a 118-121 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.
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141: Joey Gould (8-6)
149: Matthew Kolonia (10-11)
157: #10/8/10Â Zach Hartman (18-4)
165: D.J. Hollingshead (7-7)
174: Nick Stephani (6-10)
184: Kyle Inlander (10-6) OR Jacob Ferreira (15-9)
197: Drew Phipps (15-7)
285: Brandon Stokes (6-9) OR Eric Chakonis (0-3)
Bison Ranked
• Zach Hartman (157) will enter this weekend's duals ranked eighth by The Open Mat and 10th by Intermat and FloWrestling. He was ranked eighth by both Intermat and The Open Mat from Jan. 15 to Jan. 27; that national ranking is his highest to date.
• Hartman is the only freshman listed in the top 10 at 157 pounds in any of the three aforementioned polls.
• Hartman first cracked FloWrestling's rankings on Dec. 24. He came in at No. 20; it was the first time in his collegiate career he was ranked by any of the three major wrestling publications: Intermat, The Open Mat and FloWrestling.
• Following his third-place finish at the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships, Hartman entered the Intermat poll at No. 10 (Jan. 8) and The Open Mat rankings at No. 10 (Jan. 3).
• To date, Hartman has faced eight ranked opponents and holds a 4-4 record against them, including one pin and one major decision. All four of his losses, his only ones of the campaign, were to wrestlers slotted in Intermat's top 10.
Bison in the NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings
• Zach Hartman and Joey Gould appeared in the first NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings, which were released on Jan. 24 and are used as part of the selection process to determine the qualifiers for the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.
• Hartman was slotted 10th in the 157-pound weight class. He was the only freshman listed in that weight class's top 10; he was also the top EIWA wrestler, sitting eight spots ahead of Lehigh's Josh Humphreys
• Gould was ranked 29th at 141 pounds. In that weight class, he was one of six EIWA grapplers who made the NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings and was slotted ahead of two of them.
Bucknell Sells Out Sojka for Wrestling
• Bucknell's dual against North Carolina will be its second, and final, in Sojka Pavilion this season.
• On Nov. 30, The Bison faced No. 1 Penn State in front of a program-record 4,279 fans at a sold-out Sojka Pavilion.
• The crowd was the third largest in Sojka Pavilion history behind men's basketball games against No. 4 Villanova on Dec. 6, 2005 (4,433) and Wake Forest on Nov. 14, 2006 (4,330).
• In the history of the facility, which opened in January 2003, seven men's basketball games have eclipsed 4,200 fans.
• On Nov. 27, 2009, a then wrestling record 2,127 fans watched Bucknell take on No. 1 Iowa (7-29) and Rutgers (26-12) in Sojka Pavilion.
No. 17 North Carolina at a Glance
• The Tar Heels are currently 8-5 (1-0 ACC). They most recently topped No. 25 Virginia, 22-13, on Jan. 26 in their ACC opener.
• North Carolina was ranked 17th in the most recent Theraworx NWCA Coaches Poll. The Tar Heels will be Bucknell's third ranked opponent of the 2018-19 campaign; the Bison previously faced No. 1 Penn State (3-42) and No. 24 Pittsburgh (4-34).
• Two Tar Heels were ranked by Intermat this week: Austin O'Connor (No. 4 at 149) and Chip Ness (No. 14 at 184). In addition, A.C. Headlee (No. 15 at 141) and Gary Wayne Harding (No. 20 at 133) appeared in FloWrestling's rankings.
• In 2017-18, North Carolina posted a 9-11 (3-2 ACC) record. The Tar Heels went on to place third at the ACC Championships, with seniors Troy Heilmann (149) and Ethan Ramos (174) winning individual titles.
• At the 2018 NCAA Championships, North Carolina posted 27 team points, its most since 1996, and took 20th, its highest finish since 1995. Heilmann (149) and Ness (184) captured All-America laurels, placing fourth and seventh respectively.
• This will be the fifth meeting between the Bison and Tar Heels. The teams are tied in the all-time series, 2-2, with Bucknell winning the two most recent duals.
• The Bison won the most recent match, which occurred on Nov. 14, 2009 in Chapel Hill, N.C. After Derrik Russell (125) and David Marble (133) emerged victorious in the first two bouts of the day, Bucknell traded wins with North Carolina and ultimately prevailed by a tight 19-14 margin.
• The Tar Heels have only visited Lewisburg once: in January 1993. They won that dual by a tight 21-18 margin.
Projected North Carolina Lineup
Franklin & Marshall at a Glance
• The Diplomats are currently 2-4 (0-3 EIWA). After winning their first two duals of the season, they have dropped their past four in a row. Most recently, they were clipped by Sacred Heart, 19-18, on Jan. 20.
• Before traveling to Lewisburg, Franklin & Marshall will square off against Hofstra on Saturday, Feb. 2.
• In 2017-18, the Diplomats went 4-11 (1-8 EIWA) in dual action. They went on to place 15th at the 16-team EIWA Championships.
• While Franklin & Marshall leads the all-time series, 21-16-1, Bucknell has won 10 of the past 12 meetings dating back to 2000.
• In their most recent dual on Feb. 2, 2018, the Bison rolled to a 23-13 victory over the Diplomats at Mayser Gym. The Bison took control of the dual early, winning five of the first six bouts to race out to what proved to be an insurmountable 17-3 lead. David Campbell (133) and Tyler Smith (141) set the tone, winning their bouts by major decision, while Drew Phipps (184) put the exclamation mark on a commanding team effort by pinning his opponent.
• Franklin & Marshall was the very first team Bucknell faced. The Bison opened their first varsity season on Jan. 15, 1947 with a 26-8 loss to the Diplomats.
Projected Franklin & Marshall Lineup
125: Jose Diaz (9-10)
133:Â Mike Simonetti (5-11)
141: Wil Gil (22-9) OR Paddy Quinlan (14-8)
149: Cole Aaron (10-8) OR Chris Martorello (5-13)
157: Emmett LiCastri (19-11)
165: Jacob Conners (6-10)
174: Chris Bolletino (2-7)
184: Reid Robilotto (3-11)
197: Philip Robilotto (16-9)
285: Antonio Pelusi (18-5)
A Look Ahead
• The Bison next host American on Friday, February 8 at 7 p.m. in their second-to-last home dual of the 2018-19 campaign. They then travel to Army West Point for a 2 p.m. dual on Sunday, Feb. 10.
Note for projected lineups: 2018-19 record in parentheses; rankings are Intermat/The Open Mat/FloWrestling; lineups are subject to change