Wrestling Hosts Bloomsburg in Thursday Home Opener

Thursday, December 5

Lewisburg, Pa.

7 p.m.

Bucknell University

Bloomsburg

Photo by: Marc Hagemeier

Wrestling Hosts Bloomsburg in Thursday Home Opener

12/2/2019 2:52:00 PM | Wrestling

Bloomsburg (0-0, 0-0 MAC) vs. Bucknell (0-2, 0-0 EIWA)
When: Thursday, December 5 – 7 p.m.
Where: Davis Gym – Lewisburg, Pa.
Internet Video: Patriot League Network
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_WRST

Bucknell at a Glance
• The Bison are set to host Bloomsburg for their home opener on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. They faced off against the Huskies in their dual finale each of the past two seasons.
• Bucknell is 0-2 (0-0 EIWA) in 2019-20 dual action. The Bison most recently competed at the Navy Classic on Nov. 23, where Zach Hartman (165) and Matthew Kolonia (149) earned third-place finishes.
• A year ago, Bucknell went 7-11 (4-7 EIWA) during dual competition. The Bison also placed 13th at the EIWA Championships in March and tied for 14th in a 67-team field at the prestigious Ken Kraft Midlands Championships in late December.
• Bucknell return three NCAA qualifiers: Hartman, Garrett Hoffman and Drew Phipps. The Bison also bring back three EIWA placewinners in Hartman, Phipps and David Campbell.
• Hartman and Phipps are serving as captains in 2019-20. Phipps is in his second season as a captain.
• At the 2019 EIWA Championships, Hartman became the first Bucknell freshman to finish as a runner-up and Phipps earned his second-straight podium finish.
• Hartman rose as high as eighth in the national polls at 157 pounds a year ago. He notably placed third at the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships with a 6-1 record.
• The Bison graduated eight seniors in 2019, including three-time EIWA Championships starter D.J. Hollingshead.
• Bucknell's group of eight newcomers includes two state champions, six state placewinners and six team captains.
• Head coach Dan Wirnsberger is entering his 15th season at the helm of the Bison wrestling program. He has scored 120 career victories, good for second in school history; he was also tabbed as the 2015 EIWA Coach of the Year after Bucknell placed third at the EIWA Championships and qualified four wrestlers for the NCAA Championships.
• Wirnsberger 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: Brandon Seidman (4-6)
133: Darren Miller (6-4)
141: Noah Levett (2-3)
149: Matthew Kolonia (7-4)
157: Jaden Fisher (6-8)
165: #17/15/17 Zach Hartman (10-3) OR Vincent Andreano (5-6)
174: Mitch Hartman (6-5)
184: Kyle Inlander (2-1)
197: Drew Phipps (7-2)
285: Nate Feyrer (1-4) OR #-/-/15 Garrett Hoffman (--)

Inside the Bison Projected Lineup
• The Bison have three NCAA qualifiers in their projected starting lineup: Zach Hartman, Garrett Hoffman and Drew Phipps. In addition, Hartman and Phipps are EIWA placewinners.
• Phipps has started Bucknell's past 35 duals dating back to the 2017-18 campaign. He started every dual a season ago and all but the Lehigh dual in 2017-18.
• Phipps is currently riding a 14-bout winning streak in dual competition; he was last defeated in dual action on Jan. 5, 2018 at Navy.
• Hartman, who started every 2018-19 dual at 157 pounds, has moved up a weight class this season.
• Mitch Hartman, the older brother of Zach, is projected to start for the first time since his sophomore year against the Huskies. The elder Hartman started the CSU Bakersfield and Edinboro duals during the 2017-18 campaign.
• Freshman Vincent Andreano could make his first career start on Thursday. Kyle Inlander and Garrett Hoffman would be making their first starts of the 2019-20 campaign.
• Three Bison earned their first dual start this season: Brandon Seidman (125), Darren Miller (133) and Jaden Fisher (157). Seidman is a sophomore while Miller and Fisher are freshmen.
• In 2018-19, Bucknell used 19 starters in dual competition. Three Bison started every dual: Hartman, D.J. Hollingshead (165) and Phipps (197). Hollingshead was lost to graduation.
• Matthew Kolonia started all but the American dual in 2018-19. After starting the first four duals at 141 pounds, he moved up to 149 pounds, his current weight class.
• At least three different starters took the mat at three weight classes: 133 (3), 141 (4) and 285 (4).

Category Leaders
• Wins: Zach Hartman (10)
• Dual Wins: Zach Hartman and Drew Phipps (2)
• EIWA Dual Wins: N/A
• Pins: Zach Hartman (4)
• Technical Falls: Zach Hartman (2)
• Major Decisions: Matthew Kolonia (3)

Bison Ranked
Zach Hartman (165): 15th The Open Mat, 17th Intermat and FloWrestling
Garrett Hoffman (285): 15th FloWrestling

Returning NCAA Qualifiers
Zach Hartman: 2019 at 157
Garrett Hoffman: 2017 at 184
Drew Phipps: 2019 at 197

Returning EIWA Placewinners
David Campbell: 2018 (8th at 133)
Zach Hartman: 2019 (2nd at 157)
Drew Phipps: 2019 (6th at 197), 2018 (8th at 184)

Bloomsburg at a Glance/Series History
• The Huskies are set to open dual action against the Bison on Thursday, Dec. 5. To date, they have attended three tournaments, most recently placing sixth at the Black Knight Invitational on Nov. 17.
• In 2018-19, Bloomsburg went 3-13 (1-5 EWL). At the last Eastern Wrestling League Championships, Willy Girard (125) won an individual title while Trevor Allard (3rd at 184) and Kyle Murphy (4th at 197) also made the podium. Girard went on to represent the Huskies at the NCAA Championships.
• Bloomsburg returns all three of its EWL placewinners from a year ago.
• The Huskies are in their first season in the Mid-American Conference. The MAC absorbed the seven EWL teams ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.
• While Bloomsburg leads the all-time series, 13-5-1, Bucknell has won four of the past five duals.
• A year ago, the Bison cruised to a 35-7 victory over the Huskies in Bloomsburg. Matthew Kolonia (149), Frankie Guida, Jr. (174) and Brandon Stokes (285) all pinned their opponents in the first period, accounting for three of Bucknell's five bonus-point victories.
• During the team's most recent dual in Lewisburg, Bloomsburg halted a three-dual losing skid to the Bison with a 22-20 victory on Feb. 17, 2018. The Huskies erased a 20-13 deficit in the final two bouts of the night with a fall at 197 pounds and a decision at heavyweight.
• For Bucknell, Tyler Smith (141) became the first Bison since 2009-10 to go undefeated in dual action while Drew Phipps (184) picked up his 20th victory of the season. Before Smith finished the year with a 16-0 dual record, the last Bison to go undefeated in dual competition (minimum five starts) was Andy Rendos (165).

A Look Ahead
• Following the exam break, the Bison travel to Long Island University, the EIWA's newest member, for a 7 p.m. dual on Friday, Dec. 20. They then attend the prestigious Ken Kraft Midlands Championships on Dec. 29-30.

Note for projected lineup: 2019-20 record in parentheses; rankings are Intermat/The Open Mat/FloWrestling; lineup is subject to change