Six Bison Wrestlers Advance to EIWA Championships' Second Day

Friday, March 6

Bethlehem, Pa.

All Day

Bucknell University

EIWA Championships

Photo by: Marc Hagemeier

Six Bison Wrestlers Advance to EIWA Championships' Second Day

3/6/2020 11:15:00 PM | Wrestling

Zach Hartman and Drew Phipps reach EIWA semifinals for second-straight year

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Six Bucknell wrestlers guaranteed themselves podium spots by advancing to the EIWA Championships' second day on Friday night at Lehigh's Stabler Arena.

Zach Hartman (165) and Drew Phipps (197) reached the semifinals for the second year in a row while Jaden Fisher (157), Mitch Hartman (174), Kyle Inlander (184) and Brandon Stokes (285) stayed alive in the wrestlebacks. Fisher, M. Hartman, Inlander and Stokes will all become first-time EIWA placewinners.

Z. Hartman, the third seed, and Phipps, the fifth seed, will compete for a spot in the EIWA title bout tomorrow at 10 a.m. Each punched his ticket to the NCAA Championships, slated for March 19-21 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn.

Z. Hartman and Phipps were impressive in their runs to the semifinals. Z. Hartman, last year's EIWA runner-up at 157 pounds, opened his time at the 2020 EIWA Championships with a 10-2 major decision over Riley Jacops (Columbia); Z. Hartman outscored Jacops, 8-2, in the third period to emerge victorious. Then, Z. Hartman edged Grant Cuomo (Princeton) by a 5-3 decision behind a third-period escape and the riding-time point.

Phipps was a 5-2 winner over Robert Hetherman (Sacred Heart) and a 9-3 victor over Jacob Koser (Navy). Notably, Koser was the fourth seed to Phipps's fifth seed; back in January, the Midshipman halted Phipp's dual winning streak at 16 bouts with a 10-4 decision in Annapolis, Maryland. Phipps took his revenge on Friday, ceding only three escapes while securing three takedowns, a reversal and the riding-time point.

This will be Phipps's third-straight EIWA podium appearance; the senior finished sixth at 197 pounds a year ago and eighth at 184 pounds in 2018; he and Hartman both locked up automatic bids to the 2019 NCAA Championships based on their performance at that year's EIWA Championships.

With the EIWA boasting six automatic qualifiers for the 2020 NCAA Championships at 165 and 197 pounds, Hartman and Phipps are assured a spot. By advancing to the semifinals, neither can finish lower than sixth.

By having Fisher, M. Hartman, Inlander and Stokes join Z. Hartman and Phipps on the second day of the competition, the Bison are currently seventh in the 17-team field with 40 points. No. 10 Lehigh (87.5), No. 17 Army West Point (73.5) and No. 18 Cornell (68.5) are the top three teams. Bucknell will boast at least four EIWA placewinners for the first time since 2017; that season, the Bison placed six on the podium en route to a sixth-place finish in the 16-team field.

Fisher, Inlander and Stokes all knocked off higher-seeded grapplers in the second consolation round of eight to secure their podium spots. Fisher used a third-period reversal and 3:18 of riding time to dispatch fifth-seeded Kyle Mosher (Columbia) by a 4-2 decision while Inlander outscored eighth-seeded Joe Franzese (Columbia), 4-0, in the third period to secure a 9-3 decision.

Stokes, an undersized heavyweight from nearby Milton, Pa. who began his collegiate career at 165 pounds and this season at 184 pounds, had a 2-0 lead on second-seeded Ben Sullivan (Army West Point) when the Black Knight ceded the bout due to injury.

Darren Miller (133), Fisher and M. Hartman each made his debut at the EIWA Championships. Despite bowing out on the opening day, Miller looked strong, with two of his three bouts going into the second tiebreaker period.

Geo Barzona (125) and David Campbell (149) were each eliminated by overtime losses. During the opening round, Campbell accounted for Bucknell's lone pin, bringing Michael Blando's (LIU) shoulders to the mat in just 58 seconds.

The EIWA Championships resume tomorrow at 10 a.m. with the championship semifinals. The wrestleback semifinals will follow at approximately 11:50 a.m.

125: #12 Geo Barzona (0-2)
Round of 16: L, dec. to #5 Gage Curry (American), 0-5
Consolation Round of 8 #1: L, dec.to #13 Jose Diaz (Franklin & Marshall), 1-5 (TB-2)
Barzona eliminated

133: #5 Darren Miller (1-2)
Round of 16: W, dec. over #12 Charlie Faber (Brown), 9-8 (TB-2)
Quarterfinals: L, dec. to #4 Casey Cobb (Navy), 1-2 (TB-2)
Consolation Round of 8 #2: L, dec. to #7 Carmen Ferrante (Penn), 0-4
Miller eliminated

141: #16 David Campbell (1-2)
Round of 32: W, fall over #17 Michael Blando (LIU), 0:58
Round of 16: L, dec. to #1 Salvatore Profaci (American), 4-6
Consolation Round of 8 #1: L, dec. to #9 Corey Shie (#17 Army West Point), 4-6 (SV-1)
Campbell eliminated

149: #6 Matthew Kolonia (1-2)
Round of 16: W, dec. over #11 Reece Heller (Hofstra), 10-3
Quarterfinals: L, maj. dec. to #3 Hunter Richard (#18 Cornell), 1-12
Consolation Round of 8 #2: L, dec. to #8 Ricky Cabanillas (Brown), 5-9
Kolonia eliminated

157: #7 Jaden Fisher (2-1)
Round of 16: W, dec. over #10 Holden Heller (Hofstra), 6-5
Quarterfinals: L, dec. to #2 Markus Hartman (#17 Army West Point), 3-6
Consolation Round of 8 #2: W, dec. over #5 Kyle Mosher (Columbia), 4-2
Fisher advances to Consolation Round of 4, where will face #6 Hunter Ladnier (Harvard)

165: #3 Zach Hartman (2-0)
Round of 16: W, maj. dec. over #14 Riley Jacops (Columbia), 10-2
Quarterfinals: W, dec. over #6 Grant Cuomo (#12 Princeton), 5-3
Z. Hartman advances to Semifinals, where will face #2 Philip Conigliaro (Harvard)

174: #8 Mitch Hartman (2-1)
Round of 16: W, dec. over #9 Joe Accousti (Sacred Heart), 3-1 (SV-1)
Quarterfinals: L, tech fall to #1 Jordan Kutler (#10 Lehigh), 0-16 (5:42)
Consolation Round of 8 #2: W, dec. over #14 James Langan (LIU), 7-4
M. Hartman advances to Consolation Round of 4, where will face #16 Anthony Wokasch (American)

184: #11 Kyle Inlander (2-1)
Round of 16: L, fall to #6 Travis Stefanik (#12 Princeton), 2:26
Consolation Round of 8 #1: W, dec. over #14 Reid Robilotto (Franklin & Marshall), 6-2
Consolation Round of 8 #2: W, dec. over #8 Joe Franzese (Columbia), 9-3
Inlander advances to Consolation Round of 4, where will face #5 Jonathan Lowe (#18 Cornell)

197: #5 Drew Phipps (2-0)
Round of 16: W, dec. over #12 Robert Hetherman (Sacred Heart), 5-2
Quarterfinals: W, dec. over #4 Jacob Koser (Navy), 9-3
Phipps advances to Semifinals, where will face #1 Patrick Brucki (#12 Princeton)

285: #13 Brandon Stokes (2-1)
Round of 16: L, maj. dec. to #4 Zachary Knighton-Ward (Hofstra), 0-8
Consolation Round of 8 #1: W, dec. over #12 Aidan Conner (#12 Princeton), 9-5
Consolation Round of 8 #2: W, inj. default over #2 Ben Sullivan (#17 Army West Point), 1:16
Stokes advances to Consolation Round of 4, where will face #6 Ben Goldin (Penn)

Note: Number listed beside wrestler is EIWA Championships seed; number listed beside team is national ranking