Bucknell University
Sacred Heart
Wrestling to Face Sacred Heart Friday, Buffalo and Edinboro Sunday
12/14/2022 4:49:00 PM | Wrestling
Bucknell (0-1, 0-0 EIWA) at Sacred Heart (0-5, 0-1 EIWA)
When: Friday, Dec. 16 – 7 p.m.
Where: William H. Pitt Center – Fairfield, Conn.
Watch: NEC Front Row
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_WRST
Bucknell (0-1, 0-0 EIWA) vs. Edinboro (1-3, 0-1 MAC)
When: Sunday, Dec. 18 – 2 p.m. (approx.)
Where: Alumni Arena – Buffalo, N.Y.
Watch: YouTube
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_WRST
Bucknell (0-1, 0-0 EIWA) at Buffalo (3-7, 0-0 MAC)
When: Sunday, Dec. 18 – 4 p.m.
Where: Alumni Arena – Buffalo, N.Y.
Watch: YouTube
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_WRST
Projected Bucknell Lineup
125: Grayson McLellan (0-3)
133 - #32/HM Kurt Phipps (10-5)
141 - #25/22 Darren Miller (7-3)
149 - Kolby DePron (5-6)
157 - Nick Delp (5-4)
165 - Chase Barlow (4-9)
174 - Sam Barnes (6-7)
184 - Logan Deacetis (5-4)
197 - Nolan Springer (7-5)
285 - Luke Niemeyer (1-5)
Note: Rankings are Intermat/FloWrestling
Bucknell at a Glance
• The Bison are currently 0-1 (0-0 EIWA) on the season, having competed in just one dual against No. 11 Oklahoma State on Nov. 12.
• Bucknell is coming off a weekend at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 2 and 3. The Bison have had 20 placewinners at tournaments this season.
• Bucknell opens EIWA competition Friday when it faces Sacred Heart in Fairfield, Conn. before visiting Buffalo, N.Y. on Sunday for a tri-meet with Buffalo and Edinboro.
• Both Darren Miller and Kurt Phipps enter the weekend among the nationally ranked wrestlers. Miller came in at No. 25 and No. 22 in the latest Intermat and FloWrestling rankings, respectively. Phipps was ranked No. 32 by Intermat and was an honorable mention by FloWrestling.
• Miller was named EIWA Wrestler of the Week on Nov. 14 for his performance in the Oklahoma State dual.
• The Bison went 12-6 (7-3 EIWA) during the 2021-22 season. Bucknell placed four on the podium at the 2022 EIWA Championships, two of which (Miller, Nick Delp) return for the 2022-23 season. Bucknell has six returning EIWA placewinners overall, and Miller is the team's lone returning NCAA qualifier, earning an automatic bid at 133 pounds in 2021.
• Bucknell welcomed nine newcomers to the team this season after losing six to graduation in the spring.
• Bucknell's grueling 2022-23 schedule includes trips to the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and the Southern Scuffle. In dual action, the Bison face three ranked teams from the preseason top 25.
• Head coach Dan Wirnsberger is in his 18th season at the helm of the Bucknell wrestling program. He's scored 142 career victories, good for second in school history; he was also tabbed as the 2015 EIWA Coach of the Year after the Bison placed third at the EIWA Championships and qualified four wrestlers for the NCAA Championships.
• Wirnsberger and Bob Ferraro, who led Bucknell to a 169-175-6 record from 1974 to 1997, are the program's only head coaches to reach the 100-win plateau.
Bison Ranked
Darren Miller (141): 25th Intermat, 22nd FloWrestling
Kurt Phipps (133): 32nd Intermat, HM FlowWrestling
Category Leaders
• Wins: Kurt Phipps (10)
• Dual Wins: Two Tied (1)
• EIWA Dual Wins: N/A
• Pins: Mikey Bartush (4)
• Technical Falls: Four Tied (1)
• Major Decisions: Dorian Crosby (3)
Sacred Heart at a Glance
• Sacred Heart is 0-5 (0-1 EIWA) on the season, most recently falling 35-6 to No. 2 Iowa. The Pioneers also have losses to No. 21 Rutgers and No. 17 Lehigh.
• Sacred Heart was 1-9 (0-7 EIWA) last season and finished 16th at the 2021 EIWA Championships.
• The Pioneers have one returning NCAA qualifier in graduate student Nick Palumbo (157), who reached the national stage in 2020-21. Palumbo picked up one win at last year's EIWA Championship.
• Bucknell is 9-0 in all-time meetings with Sacred Heart, dating back to 2000. Most recently, the Bison routed the Pioneers 43-9 in in Lewisburg on Jan. 22 last season. After trailing 9-6 through the first three bouts, the Bison posted three consecutive pins at 184, 197 and 285 to gain a sizable advantage. Bucknell recorded four pins overall, and three others garnered bonus points.
• In 2019 on the road, Bucknell pitched its first shutout since the 2015-16 campaign by rolling to a 40-0 victory over Sacred Heart. The Bison have blanked the Pioneers tree times overall.
Buffalo at a Glance
• Buffalo is 3-7 (0-0 MAC) this season after recently suffering a 30-6 defeat at the hands of No. 18 North Dakota State. The Bulls have taken on four other ranked teams and have wins over Gannon, LIU and Chattanooga.
• Buffalo went 12-6 (7-2 MAC) last season and finished fourth at the MAC Championships. Three Bulls represented Buffalo at the 2022 NCAA Championships, including two that are back this season: Jay Nivison (174), Michael Petite (157).
• Petite is ranked 25th by Intermat, and Giuseppe Hoose (184) is ranked 24th.
• The Bulls lead 11-4 in the all-time series with the Bison, dating back to 1976. Bucknell last took down the Bulls in 2013.
• In last season's meeting, which took place at Davis Gym on Dec. 18, 2021 as part of Bucknell's tri-dual with Lock Haven, the Bison were edged 18-15 by the Bulls. Kurt Phipps defeated Buffalo's nationally-ranked Derek Spann, and Luke Niemeyer posted a 9-5 decision over Toby Cahill at 285. The Bison also came out on top at 165 and 125.
Edinboro at a Glance
• Edinboro is 1-3 (0-1 MAC) following a 31-12 loss to Ohio last Saturday. The team's lone dual win came against Glenville State on Nov. 20 at the Mountaineer Quad.
• The Scots went 2-11 (1-7 MAC) last season and finished 13th at the MAC Championships.
• The Scots lead 4-0 in the all-time series with Bucknell, dating back to 1987. The two teams also met in 1987, 2011 and 2017.
• In the 2017 matchup, the then-25th ranked Scots pulled out a 30-10 win in Edinboro, Pa. The Bison scored bonus points at both 141 pounds and 197 pounds.
A Look Ahead
• The Bison take a trip to Chattanooga, Tenn. to attend the Southern Scuffle on New Year's Day and Jan. 2.
Players Mentioned
