Bucknell University
American
Wrestling Visits Nation's Capital Sunday to Face American
1/11/2023 3:02:00 PM | Wrestling
Bucknell (3-3, 2-0 EIWA) at American (4-5, 2-1 EIWA)
When: Sunday, Jan. 15 – 1 p.m.
Where: Bender Arena – Washington, D.C.
Watch: ESPN+
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_WRST
Projected Bucknell Lineup
125: Grayson McLellan (0-8)
133: No. 22/23 Kurt Phipps (20-8)
141: Dylan Chappell (15-6)
149: Braden Bower (12-7) or Kolby DePron (7-9)
157: Riley Bower (2-6)
165: Chase Barlow (7-12)
174: Sam Barnes (9-13)
184: Mikey Bartush (9-7)
197: Mason McCready (9-6) or Nolan Springer (9-10)
285: Dorian Crosby (10-9)
Rankings are Intermat/FloWrestling
Bucknell at a Glance
• Bucknell improved to 3-3 (2-0 EIWA) with its 18-17 win over Hofstra on Monday, Jan. 9.
• Three Bison remain unbeaten in EIWA duals this season, and both Kurt Phipps and Chase Barlow are 2-0 in those duals.
• Phipps and Darren Miller were both among the nationally-ranked wrestlers by FloWrestling and Intermat this week.
• Bucknell has had two EIWA Wrestlers of the Week this season.
• 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 and Nick Delp) returned 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. Notably, the Bison lost All-American and four-time NCAA qualifier Zach Hartman (165).
• 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 145 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.
A Look Back at the Hofstra Dual
• Bucknell won 18-17 in dramatic fashion over Hofstra at home on Monday, Jan. 9 to improve to 2-0 in EIWA competition.
• Bucknell jumped out to a 15-7 lead by taking four of the first six bouts, but Hofstra earned three straight wins to go up 17-15 heading into the final bout. At 285, Dorian Crosby defeated No. 30 Zachary Knighton-Ward by a narrow 2-1 margin with the riding time point to give the Bison the 18-17 victory.
• Crosby has won three of his last four, including two wins over nationally-ranked opponents. He's 2-0 in duals this season.
• Bucknell won five of the 10 bouts in the match, including three in a row at 133, 141 and 149. Dylan Chappell's first-period fall over Hofstra's Justin Hoyle at 149 gave the Bison an early 9-4 lead.
• Two of Hofstra's wins were by ranked wrestlers (No. 24 Jacob Ferreira, No. 29 Trey Rogers).
Bison Ranked
Kurt Phipps (133): 22nd by Intermat, 23rd by FloWrestling
Darren Miller (141): 19th by Intermat, 16th by FloWrestling
Category Leaders
• Wins: Kurt Phipps (20)
• Dual Wins: Kurt Phipps (4)
• EIWA Dual Wins: Phipps, Barlow (2)
• Pins: Chappell, Bartush (4)
• Technical Falls: Seven Tied (1)
• Major Decisions: Chappell, Crosby (3)
American at a Glance
• American 4-5 (2-1 EIWA) and will face Columbia on Friday before hosting Bucknell on Sunday. Most recently, the Eagles fell 35-9 to No. 8 Virginia Tech.
• In EIWA duals, American fell 27-6 to Army, defeated Sacred Heart 41-3, and beat Hofstra 21-16.
• American went 1-12 (0-5 EIWA) last season and finished 15th at the EIWA Championships. Jack Maida (133) was the Eagles' only placewinner, taking fourth. Maida is back with the Eagles for his sophomore season.
• Bucknell leads 23-6-1 in the all-time series with American, which began in 1966. Bucknell has won each of the last two meetings, while American's last win over the Bison was in 2019.
• Bucknell topped the Eagles 29-9 at home in the last meeting on Feb. 6, 2022. The Bison won seven of nine bouts with four scoring bonus points and two posting first-period pins.
A Look Ahead
• Bucknell returns to action on Sunday, Jan. 22 with a home dual against EIWA foe Drexel. The Bison host the Dragons in Davis Gym at 2 p.m., and the contest will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Players Mentioned
