Bucknell University
LIU
Wrestling Hosts LIU, Visits Rider and Army for Weekend Duals
1/26/2023 11:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Bucknell (4-4, 3-1 EIWA) vs. LIU (2-5, 0-0 EIWA)
When: Saturday, Jan. 28 – 11 a.m.
Where: Davis Gym – Lewisburg, Pa.
Watch: YouTube
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_WRST
Bucknell (4-4, 3-1 EIWA) at Rider (4-2, 2-0 MAC)
When: Saturday, Jan. 28 – 7 p.m.
Where: Alumni Gym – Lawrenceville, N.J.
Watch: ESPN+
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_WRST
Bucknell (4-4, 3-1 EIWA) at Army (4-4, 2-1 EIWA)
When: Sunday, Jan. 29 – 2 p.m.
Where: Gillis Field House – West Point, N.Y.
Watch: FloWrestling
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_WRST
Projected Bucknell Lineup
125: Grayson McLellan (0-10)
133: No. 23/22 Kurt Phipps (22-8)
141: No. 20/11 Darren Miller (13-4)/Dylan Chappell (16-6)
149: Braden Bower (13-8)/Kolby DePron (7-9)
157: Riley Bower (3-7)
165: Chase Barlow (7-14)
174: Sam Barnes (9-15)
184: Mikey Bartush (10-7)/Mason McCready (9-7)
197: Nolan Springer (11-10)
285: Dorian Crosby (12-9)
Note: Rankings are Intermat/FloWrestling
Bucknell at a Glance
• Bucknell is 4-4 (3-1 EIWA) following its loss to Drexel last Sunday. The Bison are gearing up for a busy weekend that includes two duals on Saturday and one on Sunday. Sunday's trip to Army will be Bucknell's final road competition before the EIWA Championships.
• Darren Miller, Dylan Chappell and Dorian Crosby all remain unbeaten in duals this season. Meanwhile, Kurt Phipps leads the roster with 22 wins.
• Bucknell was one of 12 teams receiving votes in the latest NWCA Division I Mid-Major Coaches Poll.
• Three Bison appeared in the first NCAA Coaches' Poll: Phipps, Miller and Crosby. Both Phipps and Miller remain among the nationally ranked by Intermat/FloWrestling. Phipps came in at No. 23/22, and Miller sits at No. 20/11.
• 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 Drexel Dual
• Bucknell dropped its first EIWA dual of the season to Drexel 23-13 last Sunday. Bucknell won four of the 10 bouts and lost two of them by just a single point.
• Drexel's three nationally-ranked wrestlers combined for 10 team points, and the Dragons used a 17-0 run to erase an early 10-6 Bison lead.
• Dorian Crosby opened the match with Bucknell's biggest win of the day – a dominant 14-3 major decision that put the Bison on the board first. Kurt Phipps, Darren Miller and Nolan Springer also picked up wins against the Dragons.
• Three Drexel wrestlers scored bonus points with two major decisions and a pin.
Bison in the NCAA Coaches' Rankings
Kurt Phipps (133): 21st
Darren Miller (141): 14th
Dorian Crosby (285): 30th
Bison Ranked
Kurt Phipps (133): 23rd by Intermat, 22nd by FloWrestling
Darren Miller (141): 20th by Intermat, 11th by FloWrestling
Category Leaders
• Wins: Kurt Phipps (22)
• Dual Wins: Kurt Phipps (6)
• EIWA Dual Wins: Kurt Phipps (4)
• Pins: Mikey Bartush (5)
• Technical Falls: Seven Tied (1)
• Major Decisions: Dorian Crosby (4)
LIU at a Glance
• The Sharks are 2-5 (1-2 EIWA), most recently suffering a 29-11 defeat against Franklin & Marshall. LIU's two wins were over VMI and Sacred Heart.
• LIU finished last at the 2022 EIWA Championships. Four Sharks picked up wins at the competition, three of which are back this season.
• Bucknell is 2-0 in meetings with the Sharks, who joined the EIWA following the 2019 merger of Division I LIU Brooklyn and Division II LIU Post.
• The Bison won 29-10 in last season's meeting with LIU, taking seven of 10 bouts and scoring bonus points in all but one of their victories.
Rider at a Glance
• Rider is 4-2 (2-0 MAC) following its 19-18 win over Princeton on Saturday, which came down to criteria D, total near fall points, after the dual was even in team points, matches won, pins, and total points. The Broncs are riding two straight wins.
• Rider sent two individual MAC champions to the 2022 NCAA Championships. Both Richie Koehler and Quinn Kinner are back this season. Kinner is now ranked No. 23 at 149 by Intermat.
• Freshman McKenzie Bell (141) and senior Ethan Laird (197) are also nationally ranked, coming in at No. 33 and No. 8, respectively. All three Rider grapplers in the Intermat rankings also earned spots on the first NCAA Coaches' Poll, along with sophomore David Szuba (285).
• Bucknell trails 11-20-1 in the all-time series with Rider, which dates back to 1971, but the Bison have claimed three in a row over the Brocs. The streak includes a dramatic 17-15 win at Davis Gym last season.
• In the 2022 matchup, the Bison trailed the Broncs by a 15-10 margin entering the final two bouts before Kolby DePron and Nick Delp scored back-to-back victories to propel the team to a comeback win.
• DePron started the late rally with a commanding 15-2 major decision over Bryan Miraglia. Delp and his opponent, Alec Bobchin, went back and forth in the final period before a late takedown followed by 30 seconds of riding time for Delp led to a 5-4 victory and a win for the Bison.
Army at a Glance
• Army enters the weekend 4-4 (2-1 EIWA) and will host Cornell on Saturday before hosting the Bison. The Black Knights are coming off back-to-back wins over Queens University of Charlotte and Gardner-Webb.
• Army went 2-7 (2-2 EIWA) last season before placing eighth at the 2022 EIWA Championships with 57 points. Army's five placewinners were highlighted by Ben Pasiuk, who took third at 174 pounds. Two of Army's EIWA placewinners are back this season.
• Pasiuk (174) was one of three Cadets to represent Army at the 2022 NCAA Championships last season.
• Two Black Knights appeared in the latest Intermat rankings: No. 33 Ethan Beginc (125), No. 20 Pasiuk (174). Both were also recognized in the first NCAA Coaches' Poll.
• Army leads the all-time series 14-6 with Bucknell, dating back to 1980. The Bison last defeated the Black Knights in 2017.
• Army won 21-12 over Bucknell at Davis Gym last season. The Black Knights took six of 10 bouts, and Army's Ben Pasiuk scored the only bonus points with a pin at 174.
A Look Ahead
• Bucknell hosts two EIWA opponents on back-to-back days next weekend. Columbia visits Davis Gym at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3, and Navy comes to town at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4.
• Bucknell is at home for its four remaining duals leading into the EIWA Championships on March 4 and March 5.
Players Mentioned
