Bucknell University
Southern Scuffle
Bison Crown Two Champions, Five Climb Podium at 2024 Southern Scuffle
1/2/2024 10:03:00 PM | Wrestling
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Bucknell wrestling team crowned two champions and placed five on the podium on day two of the Southern Scuffle, finishing in sixth place overall with 106.5 points. The Bison were one of just four teams with two title winners. Kurt Phipps went 5-0 to claim the top spot in the 133-pound bracket, and Noah Mulvaney went 5-0 to finish first in the 165-pound bracket.
Dorian Crosby was the third Bison to reach the championship finals on Tuesday and finished runner-up at 285. Mikey Bartush (184) and Logan Deacetis (197) both fell to the consolation bracket on Monday before finishing fourth and sixth, respectively. Bucknell's five placewinners was an improvement from the 2023 Southern Scuffle, where Phipps and Darren Miller were the team's only wrestlers to reach the podium at fourth and fifth place. Bucknell wrestlers went a combined 33-22 overall at the two-day 2024 Southern Scuffle.
Phipps handled Blake Boarman (Chattanooga) with an 8-3 decision in the semifinals before facing off against fourth-seeded Dom Serrano (N. Colorado), who's currently ranked No. 27 in the nation by Intermat, in the finals. The low-scoring affair saw Phipps score just one point with an escape at the start of the second period, but the lead held and he earned the riding time point to secure a 2-0 victory. It was the senior's second tournament title of the season after he placed first at the Navy Classic in November.
Mulvaney's semifinal matchup with sixth-seeded Tyler Lillard (Indiana) was also a narrow, low-scoring bout, with the pair sitting even at 1-1 heading into the final minute of the third period. With just 13 seconds remaining Mulvaney pulled off a takedown to secure the 4-1 victory and a spot in the finals. There, the freshman trailed 3-1 at the end of the first period but pulled away with two takedowns, a nearfall and an escape over the final two periods for the 11-5 decision over Gunner Filipowicz (Army). It was also Mulvaney's second tournament win this season after he claimed first place at the Clarion Open. Bucknell's wins leader improved to 19-3 on the season following the two-day affair.
Crosby, who allowed just four combined points in the round of 16, the quarterfinals and the semifinals, posted an 11-2 major decision over Peter Ming (Stanford) in the semis. He was challenged by the top seed and No. 15 heavyweight in the nation Josh Heindselman (Oklahoma) in the finals. Crosby fought back after an early 4-0 deficit before falling by a 7-3 decision. It was Crosby's third podium performance this season.
Bartush wound up with five wins at the tournament as well after battling his way back through the consolation bracket and earning a spot in the third place bout. He registered a major decision in the consolation quarterfinals and posted his best performance of the season in the consolation semis, upsetting top-seeded Giuseppe Hoose (Oklahoma) with a first-period pin. Hoose was ranked No. 31 in the country. Bartush then took a 6-2 lead into the second period against second-seeded Roman Rogotzke (Indiana) in the third place bout, but he was pinned by the Hoosier.
Deacetis, who tallied two pins, a major decision and a tech fall at the tournament, was upended by fourth-seeded Gabe Sollars (Indiana) in the consolation semifinals and took sixth place following a narrow 2-0 loss to Xavier Vasquez (N. Colorado) in the fifth place bout.
Freshmen Aiden Davis (149) and Myles Takats (174) also competed early in the day on Tuesday, but both suffered losses in the blood round.
Only Oklahoma, Indiana and Northern Colorado joined Bucknell with two champions.
The Bison are off this weekend and return to action on Sunday, Jan. 14 for an EIWA dual at LIU. The contest is scheduled to begin at noon.
133: Kurt Phipps (5-0) First Place
Round of 32: W, dec. over Adams Raymond (Duke), 6-1
Round of 16: W, maj. dec. over Ethan Lipsey (Chattanooga), 17-3
Quarterfinals: W, maj. dec. over Jace Koelzer (Oklahoma), 9-0
Semifinals: W, dec. over Blake Boarman (Chattanooga), 8-3
Finals: W, dec. over No. 27 Dom Serrano (N. Colorado), 2-0
141: Braden Bower (2-2)
Round of 32: W, maj. dec. over Eli Knight (Chattanooga), 12-2
Round of 16: L, dec. to No. 27 Jason Miranda (Stanford), 2-0
Consi. Round of 16 #2: W, tech fall over Jackson Sichelsteil (Davidson), 16-1 (4:38)
Consi. Round of 8 #1: L, dec. to Carter Schmidt (Oklahoma), 9-6
149: Aiden Davis (2-2)
Round of 16: L, dec. to No. 10 Jaden Abas (Stanford), 10-3
Consi. Round of 16 #2: W, forfeit by Cutter Sheets (Oklahoma State)
Consi. Round of 8 #1: W, fall over Cade Balestrini (Bloomsburg), 4:21
Consi. Round of 8 #2: L, dec. to Jeremiah Price (Appalachian St.), 11-10
149: Riley Bower (1-2)
Round of 16: L, dec. to No. 22 Graham Rooks (Indiana), 3-1
Consi. Round of 16 #2: W, tech fall over Matthew Williams (Chattanooga), 15-0 (4:34)
Consi. Round of 8 #1: L, maj. dec. to Max Petersen (North Dakota State), 11-3
157: Kolby DePron (1-2)
Round of 32: W, dec. over Nico Bolivar (Indiana), 10-4
Round of 16: L, dec. to Jared Hill (Oklahoma), 3-2
Consi. Round of 16 #2: L, maj. dec. to Hayden Watson (The Citadel), 18-6
157: Cade Wirnsberger (0-2)
Round of 32: L, dec. to Jalin Harper (Oklahoma St.), 5-0
Consi. Round of 16 #1: L, dec. to Austin Paradice (Chattanooga), 2-0
165: Noah Mulvaney (5-0) First Place
Round of 32: W, dec. over Bilal Bailey (Little Rock), 5-3
Round of 16: W, dec. over Benjamin Haubert (The Citadel), 5-4
Quarterfinals: W, maj. dec. over Kamdyn Munro (Chattanooga), 19-6
Semifinals: W, dec. over Tyler Lillard (Indiana), 4-1
Finals: W, dec. over Gunner Filipowicz (Army), 11-5
174: Myles Takats (3-2)
Round of 32: L, dec. to John Worthing (Clarion), 9-6
Consi. Round of 16 #1: W, dec. over Aydin Rix-McElhinney (N. Colorado), 11-4
Consi. Round of 16 #2: W, maj. dec. over Sergio Desiante (Chattanooga), 11-1
Consi. Round of 8 #1: W, maj. dec. Suds Dubler (Clarion), 14-1
Consi. Round of 8 #2: L, dec. to Gavin Sax (North Dakota St.), 4-3
184: Nolan Springer (1-2)
Round of 32: L, dec. to Tomas Brooker (Appalachian St.), 5-1
Consi. Round of 16 #2: W, fall over Colby Isabelle (Brown), 2:49
Consi. Round of 8 #1: L, maj. dec. to Andrew Donahue (Northern Colorado), 14-5
184: Mikey Bartush (5-2) Fourth Place
Round of 32: W, dec. over Abe Wojcikiewicz (Stanford), 8-6
Round of 16: W, dec. over Adam Ortega (The Citadel), 5-0
Quarterfinals: L, dec. to Cameron Pine (Clarion), 5-1
Consi. Round of 8 #2: W, dec. over Wyatt Ferguson (Davidson), 6-0
Consi. Quarterfinals: W, maj. dec. over Abe Wojcikiewicz (Stanford), 11-1
Consi. Semifinals: W, fall over No. 31 Giuseppe Hoose (Oklahoma), 2:57
Third Place Bout: L, fall to Roman Rogotzke (Indiana), 3:17
197: Logan Deacetis (4-3) Sixth Place
Round of 32: W, fall over Kwasi Bonsu (Duke), 4:20
Round of 16: W, tech fall over Josh McCutchen (Gardner-Webb), 18-2 (6:25)
Quarterfinals: L, maj. dec. to Kyle Haas (Oklahoma State), 8-0
Consi. Round of 8 #2: W, fall over Cameo Blankenship (Davidson), 1:59
Consi. Quarterfinals: W, maj. dec. over Thomas Godbee (Army), 14-4
Consi. Semifinals: L, dec. to Gabe Sollars (Indiana), 5-0
Fifth Place Bout: L, dec. to Xavier Vasquez (N. Colorado), 2-0
285: Logan Shephard (0-2)
Round of 32: L, dec. to Nick Willham (Indiana), 4-2
Consi. Round of 16 #2: L, fall to Jake Andrews (CSU-Bakersfield), 5:41
285: Dorian Crosby (4-1) Second Place
Round of 32: W, fall over Ethan Vergara (Chattanooga), 5:57
Round of 16: W, dec. over John Meyers (Clarion), 6-0
Quarterfinals: W, dec. over Juan Mora (Oklahoma), 7-2
Semifinals: W, maj. dec. over Peter Ming (Stanford), 11-2
Finals: L, dec. to No. 15 Josh Heindselman (Oklahoma), 7-3
Team Results: Stanford 153.5, Oklahoma 136, Indiana 134, Army 133, Northern Colorado 110.5, Bucknell 106.5, Appalachian State 84, Chattanooga 63.5, North Dakota State 53.5, Gardner-Webb 52.5, Little Rock 52.5, Clarion 28.5, Oklahoma State 19, Brown 18.5, Duke 18.5, The Citadel 18.5, Drexel 13, Davidson 12, CSU-Bakersfield 11.5, Virginia 5, Bloomsburg 4
Players Mentioned
