Wrestling Travels to Lock Haven Tomorrow; Hosts EIWA Foe Navy Friday

Bucknell (5-6) at Lock Haven (9-5)
When: Thursday, Jan. 30 – 7 p.m.
Where: Thomas Fieldhouse – Lock Haven, Pa.
Watch: PSAC Sports Digital Network
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_WRST

Bucknell (5-6, 3-1 EIWA) vs. Navy (4-3, 3-0 EIWA)
When: Friday, Jan. 31 – 6 p.m.
Where: Davis Gym – Lewisburg, Pa.
Watch: ESPN+
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_WRST

Projected Bucknell Lineup:
125 - Chris Nucifora (0-3)
133 - #29 Kurt Phipps (14-7)
141 - #20 Dylan Chappell (16-5)
149 - Braden Bower (9-13) or Kolby DePron (7-4)
157 - Cade Wirnsberger (13-14) or Riley Bower (1-3)
165 - #21 Noah Mulvaney (8-2)
174 - #18 Myles Takats (17-4)
184 - Logan Deacetis (7-9) or Mikey Bartush (10-8)
197 - #24 Dillon Bechtold (16-7)
285 - Nolan Springer (8-5) or Logan Shephard (6-11)

Rankings Intermat

Bucknell at a Glance:

• Bucknell looks to keep its momentum going after its first ranked win in a decade when it faces Lock Haven in the I-80 Romp and fellow EIWA foe Navy in two matches.
• Navy is the fifth EIWA match for the Bison.
• The Orange & Blue fell 20-13 to EIWA member Drexel last Friday but rebounded to upset No. 21 Army 21-13 on Sunday for a 3-1 EIWA record. .
• Five Bucknell wrestlers are ranked by Intermat with Myles Takats slotting the highest at #18.
• The NCAA Coaches Rankings came out last week and four Bison received recognition: #30 Kurt Phipps (133), #15 Dylan Chappell (141), #19 Noah Takats (174), and #19 Dillon Bechtold (197). Noah Mulvaney, due to his early season injuries, misses the initial cut but should be ranked in the forthcoming editions.
• Bucknell had the No. 25 recruiting class in the country by Intermat.
• Head coach Dan Wirnsberger is in his 19th season with the Bison and his 20th year leading the program since its revival in 2005.

A Look Back at the Drexel/Army Duals

• Bucknell lost 20-13 to Drexel as the Bison never gained any traction against a determined Dragons squad.
• The Orange & Blue bounced back dramatically against the Black Knights winning 21-13.
• Army led 9-6 after four matches and then Bucknell unleashed a 15-0 run to win the dual.
• The Bison outconditioned the Black Knights and won multiple matches by coming back in the third round and won two sudden victory situations.
• Bucknell went 4-0 in ranked wrestler duals and won several toss-up matches.
• The victory marked Bucknell's first ranked win since defeating No. 17 Rider in 2015.

Scouting Lock Haven/Series History

• The Eagles are 9-5 overall and 3-0 in MAC play.
• Lock Haven has not shielded itself from challenges going 0-4 against ranked opponents.
• Bucknell and Lock Haven share Wisconsin, Iowa State, Maryland, and Morgan State. Lock Haven defeated Morgan State 53-0 and beat Wisconsin 26-17 and lost to Maryland and Iowa State. The Bison only defeated Morgan State from that grouping.
• The Eagles have seven wrestlers ranked by the NCAA Coaches.
• Lock Haven went 7-11 overall and 4-4 in MAC play during the 2023-24 season. They placed fourth at the MAC Championships with three individual champions.
• Bucknell and Lock Haven are meeting for the 25th time. The Eagles own the series record 19-5. The two teams first met in 1947. LHU won the first 16 matches in the I-80 Romp. Coach Dan Wirnsberger is 5-3 against Lock Haven and owns every Bucknell victory in the rivalry.

Scouting Navy/Series History

• The Midshipmen are 4-3 overall and 3-0 in EIWA play.
• Navy only has scheduled 11 duals for the 2024-25 season. All three losses have come to ranked foes: No. 11 Iowa State, No. 25 North Carolina, and No. 25 Pitt. The only non-conference win came over former EIWA member Harvard.
• In EIWA play, Navy has sunk every opponent beating American (24-21), Drexel (29-9), and No. 21 Lehigh (21-15).
• The Mids are receiving votes in the NWCA Poll.
• Navy went 8-6 overall and 2-3 in EIWA play during the 2023-24 season. They placed sixth at the EIWA Championships and 26th at the NCAA Championships.
• Bucknell and Navy are meeting for the 28th time. The Mids own the series record 27-1. Bucknell's sole win came in 1986. The Bison have never defeated Army and Navy in the same year.

A Look Ahead

• The Bison welcome Keystone State rival Lehigh next Friday at Davis Gym. The game will be Bucknell's Fight Like Bell Night in honor of wrestler Owen Bell.

Wrestling Travels to Lock Haven Tomorrow; Hosts EIWA Foe Navy Friday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Mikey Bartush

Dillon Bechtold

Owen Bell

Braden Bower

Riley Bower

Dylan Chappell

Logan Deacetis

Kolby DePron

Noah Mulvaney

Chris Nucifora

Kurt Phipps

Logan Shephard

Nolan Springer

Myles Takats

Myles Takats

Cade Wirnsberger