Wrestling Welcomes #18 Oklahoma for Saturday Night Clash in Davis Gym

Bucknell (0-1) vs. #18 Oklahoma (0-0)
When: Saturday, Nov. 15 – 8 p.m.
Where: Davis Gym – Lewisburg, Pa.
Watch: ESPN+
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_WRST

Projected Bucknell Lineup:
125 - Kade Davidheiser (0-2) or Chris Nucifora (1-3)
133 - Ty Kapusta (0-3)
141 - #18 Dylan Chappell (3-1)
149 - Braden Bower (0-3) or Riley Bower (1-2)
157 - Cade Wirnsberger (3-2)
165 - #25 Noah Mulvaney (4-1)
174 - #24 Myles Takats (1-3)
184 - Tyler Bienus (3-2)
197 - #11 Dillon Bechtold (0-0) or Mikey Bartash (0-3)
285 - Lucas Lawler (3-2)

Rankings Intermat

Bucknell at a Glance:

• Bucknell continues its challenging non-conference schedule against No. 18 Oklahoma. It marks the second straight top 25 foe for the Bison.
• Five Bison wrestlers are ranked by Intermat with Dillon Bechtold slotting the highest at #11. Bechtold missed the season's first two events and hopefully will make his 2025-26 debut versus the Sooners. Lucas Lawler is not ranked by Intermat but is #27 in the FloWrestling lists for heavyweight.
• Dylan Chappell entered 2025-26 with 88 career wins and the fifth-year senior added three to his ledger at the Navy Classic. He looks to become the next Bison grappler to reach the 100-win milestone. Kurt Phipps was the last Bucknell wrestler to make it, earning number 100 against Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) on Jan. 30, 2025.
• Bucknell posted its third straight top 25 recruiting class, providing an even greater pool of talent for the program. The results have shown at the heavyweight class with the freshman Lawler scoring an upset victory in the Virginia Tech dual.
• Head coach Dan Wirnsberger is in his 20th season with the Bison and his 21th year leading the program since its revival in 2005.

A Look Back at the Virginia Tech Dual

• Bucknell battled a top ten foe to a narrow 19-12 defeat last Friday. Two upset wins headlined the Orange & Blue's effort.
• The Bison fell behind early with Tech winning the first four bouts to build an imprevious 13-0 advantage.
• Chris Nucifora (125) produced a solid result against No. 4 Eddie Ventresca, only dropping a 5-1 decision to the two-time All-American. The 125-class position lacks a frontrunner and Nucifora made a strong bid for his standing.
• Cade Wirnsberger (157) halted the Hokies' run with a 6-4 decision over Frank Dibella.
• Noah Mulvaney (165) added a second straight win for the Bison with 12-9 sudden victory decision over No. 28 Mac Church.
• Tyler Bienus, in a battle with Mikey Bartush for the 184-pound spot, upset No. 21 Jaden Bullock in a 4-2 decision.
• Rookie Lucas Lawler (285) ended the dual with a dramatic 3-2 decision over No. 16 Jimmy Mullen. The upset victory energized the Bison bench and provided a strong consolation prize amidst the tight defeat.
• The Bison went 1-2 in the ranked duals and fans missed out on a fourth ranked match when Bechtold (197) could not wrestle.

Scouting Oklahoma/Series History

• The Sooners have not played a dual yet but began their season at Missouri's Tiger Style Invite on Nov. 9.
• Oklahoma placed 15 wrestlers and won two individual titles, collecting 122.5 points for second place behind host Missouri.
• DJ Parker (197) went 3-0 to win the 197-pound title.
• Juan Mora (285) posted a 3-0 mark with two tech falls to easily clinch the heavyweight crown.
• Oklahoma slots No. 18 in the latest poll - the sixth-highest Big 12 team behind Bedlam Rival Oklahoma State (#5), Iowa State (#6), Northern Iowa (#14), Missouri (#16), and South Dakota State (#17).
• The Sooners start their Keystone State expedition at No. 1 Penn State on Friday night.
• Oklahoma boasts four ranked wrestlers in their probable lineup, all in the heavier weight classes: #33 Carter Schubert (174), #13 Brian Soldano (184), #8 DJ Parker (197), and #24 Juan Mora (285). As the probables stand now, there will be two InterMat ranked clashes with Bechold and Parker as the main highlight and the bout could very well serve as the deciding factor.
• The Sooners finished 8-4 overall and 4-4 in the Big 12 last year. Oklahoma posted a 1-4 mark against ranked foes and finished 38th at the NCAA National Championships.
• Bucknell and Oklahoma are meeting for the seventh time. The Sooners have won every clash.

A Look Ahead

• The Bison travel to Wisconsin on Nov. 25 to face the Big Ten Badgers, who are the top receiving votes team in the top 25 poll.

Wrestling Welcomes #18 Oklahoma for Saturday Night Clash in Davis Gym

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Mikey Bartush

Dillon Bechtold

Tyler Bienus

Braden Bower

Riley Bower

Dylan Chappell

Kade Davidheiser

Ty Kapusta

Lucas Lawler

Noah Mulvaney

Chris Nucifora

Kurt Phipps

Myles Takats

Cade Wirnsberger