Thursday, March 20
Philadelphia, Pa.
12 p.m.
Bucknell University
vs
NCAA Championships
Photo by: Lianne Garrahan
Three Bison Wrestlers Advance to Second Day of NCAA Championships
3/20/2025 10:50:00 PM | Wrestling
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Three of the five Bison wrestlers at the 2025 NCAA Championships collected wins to advance to the second day of competition. All three grapplers will have to fight through the consolation round to unlock All-American status. Dylan Chappell (141) was the only Bison to win a championship round match while Kurt Phipps (133) and Dillon Bechtold (197) grabbed consolation round victories. Noah Mulvaney (165) and Myles Takats (174) went winless to end their 2024-25 seasons.
Chappell, the 21st seed, posted an impressive 7-4 upset win over No. 12 Sam Latona (Virginia Tech) in his opening match. He led 1-0 via an escape point after the first two periods. Latona forged ahead 2-1 on a penalty call. Chappell regained the lead with a takedown. The Hokie posted another escape but Chappell sealed the victory with a second takedown. A final Latona escape only made the final score look nicer.
Chappell faced fifth-seeded Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) in the next round and recorded a valiant effort in a heartbreaking 5-4 defeat. Happel scored a takedown with five seconds remaining in the first period. Chappell chipped away with an escape in the second period. The Bison grappler tied the match at 4-4 with 29 seconds remaining but the elite Happel escaped 11 seconds later to get away with the 5-4 victory and send Chappell to tomorrow's consolation round where he will face 27th-seeded Greyson Clark (Purdue).
Phipps, seeded 25th, faced Route 45 Rival No. 8 Braeden Davis (Penn State) and have the Nittany Lion on the proverbial ropes for most of the first two periods combining a takedown and an escape point versus Davis's reversal. The Lion flipped the switch gaining a takeover as the second period clock ticked away. The PSU wrestler did not let up scoring a takedown and a nearfall to win 12-4. Phipps rebounded to defeat 24th-seeded Kyle Burwick (North Dakota State) in a Battle of the Bison in the consolation round. Phipps led early with a takedown before the NDSU wrestler used an escape and a takedown for the lead. The Bucknell Bison regained the advantage with a takedown with one second remaining in the second period. Phipps sealed the win with riding time. The fifth-year senior will face 23rd-seeded Sean Spidle (Central Michigan) tomorrow.
Bechtold, the 18th seed, dropped an 8-1 decision to 15th-seeded Joseph Novak (Wyoming). The Cowboy wrestler was too much for Bucknell's star freshman. All eight of Novak's points arrived in the second period via a takedown, an escape, and a near fall. Bechtold's escape in the last period proved a sop. Bechtold faced 31st-seeded Remy Cotton (Michigan State) in the consolation round and demolished the Spartan. He gained a takedown and then ended the match in the first period with a pin. The entire affair only lasted 58 seconds. Bechtold challenges 16th-seeded Evan Bates (Northwestern) tomorrow.
Mulvaney, seeded 17th, wrestled despite suffering an injury at the EIWA Championships. He faced 18th-seeded Kyle Mosher (Hofstra) in the opening round. The two were supposed to duel in the EIWA finals before Mulvaney's injury prevented the opportunity. Mulvaney fought gamely but Mosher collected two takedowns and then ended the match with a pin. The Bison sophomore saw his season end in the next round versus 33rd-seeded Chandler Amaker (Central Michigan) in a tough 8-6 decision. Mulvaney fell behind 7-2 entering the final period. He made a late run with an escape and a takedown but time ran out on the Bison grappler.
Takats entered the competition as Bucknell's highest seeded wrestler at 12th but was upset in two matches to end his sophomore year. He suffered a 4-1 overtime loss to 21st-seeded Joshua Ogunsanya (North Carolina) in the opening round. The two wrestlers traded escape points before the dual went into overtime. Ogunsanya gathered a takedown to shock the Bison faithful. In the consolation round, Takats faced 28th-seeded Clayton Whiting (Minnesota) in a regular season match. Takats won that meeting but Whiting obtained his revenge tonight in an 11-9 victory. Both wrestlers recorded a takedown in the first period but Whiting added a reversal to Takats's escape for the 5-4 lead. Takats dashed ahead with a 4-0 second period. Whiting added two takedowns to Takats's escape to eke out the win and end the sophomore's season.
Action resumes tomorrow at noon on ESPN/ESPN+.
133: #25 Kurt Phipps (1-1)
Round of 32: L, major dec. to #8 Braeden Davis (Penn State), 12-4
Consolation First Round: W, dec. over #24 Kyle Burwick (North Dakota State), 6-5
141: #21 Dylan Chappell (1-1)
Round of 32: W, dec. over #12 Sam Latona (Virginia Tech), 7-4
Round of 16: L, dec. to #5 Cael Happel (Northern Iowa), 5-4
165: #17 Noah Mulvaney (0-2)
Round of 32: L, fall to #18 Kyle Mosher (Hofstra), 3:29
Consolation First Round: L, dec. to #33 Chandler Amaker (Central Michigan), 8-6
174: #12 Myles Takats (0-2)
Round of 32: L, dec. to #21 Joshua Ogunsanya (North Carolina), 4-1 (SV-1)
Consolation First Round: L, dec. to #28 Clayton Whiting (Minnesota), 11-9
197: #18 Dillon Bechtold (1-1)
Round of 32: L, dec. to #15 Joseph Novak (Wyoming), 8-1
Consolation First Round: W, fall over #31 Remy Cotton (Michigan State), 0:58
Chappell, the 21st seed, posted an impressive 7-4 upset win over No. 12 Sam Latona (Virginia Tech) in his opening match. He led 1-0 via an escape point after the first two periods. Latona forged ahead 2-1 on a penalty call. Chappell regained the lead with a takedown. The Hokie posted another escape but Chappell sealed the victory with a second takedown. A final Latona escape only made the final score look nicer.
Chappell faced fifth-seeded Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) in the next round and recorded a valiant effort in a heartbreaking 5-4 defeat. Happel scored a takedown with five seconds remaining in the first period. Chappell chipped away with an escape in the second period. The Bison grappler tied the match at 4-4 with 29 seconds remaining but the elite Happel escaped 11 seconds later to get away with the 5-4 victory and send Chappell to tomorrow's consolation round where he will face 27th-seeded Greyson Clark (Purdue).
Phipps, seeded 25th, faced Route 45 Rival No. 8 Braeden Davis (Penn State) and have the Nittany Lion on the proverbial ropes for most of the first two periods combining a takedown and an escape point versus Davis's reversal. The Lion flipped the switch gaining a takeover as the second period clock ticked away. The PSU wrestler did not let up scoring a takedown and a nearfall to win 12-4. Phipps rebounded to defeat 24th-seeded Kyle Burwick (North Dakota State) in a Battle of the Bison in the consolation round. Phipps led early with a takedown before the NDSU wrestler used an escape and a takedown for the lead. The Bucknell Bison regained the advantage with a takedown with one second remaining in the second period. Phipps sealed the win with riding time. The fifth-year senior will face 23rd-seeded Sean Spidle (Central Michigan) tomorrow.
Bechtold, the 18th seed, dropped an 8-1 decision to 15th-seeded Joseph Novak (Wyoming). The Cowboy wrestler was too much for Bucknell's star freshman. All eight of Novak's points arrived in the second period via a takedown, an escape, and a near fall. Bechtold's escape in the last period proved a sop. Bechtold faced 31st-seeded Remy Cotton (Michigan State) in the consolation round and demolished the Spartan. He gained a takedown and then ended the match in the first period with a pin. The entire affair only lasted 58 seconds. Bechtold challenges 16th-seeded Evan Bates (Northwestern) tomorrow.
Mulvaney, seeded 17th, wrestled despite suffering an injury at the EIWA Championships. He faced 18th-seeded Kyle Mosher (Hofstra) in the opening round. The two were supposed to duel in the EIWA finals before Mulvaney's injury prevented the opportunity. Mulvaney fought gamely but Mosher collected two takedowns and then ended the match with a pin. The Bison sophomore saw his season end in the next round versus 33rd-seeded Chandler Amaker (Central Michigan) in a tough 8-6 decision. Mulvaney fell behind 7-2 entering the final period. He made a late run with an escape and a takedown but time ran out on the Bison grappler.
Takats entered the competition as Bucknell's highest seeded wrestler at 12th but was upset in two matches to end his sophomore year. He suffered a 4-1 overtime loss to 21st-seeded Joshua Ogunsanya (North Carolina) in the opening round. The two wrestlers traded escape points before the dual went into overtime. Ogunsanya gathered a takedown to shock the Bison faithful. In the consolation round, Takats faced 28th-seeded Clayton Whiting (Minnesota) in a regular season match. Takats won that meeting but Whiting obtained his revenge tonight in an 11-9 victory. Both wrestlers recorded a takedown in the first period but Whiting added a reversal to Takats's escape for the 5-4 lead. Takats dashed ahead with a 4-0 second period. Whiting added two takedowns to Takats's escape to eke out the win and end the sophomore's season.
Action resumes tomorrow at noon on ESPN/ESPN+.
133: #25 Kurt Phipps (1-1)
Round of 32: L, major dec. to #8 Braeden Davis (Penn State), 12-4
Consolation First Round: W, dec. over #24 Kyle Burwick (North Dakota State), 6-5
141: #21 Dylan Chappell (1-1)
Round of 32: W, dec. over #12 Sam Latona (Virginia Tech), 7-4
Round of 16: L, dec. to #5 Cael Happel (Northern Iowa), 5-4
165: #17 Noah Mulvaney (0-2)
Round of 32: L, fall to #18 Kyle Mosher (Hofstra), 3:29
Consolation First Round: L, dec. to #33 Chandler Amaker (Central Michigan), 8-6
174: #12 Myles Takats (0-2)
Round of 32: L, dec. to #21 Joshua Ogunsanya (North Carolina), 4-1 (SV-1)
Consolation First Round: L, dec. to #28 Clayton Whiting (Minnesota), 11-9
197: #18 Dillon Bechtold (1-1)
Round of 32: L, dec. to #15 Joseph Novak (Wyoming), 8-1
Consolation First Round: W, fall over #31 Remy Cotton (Michigan State), 0:58
Players Mentioned
197
/ Wrestling
141
/ Wrestling
165
/ Wrestling
133
/ Wrestling
174
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