Scarlet Knight Wrestlers Look to Continue Momentum at Drexel Wednesday
Feb 17 | Wrestling
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Winners of nine of its last 10 matches, the Rutgers wrestling team looks to continue its momentum Wednesday when the Scarlet Knights travel to Philadelphia, Pa. to face Drexel in a 7:00 p.m. dual meet inside the Daskalaskis Athletic Center.
The Scarlet Knights are 20-5 overall on the season heading into their last week of regular-season competition. Wednesday will be the first of three competitions for RU in the state of Pennsylvania. The Scarlet Knights will close the regular season at Bloomsburg Friday at 7:00 p.m. before participating in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Tournament March 7-8 in Philadelphia.
For the second-time in as many matches, sophomore heavyweight D.J. Russo (Netcong, N.J.) lifted the Scarlet Knights to victory with a pin in the final bout of the match. His latest heroic performance came last Friday with a pin of Navy’s Tyler Moyer in 3:26 to give RU an 18-17 come-from-behind win over the Midshipmen. The match before, he sealed a come-from-behind win over No. 21 American with a pin in the final bout.
Freshmen Scott Winston (Jackson, N.J.) and Trevor Melde (Hewitt, N.J.) and seniors Matt Pletcher (Eastampton, N.J.) and Mike Whalen (Lake Hiawatha, N.J.) are each ranked nationally in their respective weight classes heading into the week. Winston leads the group, as the 157-pounder is ranked 11th nationally, while Melde is ranked No. 27 at 141 pounds. Pletcher is No. 28 in the country at 165 pounds and Whalen is No. 29 in the nation at 174 pounds. Both Pletcher and Whalen have over 20 victories this season and rank among the top-20 in school history with more than 70 victories in their career.
Drexel is coming off a pair of victories against Ivy League foes Princeton (40-10) and Columbia (21-14) on Sunday. The Dragons, out of the Colonial Athletic Association, are 9-14-1 overall and are winners of their last three matches. Senior Jon Oplinger is ranked 13th nationally at 197 pounds. He is 28-3 on the season with a 21-2 mark in dual action.
Rutgers defeated Drexel 24-13 in the last meeting between the two schools in New Brunswick last February. The Scarlet Knights are 8-10 all-time against the Dragons.
