Wednesday, February 19
Piscataway, N.J.
6 PM
Rutgers University
vs
Penn
Photo by: Ben Solomon
Wrestling Weekend Ahead: Rookies Showcase Potential Heading into Postseason
Feb 18 | Wrestling
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – No. 11 Rutgers wrestling (13-5, 5-3) closes the regular season against Penn (10-5, 4-1) on Wednesday at Jersey Mike's Arena. The dual is set for a 6 p.m. start and will stream on Big Ten Plus, with Nick Kosko and Matt Howe on the call.
Wednesday serves as Senior Night, as the program will recognize Al DeSantis, John O'Donnell, John Poznanski, Yaraslau Slavikouski, Michael Toranzo, Jackson Turley and Dylan Weaver prior to the start of the dual.
Already with their most dual wins in a season since 2021-22, the Scarlet Knights locked up their first winning season in Big Ten Conference action since the 2018-19 campaign. RU is 4-1 at home this season, which includes victories over No. 10 Illinois, Lock Haven, Michigan State and Wisconsin.
Rookies Showcase Potential Heading into Postseason
By Bradly Derechailo
Rutgers wrestling will recognize seven seniors prior to tomorrow night's dual with Penn (6 p.m., Big Ten Plus). It is a group that features three NCAA All-Americans who have combined for eight appearances at the national tournament.
Replacing that unit would be a daunting task for some, but head coach Scott Goodale understands how important it is to refuel his team with student-athletes who are ready to compete as soon as they arrive on campus.
Fans were treated to a glimpse of that youthful talent this past weekend, with three true freshmen – Ryan Ford, Conner Harer and Ayden Smith – working wins in the Scarlet Knights' 28-7 victory over Michigan State on Friday at Jersey Mike's Arena.
"With the new NCAA roster limit of 30 possibly coming into play next season, we have to be incredibly selective of who we bring into our program," Goodale said. "Not only do they need to be able to win, but they need to do so at a high level. We're constantly identifying guys who have the mindset to train and live at a high level, and I think you have seen that play out in moments for us already this season."
Goodale and his staff – assistant coaches Joe Pollard, Steve Mytych and Mikey Labriola – signed the No. 4 overall recruiting class in the country ahead of this season, according to Intermat. The 11-athlete group includes rookie standouts Ford, Harer, Smith, Andrew Barbosa, Nate Blanchette, Donovan DiStefano, Mason Gibson, Alex Nini, Brandon Toranzo, Nick Villani, and Kurt Wehner.
Smith (No. 2), Harer (No. 3), Barbosa (No. 7), Blanchette (No. 9), Gibson (No. 14), Nini (No. 23) and Ford (No. 23) were all ranked within the top 25 of their respective weight classes prior to their arrival 'On the Banks', with several of those signees already making noise as true freshmen.
Harer has been the program's 157-pound starter for the entire season, rising to as high as No. 25 in the country with 14 victories, 40 dual points and four wins in Big Ten dual action. Harer locked up his biggest win of his career two weeks ago, defeating then-No. 22 Jason Kraisser, 4-0, to help RU to a 16-15 win over then-No. 10 Illinois on Jan. 26 at Jersey Mike's Arena.
"Coming on as a true freshman has definitely been an adjustment," Harer said. "You go from beating kids up to being the underdog. You just have to believe in the process. You're going to take some bumps, but at the end of the day, you always have an opportunity in front of you."
Smith also took advantage of an opportunity to contribute after No. 8 Dean Peterson missed last Friday's dual due to illness. Smith, a two-time PIAA state champion at Notre Dame-Green Pond, made his JMA debut in style, working a 4-1 win in overtime against Caleb Weiand to spark eight consecutive victories for Rutgers in its dominant dual performance over the Spartans.
Smith, who also secured an individual title competing unattached at the Mat-Town Open II on Sunday in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, says he was fortunate to get his name called in such a big moment against MSU.
"It was electric. Just coming from watching these guys win all the time, it pushed me to become a winner myself," Smith said. "I always had big dreams and big expectations for myself, so just going out there, letting it fly and being able to wrestle in front of all of these people made one of those goals come true. Now it's about pushing forward and getting better during the rest of this season."
Ford may have had the biggest win of the three on Friday, landing an early takedown en route to a 4-0 decision over Jay Nivison – a 2022 NCAA qualifier at Buffalo. It was Ford's second dual victory during his rookie campaign after he earned a 8-3 decision over Tyler Brignola in the Scarlet Knights' dual win against Gardner-Webb earlier this season.
"I know I only have a few dates and chances as a true freshman, so that's why you have to take advantage of those moments when they present themselves," Ford said. "I've just been taking it one day at a time and always getting myself ready in case Goodale and the rest of the guys need me."
Several other true freshmen have made impacts when their names have been called this winter. Barbosa has muscled a 6-3 record and 4-1 mark in duals for RU, including wins in Big Ten matchups with Maryland and Ohio State. Barbosa opened the season with an 8-6 decision against No. 20 Derek Fields (NC State), moving himself into the national rankings. On January 26, Barbosa represented Mexico with an individual title at the Abierto Mexicano De Lucha Oaxaca 2025.
Nini has collected 10 victories, earning varsity dual starts against No. 1 Penn State and Clarion at 149 pounds. Wehner made a start to open the season in Rutgers' win over Franklin & Marshall, while Gibson returned from injury to secure a runner-up finish over the weekend at Mat-Town Open II.
With Rutgers wrapping up its regular season Wednesday, the focus shifts to qualifying its lineup for the national tournament. With all 10 starters appearing in both the latest coaches' ranking and RPI released last week, the Scarlet Knights have an opportunity to bring its entire team to the 2025 NCAA Championships, held March 20-22 in Philadelphia.
The prospect of a full lineup at nationals is tantalizing for Goodale, but he is equally excited for what his rookie class is capable of accomplishing in the years to come.
"In order to have sustained success in this conference, you have to constantly reload your team with talent," Goodale said. "This class is filled with talent and guys who can have an immediate impact on our already talented roster. All of the credit goes to my staff for identifying these guys who have the tools to succeed both on and off the mat and have already proven themselves nationally."
No. 11 Rutgers (13-5, 5-3)
125: 8/8 (18-3) -OR- Ayden Smith (9-4)
133: 10/9 Dylan Shawver (16-6)
141: 13/15 Joseph Olivieri (15-5) -OR- Joe Fongaro (5-7)
149: 19/24 Andrew Clark (20-9)
157: 29/25 Conner Harer (14-8)
165: 23/26 Anthony White (12-8) -OR- Andrew Barbosa (6-3)
174: 27/26 Jackson Turley (14-8)
184: 16/15 Shane Cartagena-Walsh (18-9)
197: 22/21 John Poznanski (12-6) -OR- PJ Casale (7-9)
HWT: 7/9 Yaraslau Slavikouski (13-5) -OR- John O'Donnell (7-5)
Rankings Intermat/Flo
Penn (10-5, 4-1)
125: 25/28 Max Gallagher (20-6) -OR- Brady Pruett (10-7)
133: 31/23 Ryan Miller (20-4)
141: 9/14 CJ Composto (20-3)
149: 12/16 Cross Wasilewski (17-3)
157: 20/22 Jude Swisher (20-6)
165: Andy Troczynski (6-9) -OR- Vince Mannella (4-5)
174: 13/13 Nick Incontrera (19-4)
184: 22/21 Max Hale (15-4)
197: Nate Taylor (6-15) -OR- Josh LaBarbera (3-6)
285: John Pardo (16-11) -OR- Matt Cruise (2-4)
Rankings Intermat/Flo
"It was awesome to get out there in front of that crowd. I've been training for this for a long time. It was awesome being out there for the first time." – Freshman Ryan Ford on making his Jersey Mike's Arena debut.
Wednesday serves as Senior Night, as the program will recognize Al DeSantis, John O'Donnell, John Poznanski, Yaraslau Slavikouski, Michael Toranzo, Jackson Turley and Dylan Weaver prior to the start of the dual.
Already with their most dual wins in a season since 2021-22, the Scarlet Knights locked up their first winning season in Big Ten Conference action since the 2018-19 campaign. RU is 4-1 at home this season, which includes victories over No. 10 Illinois, Lock Haven, Michigan State and Wisconsin.
| From the Wrestling Room |
By Bradly Derechailo
Rutgers wrestling will recognize seven seniors prior to tomorrow night's dual with Penn (6 p.m., Big Ten Plus). It is a group that features three NCAA All-Americans who have combined for eight appearances at the national tournament.
Replacing that unit would be a daunting task for some, but head coach Scott Goodale understands how important it is to refuel his team with student-athletes who are ready to compete as soon as they arrive on campus.
Fans were treated to a glimpse of that youthful talent this past weekend, with three true freshmen – Ryan Ford, Conner Harer and Ayden Smith – working wins in the Scarlet Knights' 28-7 victory over Michigan State on Friday at Jersey Mike's Arena.
"With the new NCAA roster limit of 30 possibly coming into play next season, we have to be incredibly selective of who we bring into our program," Goodale said. "Not only do they need to be able to win, but they need to do so at a high level. We're constantly identifying guys who have the mindset to train and live at a high level, and I think you have seen that play out in moments for us already this season."
Goodale and his staff – assistant coaches Joe Pollard, Steve Mytych and Mikey Labriola – signed the No. 4 overall recruiting class in the country ahead of this season, according to Intermat. The 11-athlete group includes rookie standouts Ford, Harer, Smith, Andrew Barbosa, Nate Blanchette, Donovan DiStefano, Mason Gibson, Alex Nini, Brandon Toranzo, Nick Villani, and Kurt Wehner.
Smith (No. 2), Harer (No. 3), Barbosa (No. 7), Blanchette (No. 9), Gibson (No. 14), Nini (No. 23) and Ford (No. 23) were all ranked within the top 25 of their respective weight classes prior to their arrival 'On the Banks', with several of those signees already making noise as true freshmen.
Harer has been the program's 157-pound starter for the entire season, rising to as high as No. 25 in the country with 14 victories, 40 dual points and four wins in Big Ten dual action. Harer locked up his biggest win of his career two weeks ago, defeating then-No. 22 Jason Kraisser, 4-0, to help RU to a 16-15 win over then-No. 10 Illinois on Jan. 26 at Jersey Mike's Arena.
"Coming on as a true freshman has definitely been an adjustment," Harer said. "You go from beating kids up to being the underdog. You just have to believe in the process. You're going to take some bumps, but at the end of the day, you always have an opportunity in front of you."
Smith also took advantage of an opportunity to contribute after No. 8 Dean Peterson missed last Friday's dual due to illness. Smith, a two-time PIAA state champion at Notre Dame-Green Pond, made his JMA debut in style, working a 4-1 win in overtime against Caleb Weiand to spark eight consecutive victories for Rutgers in its dominant dual performance over the Spartans.
Smith, who also secured an individual title competing unattached at the Mat-Town Open II on Sunday in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, says he was fortunate to get his name called in such a big moment against MSU.
"It was electric. Just coming from watching these guys win all the time, it pushed me to become a winner myself," Smith said. "I always had big dreams and big expectations for myself, so just going out there, letting it fly and being able to wrestle in front of all of these people made one of those goals come true. Now it's about pushing forward and getting better during the rest of this season."
Ford may have had the biggest win of the three on Friday, landing an early takedown en route to a 4-0 decision over Jay Nivison – a 2022 NCAA qualifier at Buffalo. It was Ford's second dual victory during his rookie campaign after he earned a 8-3 decision over Tyler Brignola in the Scarlet Knights' dual win against Gardner-Webb earlier this season.
"I know I only have a few dates and chances as a true freshman, so that's why you have to take advantage of those moments when they present themselves," Ford said. "I've just been taking it one day at a time and always getting myself ready in case Goodale and the rest of the guys need me."
Several other true freshmen have made impacts when their names have been called this winter. Barbosa has muscled a 6-3 record and 4-1 mark in duals for RU, including wins in Big Ten matchups with Maryland and Ohio State. Barbosa opened the season with an 8-6 decision against No. 20 Derek Fields (NC State), moving himself into the national rankings. On January 26, Barbosa represented Mexico with an individual title at the Abierto Mexicano De Lucha Oaxaca 2025.
Nini has collected 10 victories, earning varsity dual starts against No. 1 Penn State and Clarion at 149 pounds. Wehner made a start to open the season in Rutgers' win over Franklin & Marshall, while Gibson returned from injury to secure a runner-up finish over the weekend at Mat-Town Open II.
With Rutgers wrapping up its regular season Wednesday, the focus shifts to qualifying its lineup for the national tournament. With all 10 starters appearing in both the latest coaches' ranking and RPI released last week, the Scarlet Knights have an opportunity to bring its entire team to the 2025 NCAA Championships, held March 20-22 in Philadelphia.
The prospect of a full lineup at nationals is tantalizing for Goodale, but he is equally excited for what his rookie class is capable of accomplishing in the years to come.
"In order to have sustained success in this conference, you have to constantly reload your team with talent," Goodale said. "This class is filled with talent and guys who can have an immediate impact on our already talented roster. All of the credit goes to my staff for identifying these guys who have the tools to succeed both on and off the mat and have already proven themselves nationally."
| Projected Lineups |
125: 8/8 (18-3) -OR- Ayden Smith (9-4)
133: 10/9 Dylan Shawver (16-6)
141: 13/15 Joseph Olivieri (15-5) -OR- Joe Fongaro (5-7)
149: 19/24 Andrew Clark (20-9)
157: 29/25 Conner Harer (14-8)
165: 23/26 Anthony White (12-8) -OR- Andrew Barbosa (6-3)
174: 27/26 Jackson Turley (14-8)
184: 16/15 Shane Cartagena-Walsh (18-9)
197: 22/21 John Poznanski (12-6) -OR- PJ Casale (7-9)
HWT: 7/9 Yaraslau Slavikouski (13-5) -OR- John O'Donnell (7-5)
Rankings Intermat/Flo
Penn (10-5, 4-1)
125: 25/28 Max Gallagher (20-6) -OR- Brady Pruett (10-7)
133: 31/23 Ryan Miller (20-4)
141: 9/14 CJ Composto (20-3)
149: 12/16 Cross Wasilewski (17-3)
157: 20/22 Jude Swisher (20-6)
165: Andy Troczynski (6-9) -OR- Vince Mannella (4-5)
174: 13/13 Nick Incontrera (19-4)
184: 22/21 Max Hale (15-4)
197: Nate Taylor (6-15) -OR- Josh LaBarbera (3-6)
285: John Pardo (16-11) -OR- Matt Cruise (2-4)
Rankings Intermat/Flo
| Last Time Out |
- Rutgers defeated Michigan State, 28-7, on Friday night in front of 3,523 fans at Jersey Mike's Arena. The Scarlet Knights won eight out of 10 against the Spartans, including three victories from true freshmen – No. 29 Conner Harer (157), Ayden Smith (125) and Ryan Ford (165).
- No. 13 Joseph Olivieri (141) muscled a tech fall, No. 10 Dylan Shawver (133) and No. 27 Jackson Turley (174) turned in major decisions, while No. 17 Shane Cartagena-Walsh (184) and No. 19 Andrew Clark (149) added decisions.
| Quote of the Week |
| In the Rankings |
- Rutgers moved up to No. 11 in this week's NWCA Coaches Poll, the program's highest ranking since the 2017-18 campaign. The Scarlet Knights are one of nine Big Ten programs ranked by the coaches this week, joining No. 1 Penn State, No. 3 Iowa, No. 5 Nebraska, No. 6 Minnesota, No. 8 Ohio State, No. 14 Illinois, No. 19 Michigan, and No. 22 Indiana.
- Ten individuals appear in at least one poll this week. No. 7 Yaraslau Slavikouski (HWT), No. 8 Dean Peterson (125) and No. 10 Dylan Shawver (133) are all ranked within the top 10 of their respective weight classes by Intermat, while six of RU's 10 starters own top-20 rankings.
| Wrestler | Intermat | FloWrestling | The Open Mat | AWN | WIN |
| Dean Peterson (125) | 8 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 9 |
| Dylan Shawver (133) | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Joseph Olivieri (141) | 13 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 14 |
| Andrew Clark (149) | 19 | 24 | 19 | NR | NR |
| Conner Harer (157) | 29 | 25 | NR | NR | NR |
| Anthony White (165) | 23 | 26 | NR | NR | NR |
| Jackson Turley (174) | 27 | 26 | NR | NR | NR |
| Shane Cartagena-Walsh (184) | 16 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 18 |
| John Poznanski (197) | 22 | 21 | NR | 16 | NR |
| Yaraslau Slavikouski (HWT) | 7 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 6 |
| Against Penn |
- Rutgers leads Penn in the all-time series, 21-11-1, with the first matchup taking place on Feb. 20, 1932.
- The Scarlet Knights defeated the Quakers, 22-14, last season at the Palestra. Down 14-3 through their first five bouts, the Scarlet Knights rallied with five consecutive wins from 197 through 141 pounds to secure the road win.
- Peterson, Shawver, Slavikouski, Michael Cetta and John Poznanski victories during last year's matchup.
- No. 13 Joseph Olivieri (141) defeated No. 9 CJ Composto, 4-1, in sudden victory at this past year's Midlands Championships.
| Up Next |
- Rutgers gets a few weeks off before it heads to the 2025 Big Ten Wrestling Championships from March 8-9 in Evanston, Illinois.
Players Mentioned
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
Rutgers Wrestling Preview Show 2025-26
Thursday, October 23
Day in the Life of Head Coach Scott Goodale: Part 3
Thursday, October 23
Scott Goodale Preseason Press Conference
Tuesday, October 21
Day in the Life of Head Coach Scott Goodale: Part 2
Friday, October 17
