TROY, N.Y. – The 13th-ranked Kutztown University wrestling team has built a great deal of national respect over the last five years, and has become of the top programs in Division II. That history of success earned Kutztown an invitation to the Journeymen/ASICS Northeast Duals on Saturday, in which it competed against nationally-ranked Division I programs.
 
Kutztown was one of two Division II programs to compete in the Northeast Duals along with LIU Post. KU opened its day with a 36-0 loss to 23rd-ranked North Carolina State, and followed with an ensuing 44-4 defeat at the hands of third-ranked Cornell University.
 
First up for the Golden Bears was 23rd-ranked N.C. State. This match held the potential to be one of the highlight's of the weekend, not only for Kutztown, but for the entire invitational. Both teams returned their heavyweight national champion from last year as the Division I champion Nick Gwiazdowski of N.C. State and the Division II champion Ziad Haddad (Orefield, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic (North Carolina)) of Kutztown were both dressed and did wrestle later in the day on Saturday.
 
However, at the beginning of the KU-NCST match, N.C. State pulled back their national champ for insurance for the rest of the invitational against fellow Division I programs. Redshirt freshman Ryan Appleby (Belvidere, N.J./Belvidere) filled in for Haddad after the opposing change.
 
Despite not winning a match against the Wolfpack, the Golden Bears held five of the 10 matches to decisions and did not allow bonus points. At 165, Kutztown's John Balboni (Springfield, N.J./Jonathan Dayton) led 7-5 with nine seconds left in the final period. A takedown in the final seconds of action tied the match, as N.C. State's Lee Davis earned the 10-8 sudden victory.
 
Andre Petroski (Springfield, Pa./Springfield (Bloomsburg)) then fell by a narrow 7-4 decision at 184. Brandan Clark (Audubon, Pa./Methacton) led 1-0 at the start of the third period at 197, but allowed six points in the final two minutes in a 6-2 setback.
 
Kutztown matched up with third-ranked Cornell in its final match of the Northeast Duals. It was the first time the teams met since 1987. Nahshon Garrett, the national runner-up last year, gave Cornell a match-opening win that sparked nine-in-a-row for Cornell.
 
Kutztown's Haddad put an end to that streak and made the most of his one match against Division I competition. He shut-out Cornell's heavyweight 12-0 and continued his streak of not allowing a takedown dating back to the 2012-13 season.
 
The Golden Bears look ahead to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships on Saturday, Dec. 6 at Bloomsburg University.
 
 
Results
 
#23 North Carolina State 36, #13 Kutztown 0
 
125: Joe DeAngelo (NCST) maj. dec. Nicholas DeMarco (Lyndhurst, N.J./David Brearley Middle), 12-2
133: Bryce Meredith (NCST) maj. dec. Trent Clifford (Pottstown, Pa./Pottstown (Delaware Valley)), 14-6
141: Chris Wilkes (NCST) dec. Matt Benvenuto (Stanhope, N.J./Lenape Valley Regional), 9-3
149: Rodney Shepard (NCST) maj. dec. Joe Esposito (Washington Township, N.J./Saint Augustine Prep), 12-3
157: Chad Pyke (NCST) dec. Matt Martoccio (Kintnersville, Pa./Council Rock South (Lock Haven)), 12-7
165: Lee Davis (NCST) dec. John Balboni (Springfield, N.J./Jonathan Dayton), 10-8 (SV)
174: Mac Rohskopf (NCST) maj. dec. Brandon Wolfe (New Castle, Del./Delcastle Technical), 12-1
184: Michael Macchiavello (NCST) dec. Andre Petroski (Springfield, Pa./Springfield (Bloomsburg)), 7-4
197: Michael Boykin (NCST) dec. Brandan Clark (Audubon, Pa./Methacton), 6-2
285: Michael Kosoy (NCST) tech. fall Ryan Appleby (Belvidere, N.J./Belvidere), 18-3
 
#3 Cornell 44, #13 Kutztown 4
 
125: Nahshon Garrett (CU) tech. fall Nicholas DeMarco (Lyndhurst, N.J./David Brearley Middle), 16-0
133: Bricker Dixon (CU) maj. dec. Trent Clifford (Pottstown, Pa./Pottstown (Delaware Valley)), 14-1
141: Mark Grey (CU) dec. Matt Benvenuto (Stanhope, N.J./Lenape Valley Regional), 11-4
149: Chris Villalonga (CU) maj. dec. Stan Proctor (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis), 14-2
157: Taylor Simaz (CU) dec. Matt Martoccio (Kintnersville, Pa./Council Rock South (Lock Haven)), 8-6
165: Jesse Shanaman (CU) pinned Brandon Parker (Norristown, Pa./Norristown Area), 4:17
174: Jacob Taylor (CU) pinned Julio Arredondo (Wyomissing, Pa./Wyomissing Area), 4:48
184: Gabe Dean (CU) pinned Andre Petroski (Springfield, Pa./Springfield (Bloomsburg)), 2:15
197: Steve Congenie (CU) pinned Brandan Clark (Audubon, Pa./Methacton), 1:48
285: Ziad Haddad (Orefield, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic (North Carolina)) (KU) maj. dec. George Famutimi, 12-0