RESULTS

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. -- Former PSAC placewinner Matt Wilde (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown) started his senior season in strong form, Sunday, winning three matches to claim the 125-pound title for the 11th-ranked Kutztown University wrestling team at the ESU Open inside Koehler Fieldhouse.

The Golden Bears entered 21 wrestlers in its season-opening tournament, however many competed unattached.

Wilde was the lone placewinner for KU, using a pair of decisions, a technical fall and a medical forfeit to take top honors in the lightest weight class. He started the day with a 6-2 decision over Army Prep's Nain Vazquez and backed that up with a 19-4 tech fall that went the distance against East Stroudsburg's Joshua Jasionowicz in the quarterfinals.

An 8-1 decision over Long Island's (unattached) Kaelan Francois in the semifinals ended up being all Wilde would need, as the Boyertown native was granted a victory by medical forfeit over Drexel's Antonio Mininno in the final. Wilde improved to 20-6 in his third season with the Bears and is looking for a big final year after being limited to five bouts back in 2019-20.

Of Kutztown's official entries, James Potts (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill West) advanced to the semifinals at 197, while AJ Bencivenga (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) (165), James Holder (Annandale, N.J./North Hunterdon) (174) and Roman Moser (Eagleville, Pa./Methacton) (184) were quarterfinalists in their respective weight classes.

Potts scored a 12-1 major decision against ESU's Matt Richardson in the first round and downed Millersville's Bruce Vaughan, 11-9, in an All-PSAC quarterfinal before his title pursuit came to a close against Army's Kyle Swartz in the semis. Bencivenga also collected a major decision in his opening round match, defeating Army's Joe Metz, 18-9. Moser claimed his first collegiate win with an 11-7 decision against Centenary (N.J.)'s Angelo Piazza.

Trent Thompson (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) (125), Andreo Ferraina (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) (133), Bryce Buckman (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) (157) and Sean Smith (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) (157) all reached the quarterfinals while competing unattached.

Kutztown will be back on the mat in two weeks on Saturday, Nov. 20, at the Millersville-hosted "Shorty" Hitchcock Memorial Open.