EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. -- Returning national qualifier Matthew Weinberg (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) (184 lbs.) and newcomers Bailey Gimbor (Bernville, Pa./Hamburg) (157 lbs.) and Wayne McIntyre (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg North) (197 lbs.) won their weight classes as the Kutztown University wrestling team produced 14 placewinners at Sunday's ESU Open.
 
Weinberg, ranked ninth in the NWCA's Preseason Rankings, made an early season statement by putting on an absolute clinic. He opened with a pin of Long Island's Gavin Claro in 3:38, won his quarterfinal bout with Davis Lee of East Stroudsburg by technical fall, 17-0 (6:06) and pinned Millersville's Anthony Giampietro in 3:50 in a rematch of the 2022 Super Region 1 Championships final.
 
In Sunday's final, Weinberg used three takedowns and a four-point nearfall to pull away from American International's Jack MacKernian for a 15-3 major decision.
 
Gimbor and McIntyre went about their business in different manners, but the results were the same.
 
Gimbor, a Berks County native, made his Golden Bear debut after transferring from Division I Franklin & Marshall. The redshirt freshman 157-pounder registered a trio of three-point decisions to reach the final and claimed the title over Millersville's Craig Cook, 5-4, on the strength of a riding time point after Cook had tied it with a late takedown.
 
McIntyre, a freshman making his collegiate debut in his own backyard, dominated at 197 lbs. with back-to-back-to-back pins to win the bracket. The East Stroudsburg North product needed just 1:38 to dispatch ESU's Matthew Richardson in the quarterfinal, 2:24 to defeat Millersville's Danny Pereira in the semis and 3:56 to capture the final over Centenary's Keevon Berry.
 
Another new face making a strong first impression was Nic Allison (Lewistown, Pa./Mifflin County) at 125 lbs. The freshman from Lewistown, Pa., pinned his way to the final before falling to Jack Throde of Centenary, 6-1. Allison matched McIntyre with a team-high three pins on the day.
 
Kutztown also got runner-up finishes from Hunter Horton (James Creek, Pa./Tussey Mountain) at 165 and AJ Bencivenga (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) at 174. Horton pinned Justin Halbert of ESU in the quarterfinals, before edging Halbert's teammate, Luke Ciampa, 7-5, in the semis. He dropped the title bout with nationally-ranked No. 9 Brandon Connor of Millersville by pin at 1:19.
 
Bencivenga collected a pair of wins to move into the final, but fell victim to a last minute takedown in an 11-10 defeat against Shane Cartagena-Walsh.
 
Remaining placewinners for the Maroon and Gold included: Alex Ward (Manassas, Va./Battlefield) (third at 174), Dustin Swanson (New Holland, Pa./Garden Spot) (third at 285), Corey Morabito (Lansdale, Pa./Methacton) (fourth at 125), 12th-ranked Collin Wickramaratna (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) (fifth at 141), Andreo Ferraina (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) (sixth at 125), Trent Thompson (Bristol, Conn./Bristol Eastern) (sixth at 133), Dalton Gimbor (Bernville, Pa./Hamburg) (sixth at 165) and Ethan Baney (Hanover, Pa./South Western) (sixth at 174).
 
Sunday's tournament did not feature team scoring, but KU's 14 placewinners were a tournament-high, ahead of Millersville's 11 and eight apiece from host ESU and American International.
 
Kutztown will travel to Millersville for the "Shorty" Hitchcock Memorial Open Saturday, Nov. 19.