HAMPTON, Va. – The 11th-ranked Kutztown University wrestling team started the New Year with a split of its first two non-conference duals, winning against the Greensboro Pride before falling to the Findlay Oilers on Friday afternoon inside the Hampton Coliseum to open the two-day Virginia Duals competition.

The Golden Bears (2-1, 1-0 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) defeated the Division III Pride (0-5 overall) in the opening round, 52-0, before falling to the Division II Oilers (4-4, 2-1 Great Midwest Athletic Conference), 29-16, in the quarterfinal round.

Kutztown had little trouble with Greensboro, as it defeated the opposing wrestlers via pin in five different weight classes. KU opened with 24 straight team points through the first four weight classes, which was followed by a pair of technical falls and a Dalton Gimbor (Bernville, Pa./Hamburg) pin at 174 pounds. After a pair of decision victories by 184-pound Cole Casilio (Wilcox, Pa./Johnsonburg) and 197-pound Alex Ward (Manassas, Va./Battlefield), graduate student Dustin Swanson (New Holland, Pa./Garden Spot) wrapped up the team's dominant performance with a 38-second pin in the 285-pound weight class.

The win was the largest margin of victory and the best score in a shutout performance in program history, topping last season's 50-0 home dual against American International.

The Maroon and Gold met its match against Division II Findlay, a team that received votes in the latest coaches poll from the National Wrestling Coaches Association. The Oilers opened with 20 straight points across its first four wrestlers, and while Kutztown was able to bounce back with the four weight classes that followed, Findlay's squad managed to pull out wins at 197 and 285 to secure an upset and advance in the championship bracket.

The Golden Bears look ahead to the second day of the Virginia Duals tomorrow, Jan. 10, where they'll take on Minnesota State Moorhead in a placement match at 5 p.m. KU will wrap up the weekend by facing Averett or East Stroudsburg in the fifth-place (8 p.m.) or seventh-place (6:30 p.m.) match.
 

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VIRGINIA DUALS
FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 2026 | HAMPTON, VA | HAMPTON COLISEUM

AMERICAN COLLEGE FIRST ROUND
#11 KUTZTOWN 52, GREENSBORO 0
125: Nic Allison (Lewistown, Pa./Mifflin County) (KU) won by forfeit
133: Javien DeLeon (Allentown, Pa./Liberty) (KU) won by fall over Triston Woodard (GC) [T – 5:40]
141: Joey Ortega (Clark, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson) (KU) won by fall over Ivan Benitez (GC) [T – 2:55]
149: Aiden Karlie (Dallastown, Pa./Dallastown) (KU) won by fall over Julian McLeod (GC) [T – 0:59]
157: Hunter Horton (James Creek, Pa./Tussey Mountain) (KU) tech. fall over Matthew Myers (GC), 17-0 [T – 1:35]
165: #3 Bailey Gimbor (Bernville, Pa./Hamburg) (KU) tech. fall over Nick Menjivar (GC), 17-2 [T – 3:57]
174: #3 Dalton Gimbor (Bernville, Pa./Hamburg) (KU) won by fall over Ethan Kring (GC) [T – 1:47]
184: #7 Cole Casilio (Wilcox, Pa./Johnsonburg) (KU) dec. over Omori Lee (GC), 7-1
197: Alex Ward (Manassas, Va./Battlefield) (KU) dec. over Isaiah Manning (GC), 3-0
285: Dustin Swanson (New Holland, Pa./Garden Spot) (KU) won by fall over Jamie Jinks (GC) [T – 0:38]

AMERICAN COLLEGE QUARTERFINALS
FINDLAY 29, #11 KUTZTOWN 16
125: #9 Billy Smith (FIND) major dec. over Nic Allison (Lewistown, Pa./Mifflin County) (KU), 10-0
133: Nate Knowlton (FIND) won by fall over Javien DeLeon (Allentown, Pa./Liberty) (KU) [T – 4:16]
141: Sawyer Smith (FIND) won by fall over Joey Ortega (Clark, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson) (KU) [T – 2:36]
149: Micah Cottrell (FIND) major dec. over Logan Hrenenko (Sparta, N.J./Sparta) (KU), 11-1
157: Hunter Horton (James Creek, Pa./Tussey Mountain) (KU) dec. over AJ Parish (FIND), 10-8
165: #3 Bailey Gimbor (Bernville, Pa./Hamburg) (KU) tech. fall over Diego Chavez (FIND), 19-1 [T – 4:45]
174: #3 Dalton Gimbor (Bernville, Pa./Hamburg) (KU) won by tech. fall over Zachary Taylor (FIND), 16-0 [T – 3:53]
184: #7 Cole Casilio (Wilcox, Pa./Johnsonburg) (KU) dec. over Chase Stein (FIND), 11-4
197: Ronnie Thomas III (FIND) dec. over Alex Ward (Manassas, Va./Battlefield) (KU), 6-2
285: #10 Giulian Bodiu (FU) won by forfeit