UTICA, NY - Men's wrestling was back at Miga Court on Friday night for its third-ever home meet, a compilation of bouts in which they welcomed Elmira College to town and also honored their lone senior, Seth Richardson (Fort Plain, NY/Fort Plain), for a stellar career as one of the first-ever Pioneer wrestlers. In the contest, the team won three out of five bouts to take an edge, gathering an array of forfeit wins to take the dual by a 48-10 final and move to 5-2 on the season.

Ryan Kirker opened the competition with his seventh pin of the season, taking down Kolton Brown in just a minute and 17 seconds. Kirker logged an opening takedown and then rode that momentum to a four-point near fall and eventually a win by fall. Kirker's quick start got the Pioneers out to a 12-0 team lead after the first two scheduled matchups.

Following a Logan Banks (West Hartford, CT/Conard) forfeit win, Matt Bonato (Syracuse, NY/Liverpool) kept the Pioneers rolling, notching a pin in just 28 seconds to take down Patrick Stauring. Bonato opened the bout with a takedown, controlling Stauring from the jump and eventually getting him into position for a pin after just a few quick movements. 

In the next scheduled match, Seth Richardson (Fort Plain, NY/Fort Plain) took on Donovan Smith at 174lbs. In the match, the two were evenly matched over the majority of the opening period; however, a late-period takedown, followed by near falls of four and three points, respectively, allowed Smith to grab a commanding 10-point lead entering the middle frame. Smith would choose to start in the down position to open the second period, notching a reversal before managing a pin against the Pioneers' sole senior after four minutes of action. Richardson fought hard in the matchup, though, not giving up much ground until the end of the first period. 

With the team score standing at 30-6 in favor of the Pioneers, Jiovani Chambers would take the mat, battling Cache Littrell at 184 pounds. Chambers would capture the win in swift fashion, logging a takedown following a slow opening, before capitalizing after a struggle on the ground to pin Littrell after a minute and 33 seconds. 

In the last match that counted towards team points, Vincent Geritano (Bay Shore, NY/Bay Shore) took on John Robyck at 285 pounds. Geritano used the time to his advantage, waiting patiently to strike against his fellow heavyweight. However, he would see Robyck grab a few initial points due to a pair of infractions, before a pair of takedowns late in the third period would give the Elmira grappler the win. 

After the end of that final bout, Utica would win the dual meet by a 48-10 final.

Billy Beseth (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-DeWitt) took on Patrick Stauring in an exhibition bout following the scheduled action, ending the tilt rather quickly thanks to an initial takedown, followed by a trio of four-point near falls to capture a dominant 15-0 tech fall victory.

The Pioneers will now turn their attention to the NCAA Region 1 Championships, which will take place in a few weeks at a location and time to be determined. Keep an eye on our athletics pages for more information about the tournament!