SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Wesleyan wrestling team continues to build on an already strong start to the season as the Cardinals saw five individuals earn a top five finish in their respective weight classes, leading the team to a sixth place finish out of 14 teams in the event. Marco Gaita '23 led the way with a 174-pound championship run while Jack Reusing '25 placed third in the 165-pound bracket.

• RESULTS

"A solid showing for the team today," said Wesleyan head coach Drew Black. "We are making consistent program. I like how we road the waves of a full day tournament and had a strong finish to take sixth place. We need to continue to use each match as a building block for our postseason. We are learning to find a way to compete one degree higher in those pivotal quarterfinals, semifinals, wrestle back rounds, and finals matches which elevate the team. We are looking forward to our Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends, then getting back to preparing for the RIT Invitational in Rochester."
 
Competing as the top-seed in the bracket, Gaita was decisive on the day, earning four wins, three of which by technical fall including an 18-0 decision in the 174-pound title match. Gaita opened the tournament with a 15-0 technical fall over AJ Robinson of Southern Maine before earning a 10-4 decision victory over Preston Hass of Merchant Marine. In the semifinal, he was pushed by Chase Anestis of Plymouth but Gaita still moved through with a 5-1 decision victory. In the final, Gaita dominated Daniel Gibson of Coast Guard with a resounding 18-0 technical fall, claiming the title.
 
Reusing went on an extended run in the 165-pound bracket, earning a 14-0 major decision over Cooper Lavigne of RIC before technical falling Billy Blumenthal of Springfield by a score of 16-0. In the semifinal, the second-seed Reusing fell to third-seeded Steven Rochard of Coast Guard, 6-0, but Reusing managed to bounce back in a thriller, defeating Sean Monteiro of Western New England by a score of 11-10 in the third place bout.
 
Wrestling as the four-seed in the 184-pound bracket, Aris Dashiell '25 picked up a pair of wins over Matt Myers of RIC (3:17 fall) and Griffin Ostrom of Western New England (11-10) before a pair of defeats in the semifinal and the third place match as the sophomore finished fourth in the weight class.
 
Aaron Goldman '23 bounced back from a third round defeat to Peter Kane of Williams, rolling past Jared Swartz of Springfield (18-1 tech fall) and Cameron Bruffy of Centenary (7-3) before winning by no-contest in the fifth place bout.  
 
Shailen Savur '25 was the fifth Cardinal to place in the event, as the sophomore wrestled his way to a fifth place finish at 133. Taking out Wesley Wydick of Merchane Marine 8-2 in the opening round, he continued on in the winners bracket with a win by fall over Wyatt Gentile of New England College. After a loss to Ethan Ford of Southern Maine, Savur bounced back with victories in the consolation bracket over Aiden Hebert of Trinity (10-5) and Jack Napeloni of Williams (7-2) to take fifth place in the weight class.