RIT is currently fifth after Saturday's action at 2019 NCAA Mideast Regional
SOURCE: www.ritathletics.com
February 23, 2019

 


BROCKPORT, NY - The RIT wrestling team currently sits fifth out of 18 teams after Saturday's action at the 2019 NCAA Mideast Regional from the Special Events Recreation Center at The College of Brockport. Three different wrestlers have advanced to the semifinals, while three more will start Sunday in consolation round action.

Sunday's wrestling starts at 10 a.m. The top three finishers in each weight class will earn automatic bids to the NCAA Division III Championships March 8-9 from the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Va.

Sophomore Kaidon Winters (Athens, PA/Athens Area), who entered the meet ranked third nationally at 157 lbs., won both of his matches by pin Saturday to advance to the semifinals. Winters, the top seed, needed just 39 seconds to pin Zack Brown of host Brockport in the opening round and pinned JT Beirne of The College of New Jersey in 3:59 in the quarterfinals. Winters, who is 29-0 this season, will face Dylan Van Sickell of Stevens Sunday in the semifinals.

Dempsey King (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford), the top-seed in the regional at 165 lbs., earned a bye in the opening round and rolled to a 12-0 win over Demitereus Henry of SUNY Cortland in the quarterfinals. King, who is ranked sixth nationally at 165 lbs., moved to 23-4 on the season and will face Dylan Schwartz of Muhlenberg in the semifinals Sunday.

Connor Calkins (Almond, NY/Alfred-Almond), a 2018 NCAA Championship participant, is off to a great start, having earned a win by fall over Joseph Moreno of Stevens and a 3-1 decision over Keegan Connelly of Scranton. Calkins, the No. 4 seed in the tournament, improves to 24-6 on the season and will face top-seeded James Bethel of Oneonta State in the semifinals Sunday morning.

Isaiah Ocasio (Vineland, NJ/Vineland) (141 lbs.), Zach Stedeford (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) (149 lbs.) and John Donohue (Smithtown, NY/Hauppauge) (197 lbs.) all finished 2-1 on Saturday and are in the hunt for a national championship berth in consolation action. In order to advance to nationals, each wrestler will have to win three consecutive consolation matches on Sunday to ensure a third-place finish.

Chris Dean (Long Branch, NJ/Long Branch) (125 lbs.), Chris Horton (Athens, PA/Athens Area) (133 lbs.), Joe Lupisella (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) (174 lbs.) and Joe Cutugno (Ventnor, NJ/Atlantic City) (184 lbs.) each won one match apiece, before being eliminated from contention. Dean finished his freshman season with 16 wins, while Horton, who was nationally-ranked at 133 lbs. earlier in the season, picked up his 25th victory of the season and will finish the year 25-8. Lupisella finishes his sophomore season with a 13-6 mark.

Cutugno, who advanced to the NCAA Championship last season, ends his RIT career with a 69-48 mark in five seasons. He finished 22-7 in 2018-19.


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