Bulls to Open Season on Saturday against Ohio
SOURCE: ubbulls.com
January 01, 2021

 


BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo wrestling team is set to open the season on Saturday afternoon against Ohio. The Bulls will host the Bobcats at 1 pm at Alumni Arena.

With the graduation of a number of starters from last season, including two-time defending MAC Champion Troy Keller, the Bulls will have a new-look lineup at a number of weight classes this season.

At 125, the Bulls will either start Triston Daugherty or Jimmy Ryan. Daugherty is a true freshman from Peoria, IL who was a state champion in 2020. Ryan is a sophomore transfer from LIU. He is a three-time Catholic state champion and finished seventh overall at Nationals in 2019.

At 133, either Caleb Svingala or Tommy Maddox will take the mat. Svingala is a four-time state qualifier from Castleton, NY. Maddox is a redshirt-freshman in his second year with the program. He was a three-time all-section selection from Washingtonville High School near Poughkeepsie.

Derek Spann returns at 141 and is one of the leaders and team captains of the squad. A back-to-back national qualifier, Spann went 33-3 in duals over the last two seasons. Freshman Matt Ryan, who was a National Prep All-American last season, could also see time at 141.

Ty Raines or Ben Freeman will likely start at 149. Raines is a redshirt-freshman entering his second season with the program. A redshirt-junior, Freeman is a transfer from Michigan where he wrestled for three seasons.

Coming off a strong redshirt-freshman campaign, Michael Petite is set to start again at 157. The New Jersey native went 10-2 in duals last season, including a 7-2 mark against MAC foes.

After redshirting last season, Noah Grover returns to the lineup at 165. The Warsaw, NY native was 13-18 overall and 2-6 in duals during the 2018-19 season.

Three wrestlers could start at 174. Jake Lanning has the most experience spending parts of the last two years as the Bulls' starter. Lanning went 8-20 in duals over the last two seasons. Freshman Marcus Petite, brother of Michael, as well as Hofstra transfer Giuseppe Hoose could also get the nod at 174.

Pete Acciardi is back at 184. The redshirt-sophomore went 8-9 in duals, including 6-3 in MAC duals last season.

Sam Mitchell is set to start at 197. A redshirt-freshman, Mitchell went 49-1 and won a state championship his senior season at Marshfield High School in Wisconsin.

At 285, either Toby Cahill or Robbie Unruh will likely start. Cahill is a redshirt-junior who transferred from Clarion prior to last season. Unruh is a freshman from Reading, PA where he was a third-place finisher at the state championships his senior season.

Ohio leads the all-time series, 17-5. The Bulls have won two of the last three meetings.





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