RIT takes top spot at 55th RIT Invitational
SOURCE: ritathletics.com
December 04, 2021

 


ROCHESTER, N.Y. - RIT senior Kaidon Winters (157 pounds), junior Austin Lamb (165 pounds) and freshman Josh Harkless (197 pounds) each won individual titles to help lead the No. 17 Tigers to its second-straight RIT Invitational title, Saturday.

The Tigers garnered 168.5 team points on the day and were 18 points better than runner-up, No. 7 John Carroll (Ohio), in a field of 16 teams at the 55th annual event, after having last hosted it in 2019.

Winters, the top-ranked wrestler in the nation at 157 pounds, earned the Tony Wallace Award as the tournament's most outstanding wrestler. He was one of six Tigers to reach the finals that included sophomore Logan Patterson (125 pounds), senior Christopher Horton (141 pounds), and sophomore Michael Glynn III (149 pounds).

In the finals, Winters took a 3-1 decision in sudden death over second-seed Luke Reicosky (John Carroll). Winters started the day with a 26-second pin over Malachi Harvey (Delaware Valley). In the second round, he needed 21 seconds for his second fall against Ciaran Edwards (Wesleyan). In the quarterfinals, Winters pinned Justin Smith (Alfred State) in 2:24, after an 11-0 major decision in the semifinals against Tommy Dell`Aera (Worcester Poly) to reach the finals.

Lamb took his title with a 9-4 decision over third-seed Kevin Lyskawa (Trinity), after a 15-1 major decision in the semifinals over Isaac Mathews (Oswego State). Prior to that, Lamb took a 9-1 major decision over Tyler Barker (Norwich) in the quarterfinal round, after opening with a 12-4 major decision over Kenny Sauer (Oneonta State) and a 19-second pin over Ben Trautwein (Alfred State).

Harkless pinned second-seed Jhordyn Innocent (Oneonta State) in 5:25 in the finals, after advancing from the semifinals with a 3-0 decision against Jesse Kanatzar (John Carroll). In the quarterfinals, Harkless scored an 8-0 major decision over Noah Kennedy (Oneonta State), before beginning the day with a 7-1 decision over Thoren Berg (Norwich).

The Tony Wallace Award that Winters captured, is named after a member of the RIT Athletics Hall of Fame and three-time All-American wrestler. Wallace, a native of Loveland, Ohio, was an All-American wrestler at RIT from 1998-2002. He was just the third member in the history of RIT wrestling to earn three All-American honors, finishing his career with a 108-27 record. He died on Aug. 28, 2010, while on duty with the Hoonah (Alaska) Police Department. Wallace, a business administration major, was an assistant coach for the Tigers from 2003-05 and worked in the RIT Office of Public Safety from 2005-08.

Wrestling next travels to Louisville, Ky., for the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals, Jan. 6-7.


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