Binghamton's Carter Baer Takes First at Mat-Town Open I
SOURCE: bubearcats.com
November 26, 2023

 


Sophomore is one of eight wrestlers to place for Bearcats at tournament

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - Carter Baer became Binghamton wrestling's first tournament champion of the season Sunday by winning the 157 lb., bracket at Lock Haven University's Mat-Town Open I tournament.

Baer was one of eight wrestlers to place for the Bearcats at the event, as the team finished second out of 15 groups. Both Dimitri Gamkrelidze and Carson Wagner took second at 174 and 125 lbs., respectively. Charlie Tibbitts and Nate Lucier got third at 285 and 141 lbs. Will Ebert, Ivan Garcia, and Ryan Hartung got fourth at 174, 141, and 133 lbs. This came as Hartung made his collegiate debut on Sunday.

"I'm proud of the team effort today," said Binghamton Head Coach Kyle Borshoff. "We wrestled much better today than last weekend and have a lot to build off of."

This is the third tournament Baer has won in his collegiate career. During his freshman season in 2022-23, he won both the The Open Zingo Nationals and the New York State Intercollegiate Open at 165 lbs. He also finished third at the Mat-Town Open that season.

Baer shut out his first two opponents, earning a 15-0 technical fall over Buzz Bomberger of Spartan Combat RTC and an 8-0 major decision over JT Hogan of Lock Haven, who competed unattached. Baer then defeated Gage McClenahan of Cornell in a 9-4 decision to reach the finals. There, he pinned Cornell's Benny Rodgers after escaping him in the second period to secure first place.

Both Gamkrelidze and Wagner won three matches to reach the finals. Gamkrelidze got past three wrestlers from Cornell, as he defeated Luke Gorg in a 14-5 major decision, Liam Finn in a 17-5 major decision, and Colt Barley in a 7-6 decision. In the finals, he was defeated by Spartan Combat RTC's Simon Ruiz in an 8-3 decision. Wagner took down Cornell's Marcello Milani in an 8-5 decision in overtime, Spartan Combat RTC's Ernie Perry in an 18-1 technical fall, and Penn State's Kurt McHenry in a 4-1 decision in overtime to reach the final match. There, he was pinned by Gregory Diakomihalis of Cornell.

Both Garcia and Lucier would end the day by competing against each other for third place at 141 lbs. Lucier ultimately defeated Garcia in a 7-3 decision.

In his first collegiate appearance, Hartung recovered after being pinned in his first match against unrostered wrestler Hayden Cunningham. The freshman got past teammate and fellow freshman Jay McDonnell in a 5-3 decision, Penn State's Sean Wang via a medical forfeit, and unattached wrestler Joe Haynes as he got his first collegiate pin against him. Hartung would get a rematch against Cunningham in the third place match, where Cunningham won in a 19-3 technical fall.

Ebert made it all the way to the semifinals, nearly setting up an all-Binghamton final against Gamkrelidze at 174 lbs. After getting a 5-4 decision over Christian Hansen and a 7-6 decision over Evan Canoyer, both from Cornell, Ebert was defeated by Ruiz in a 12-1 major decision. Ebert then defeated Hansen in the consolation semifinals in an 8-3 decision before losing to Cornell's Benny Baker in the third place match in a 9-2 decision.


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