Wrestling | 11/2/2018 9:19:00 PM

ITHACA, NY – The RIT wrestling team finished third out of 12 teams at the 2018 Ithaca Invitational from the A & E Center at Glazer Arena on Nov. 2-3. Three different Tigers won individual titles, with two runners up and four more place winners.
 
RIT finished with 129 team points, third behind host Ithaca, the No. 2 team in the 2018-19 preseason national poll, who recorded 167 points and Castleton University, who was second with 139 team points.
 
Sophomores Zach Stedeford (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) (149 lbs.) and Kaidon Winters (Athens, PA/Athens Area) (157 lbs.), along with junior Joe Lupisella (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) (174 lbs.) claimed individual championships. Dempsey King (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) (157 lbs.) and Sam Weinger (Blooming Grove, NY/Washingtonville) (197 lbs.) earned runner-up honors, while Joe Cutugno (Ventnor, NJ/Atlantic City) (fourth – 184 lbs.), Connor Calkins (Almond, NY/Alfred-Almond) (fourth – 285 lbs.), Alex Prunoske (Safety Harbor, FL/Clearwater Catholic) (sixth – 125 lbs.) and Morgan Seller (Lyons Falls, NY/South Lewis) (sixth – 174 lbs.) also placed.

"This weekend was a great start to the season," said RIT head coach Jason Bovenzi. "We competed hard in every bout, which is what we want to be the hallmark of our program. Our next challenge will be to take feedback from this weekend and use it to strengthen our game."
 
Stedeford won all five of his matches at 149 lbs. over the weekend to claim his first individual title. He opened competition with a win by major decision and technical fall before shutting out Darius Joyce of Johnson & Wales, 9-0 in the quarterfinals. Stedeford dispatched Thomas Grippi, also of Johnson & Wales by a 7-2 score in the semifinals, before claiming the title with a 6-4 win over Demetri D'Orsaneo of host Ithaca.
 
Lupisella went 4-0 on the weekend for his first individual championship, scoring at least 10 points in all four matches. He knocked off Daniel Curran of Norwich University, 12-8 in the final after earning an 11-5 win in the opener, 15-5 win over Isaiah Mayes of Ithaca in the quarterfinals and 10-5 win over Michael Gargano of Johnson & Wales in the semis.
 
Winters, who tied a program record with 42 wins and advanced to the national tournament last season, picked up right where he left off, winning his first two matches by fall before defeating Ryan Monteiro, 5-4 in the semifinals. It was an all RIT championship bout, with Winters outlasting teammate Dempsey King (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) by a score of 3-0.
 
King enjoyed a strong weekend on the mats in his first bouts since the 2017 NCAA Championship. Like Winters, King won his first two matches by fall before earning a 16-0 technical fall win over Samuel Tenaglia in the quarterfinals. King advanced to the championship after a convincing 14-1 win over Baltazar Gonzalez of American International College in the semifinals.
 
Senior Sam Weinger (Blooming Grove, NY/Washingtonville), a 2017 NCAA qualifier, made a strong debut at 197 lbs., going 4-1 to finish second. He won his first two matches by decision before defeating Dane Harter of Ithaca by fall in the quarterfinals. He won a close decision over Dymir Davis-Carruth of Ithaca in the semifinal, but fell to Tommy Wrzesien of Johnson & Wales in the championship bout, 7-3.
 
Seniors Logan Calkins (Almond, NY/Alfred-Almond) and Joe Cutugno (Ventnor, NJ/Atlantic City), both 2018 NCAA Championship participants, each won four matches on the weekend to finish fourth at their respective weight classes. Calkins earned a win by fall, two by technical fall and a major decision victory at 285 lbs. Cutugno picked up one pin at 184 lbs. while his two losses were by a one and two points, respectively.
 
Sophomore Alex Prunoske (Safety Harbor, FL/Clearwater Catholic) picked up to pins en route to a four-win weekend, placing sixth at 125 lbs. Morgan Seller (Lyons Falls, NY/South Lewis) finished sixth with two wins at 174 lbs.
 
First-year grapplers Chris Horton (Athens, PA/Athens Area) (133 lbs.), Ian Houck (Cottekill, NY/Rondout Valley) (157 lbs.) and Mike McGowan (Mamaroneck, NY/Mamaroneck) (157 lbs.) won their first collegiate matches. Horton picked up three wins on the weekend
 
Owen Albanese (Canastota, NY/Canastota) (285 lbs.) and John Donohue (Smithtown, NY/Hauppauge) (165 lbs.) won a pair of matches at 285 lbs., while Shane Murphy (Mt. Olive, NJ/Mt. Olive) and Isaiah Ocasio (Vineland, NJ/Vineland) had one win each at 141 lbs. and Chris St. Denny (Bridgeport, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) added a victory at 285 lbs.
 
RIT is right back in action next Saturday, Nov. 10 at the Northeast Journeymen Duals at Hudson Valley Community College. The Tigers will take on Niagara County Community College, Long Island University Post and Castleton University.

"We are all looking forward to getting back to practice on Monday, as we are right back in the fire next weekend."