CLEVELAND – The No. 5 nationally ranked Baldwin Wallace University men's wrestling team opened the 2024-25 season as it tied for 18th at the Bob Del Rosa Ohio Intercollegiate Open hosted by Case Western Reserve University inside the inside the Veale Convocation, Recreation, and Athletic Center.

BW was tied for 18th of 30 teams in the open division with 9.5 points.  NCAA Division I Cleveland State University was the champion with 181 points. The Yellow Jackets had one of its three wrestlers finish in the top 5.

Senior 174-pounder Brandon Burkhart (Olmsted Township/Olmsted Falls) – Fourth Place

• Won a 4-1 decision over Victor Marks-Jenkins of Punisher Wrestling Club
• Won a 6-1 decision over Jacob Schultz of CP Wrestling Academy
• Loss a 17-4 technical fall to Jackson Gray of Ithaca (N.Y.)
• Loss a 22-10 major decision to Gavin Ricketts of Cleveland State

In the freshman and sophomore division, BW was third of 28 points with 76 points.  NCAA Division I Cleveland State University was the champion with 115 points.  The Yellow Jackets had five of its 10 wrestlers finish in the top 6, including one third place finisher.

Freshman 157-pounder Antonio Shelley (Mentor) – Third Place

• Bye in first round
• Won a 13-2 major decision over Chris Cibrone of NCAA Division II Mercyhurst (Pa.)
• Won an 18-0 technical fall over Joey Fumic of John Carroll
• Loss a 12-5 decision to Josh Jordan of NCAA Division II Lake Erie
• Won a 10-9 decision over Christian Hirak of NCAA Division II Seton Hill (Pa.)

Sophomore 197-pounder Dominic Pagan (Poland/Seminary) – Fourth Place

• Bye in first round
• Won a 17-4 major decision over Joshua Ross of NCAA Division II Ashland
• Loss a 7-1 decision to Joey Scaramuzzino of NCAA Division II Lake Erie
• Loss a 14-6 major decision to Reese Redman of NCAA Division II Ashland

Sophomore 149-pounder Noah Creque (Murfreesboro, Tenn./ Siegel) – Fifth Place

• Won an 18-1 technical fall over Lydell Osbourne of NCAA Division II Tiffin
• Loss a 17-1 technical fall to Egidio Difazio of NCAA Division II Lake Erie
• Won by pinfall in 2:06 over Ian Drake of Ohio Wesleyan
• Won a 10-4 decision over Kyle Peavey of Rochester Institute of Technology (N.Y.)
• Won by medical forfeit over Josh Howey of NCAA Division II Lake Erie
• Won a 12-4 major decision over Jeremiah Sawicky of NCAA Division II Gannon (Pa.)
• Won a 7-6 decision over freshman David Zambounis (Broadview Heights/Brecksville-Broadview Heights) of BW

Freshman Matt Hadad (Sagamore Hills/Nordonia) – Fifth Place

• Won by pinfall in 1:24 over Duncan Hand of NCAA Division II Indianapolis (Ind.)
• Loss a 19-12 decision to Chris Reddy of Ithaca (N.Y.)
• Won by pinfall in 46 seconds over Landon Griffin of NAIA Midway
• Won a 7-6 decision over Isaac Valdez of NCAA Division II Wheeling (W. Va.)
• Won by pinfall in 4:07 over Kyle Jacobs of Rochester Institute of Technology (N.Y.)

149-pounder Zambounis – Sixth Place

• Won by pinfall in 5:37 over Robert Minden of Case Western Reserve
• Loss a 22-14 major decision to Josh Howey of NCAA Division II Lake Erie
• Won by pinfall in 6:34 over Bence Szilagyi of NCAA Division II Indianapolis (Ind.)
• Won by pinfall in 2:11 over Santhosh Bonda of Unattached
• Won by medical forfeit over Egidio Difazio of NCAA Division II Lake Erie
• Won a 10-1 major decision over Mac Davidson of Rochester Institute of Technology (N.Y.)
• Loss a 7-6 decision to Creque of BW

BW is back in action on Tuesday, November 12 when it travels to Wilmington for the Ohio Athletic Conference opener against Wilmington College in the Fred Raizk Arena inside Hermann Court at 7 p.m.