Wrestling victory over American breaks program record for most wins in a season

Kathrine Harris, Senior Writer

The wrestling team continued their bout of dominance on Feb. 7, taking down EIWA opponent American University in a 27-9 victory and extending its current winning streak to eight matches.

The Bison faced off against American as they finished up a four-match road trip. Joey Krulock ’17 started off the strong team performance with an 11-9 victory in the 174-pound division. After having not competed for almost a month, Krulock showed skill and determination while scoring two takedowns in the last minute of the third period to record his first dual victory of the season.

“Not being able to compete for the past couple months due to injury, it was a bit of a struggle. I struggled with my fatigue and didn’t have the wind I would have liked. I plan on working harder in the practice room to make up for lost time and finish out the next month and a half strong,” Krulock said.

Krulock’s initial victory was quickly followed by three more wins by Tom Sleigh ’18, Tyler Lyster ’15, and Joe Stolfi ’16 in the 184, 197, and 285 pound divisions respectively. Both Lyster’s pin and Stolfi’s 10-0 win were continuations of amazing senior seasons for the wrestlers, with Lyster on a six-match winning streak and Stolfi, who is currently ranked eleventh, on an 18-match streak.

As the team dropped back down to the 125-pound category, 16th-ranked Paul Petrov ’16, faced off against another nationally ranked opponent. While Petrov put up a good fight, he could not overcome the ferocious start of his American opponent, and lost 8-4.

While the Bison were unable to stem the tide through the 133-pound match, wrestlers Tyler Smith ’18, Victor Lopez ’17, and Robert Schlitt ’16 won in the 141, 149, and 165 pound divisions respectively to clinch all but one of the final four competitions for the team. Their victories pushed the Orange and Blue win to a score of 27-9, with the team recorded victories in seven of the 10 individual matches.

“I believe there is room for overall team improvement. I felt that the team did not wrestle to our full potential compared to past matches,” Krulock said.

The win pushed the Bison to 13-3 overall and 6-0 against EIWA opponents this season. Along with being the eighth victory in a row for the Bison, the longest winning streak for the Orange and Blue wrestling squad in over 20 years, the finish also broke the school record for most dual victories in a season.

“It is an exciting time for Bucknell wrestling and I am thrilled to be part of it,” Sleigh said.

The Bison will return to competition on Feb. 13, at home versus Franklin & Marshall, followed by a match against Army the next day, Feb. 14. Both competitions will be held in Davis Gym.

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