2021-2022 Stevens Preview
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Team: Stevens Institute of Technology
Head Coach: Joe Favia
Years at School as Head Coach: 8
Career Record at Current School: 87-27
Assistant Coaches: Anthony Bonaventura, Scott DelVecchio
2020-21 Dual Meet Record: 1-4
2021 NWCA Tournament Placewinners:
Kyle Slendorn – 4th at 141
Brett Kaliner – 3rd at 149
Returning NCAA Qualifiers, NCAA All-Americans, and NWCA Placewinners:
Akhil Vega, 125, 3rd Team All American and Qualifier in 2020
Michael Dooley, 197, 2x NCAA Qualifier and 1st team All American (2019 – 184, 2020 – 197)
Brett Kaliner, 149, 4x All-American, National Finalist at 141 in 2018
Kyle Slendorn, 141, 2x All American and NCAA Qualifier in 2020 at 133
Top Returning Starters:
125 – Akhil Vega
141 – Kyle Slendorn
149 – Brett Kaliner
197 – Michael Dooley
Top Incoming Wrestlers:
Jack Bailey – Point Pleasant Borough, NJ; Point Pleasant Boro High School
Branden Bulatao – Sunnyvale, CA; Fremont High School
Michael Conrad – Pine Brook, NJ; Montville High School
Harrison Hinojosa – Westmont, NJ; Camden Catholic High School
Kenneth Koenig – Freehold, NJ; Colts Neck High School
Brendan Newbury – Manasquan, NJ; Wall Township High School
Maximo Ruiz – West Caldwell, NJ; James Caldwell High School
Joseph Russell – Newburg, NY; Newburgh Academy
Julia Schleuss – Wall, NJ; Wall Township High School
Christopher Stathopoulos – Clifton, NJ; Clifton High School
Hao Tang – Cherry Hill, NJ; Brick Township High School
Blaise Wagner – Bath, PA; Northampton High School
Season Outlook:
The Stevens Institute of Technology wrestling program was one of the few fortunate programs on the east coast to compete during the abbreviated 2020-21 season. A big thank you goes out to the Stevens administration and athletic training staff for allowing the Ducks to have a successful and safe season. With that being said, the coaching staff is excited to get back to a full season. With a handful of starters returning plus the addition of a good young core, the Ducks roster is competitive and hungry to get back into team trophy contention.
Graduate student captain Brett Kaliner is taking advantage of the free year of eligibility and will again be in the mix for a national title at 149. Akhil Vega, Kyle Slendorn, and Michael Dooley will also look to continue their success after stellar finishes in 2020. Slendorn had a great showing out in Iowa in 2021 with a 4th place finish at the NWCA Championships. Hunter Gutierrez and Stefan Major were both MAC runner-ups to their teammates in 2020, they will look to crack the line-up as full time starters in 2021.
The Ducks schedule will be a good one. Some highlights are their trip out west to compete at CUW Open and later that week against Augsburg and Wisconsin Eau-Claire in a dual meet setting. They will also wrestle three DI teams in Clarion, Lock Haven, and Cornell. Other big tournaments for the Ducks are the Ithaca Invitational, New Standard Invitational, and the Roger Williams Invitational. Second semester the Ducks will battle local rivals NYU and TCNJ in duals. The TCNJ event will be a special one. It will be at a neutral site, Southern Regional High School, and will happen during one of the biggest NJ high school duals of the year, Southern Regional and Brick Memorial. The Ducks will be battle tested heading into the 2022 postseason and look forward to the challenges they will face on a weekly basis. Follow the Ducks on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @DuckWrestling and the new Duck Insider Podcast which is streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.