2023 Mideast Region Preview
Friday and Saturday, February 24-25, 2023
Ithaca College | Host Site | 2022 Results
Teams (21):
Alfred State, Brockport, Centenary, Cortland, Elizabethtown, Elmira, Ithaca, Johns Hopkins, Keystone, McDaniel, Muhlenberg, NJCU, TCNJ, Oneonta, Oswego, Penn College, Pitt-Bradford, RIT, St. John Fisher, Scranton, Ursinus
NWCA Ranked Tournament Teams
#24 RIT
Top 10 Ranked Individuals | February 16th Ranking (7 total)
125:
133:
141: #5 Pena (Centenary)
149: #4 Monn (McDaniel), #10 Sims (Brockport)
157: #9 Sacco (TCNJ)
165: #3 Lamb (RIT)
174: #7 Grygas (Oswego)
184:
197: #6 Chukwuezi (Ithaca)
285:
Contenders & H.M. (33 total)
125: Rosenthal (TCNJ), Thode (Centenary), Adams (Ursinus), Lamparelli (Muhlenberg)
133: Cardenas (Cortland), Torres (Ithaca)
141: Difrancescantonio (TCNJ), Hernandez (Ithaca), Horton (RIT)
149: Beyer (Ithaca), Centrone (Cortland), Conklin (TCNJ), Johnson (NJCU)
157: Bowles (Muhlenberg), Gonzalez (Elizabethtown), Pierre-Louis (Ithaca)
165: Sacco (TCNJ), Schneider (Elizabethtown), Datz (Cortland)
174: Colella (TCNJ), Dewar (Muhlenberg), Paul (Johns Hopkins), Smith (Elizabethtown)
184: Cory (Penn College), Giroux (RIT), Haddad (TCNJ), Torres (Cortland)
197: Harkless (RIT), Henry (Cortland), Sullivan (Brockport), Harris (McDaniel)
285: Waller (Elizabethtown), Wersinger (TCNJ)
Almost 2/3 of last year’s 30 qualifiers from this region are back in 2023 for this tournament. The Mideast may lack in top-end strength compared to some other regions, but the overall depth will make for some fierce competition for the top three spots at each weight. RIT is the only ranked team, slotting in at a tie for 24th, but TCNJ, Ithaca, and Cortland will compete for the team title. Heading to the weekend, it looks like the 30 slots will be filled by a smaller group of teams while the rest end their season on Saturday.
The top returning finisher in the tournament is Eze Chukwuezi of Ithaca who finished 5th at 184 last season. He leads the field at 197 that also includes 2022 174 lbs. All-American Demitreus Henry of Cortland and 2022 qualifier Josh Harkless of RIT. Chukwuezi has a single DIII loss and two wins against last year’s 4th place finisher Farrow of York. Henry is coming on strong up two weights after a win at the Wheaton Invitational. Sullivan (Brockport) and Harris (McDaniel) have each beaten a 2022 All-American this season.
Thomas Monn of McDaniel is an undefeated freshman who has made his way up to #4 in the rankings. He will have #10 Eli Sims (Brockport) in the weight as well as 2022 All-American Michael Conklin (TCNJ) and national qualifier Jeff Johnson of NJCU. Matthew Beyer of Ithaca lost in overtime in the third place match here a year ago and already has two wins over Conklin this season.
At 165, #3 Austin Lamb has a single loss by injury default (to TCNJ’s Sacco) marring an otherwise perfect, if limited, season so far. He was 8th in the NCAA a year ago where he beat Jaden Datz (then at W&J) in the placement round. Datz now wrestles for Cortland and they could get a rematch this weekend. Brian Schneider of Elizabethtown placed here last year and has just two losses on the season.