Rider’s 39-0 Shutout Stuns Cleveland State
By Dave Green
The Rider wrestling team finished their regular season with a 39-0 shut-out win over Cleveland State at Alumni Gym on Saturday afternoon.
In the opening bout at 197 pounds, senior Brock Zurawski set the tone for Rider by scoring a 7-0 decision. At 285 pounds, freshman Collin French wrestled in a closely contested match. Cleveland State initially took the lead with a takedown in the second period, but French quickly responded with an escape to narrow the gap to 3-2, and eventually, a timely takedown in the final period gave him a hard-fought 5-4 win.
Although Cleveland State managed wins at 125 pounds and 133 pounds—secured by freshman Noah Michaels and senior Will Betancourt respectively—Rider continued to build momentum. In the 141 pound matchup, sophomore Braden Palcko engaged in a back-and-forth battle. After a scoreless first period that ended with a Rider escape, Cleveland State briefly pulled ahead with a quick six-point takedown. However, Palcko rallied in the third period with an offensive burst, scoring ten points to complete a 12-8 comeback victory.
Further successes came as graduate student Sammy Alvarez at 149 pounds and senior Colton Washleski at 157 pounds extended Rider’s lead to 26-0. In a hard-fought 165 pound bout, junior Enrique Munguia turned the tables to win in overtime, 6-3. The shutout was clinched by graduate student Michael Wilson at 174 pounds and senior Isaac Dean at 184 pounds, each recording decisive wins.
“Today was a bit bittersweet as it was the last time several of our guys would compete in Alumni Gym. I was very happy to see them all go out on a winning note and continue to build momentum for the post-season. Overall, I like where our team is right now heading into the MAAC Championships,” Head Coach John Hangey said.
