Williamsport, PA – The Alfred State men's wrestling team opened its season in impressive fashion Saturday at the Lycoming Invitational, placing 21 wrestlers across the tournament's Freshman-Sophomore and Junior-Senior brackets.

Leading the way for the Pioneers was Brandon DellaPia, who captured the 157-pound Freshman-Sophomore championship. After earning a 2-1 decision in his opening match, DellaPia recorded back-to-back second-period falls to advance to the finals. He then capped off his dominant day with a 4-0 decision victory to claim the title.

In the Junior-Senior brackets, Richard Morales took third in the 141 bracket, while Nicholas Ewan (157), Kyle Meyer (149), and Aaron Johnson (285) finished fourth in their respective brackets. For Morales, he notched a second period fall before falling in the semifinals by decision. In the third-place match, he would pick up a 3:41 fall victory.

Also, in the Freshman-Sophomore brackets, Jordan Smith (184) and Ronan Klug (174) finished second in their respective brackets. Smith had two decision wins before falling in the championship match, while Klug had two byes and a fall before falling in the championship match.

Other place finishers in the Junior-Senior brackets were Chris Herriman (184) in fifth, Cornelius Giffin (141) in sixth, and Jared Dolder (149) in sixth.

As for the Freshman-Sophomore brackets: Carson Turner (174) in third, Pierce Tran (197) in third, Jacob Pettit (125) in fourth, Levi Wilson (157) in fourth, Parker Trento (149) in fourth, Vincenzo Bongiovanni (165) in fourth, Colton Hai (285) in fifth, Christian Caputo (133) in sixth, Nate Racz (157) in sixth, Peyton McFarland (174) in sixth, and Tanner Bellomo (165) in sixth.

With 21 total place winners and a championship performance from DellaPia, the Pioneers showcased their depth and potential in a strong opening-day performance at the Lycoming Invitational. The Pioneers will be back in action on Saturday November 7^th as they head to Reading, PA of the Tonee Ellis Memorial Tournament. The first matches are set to start at 10:30 am.