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Dan
D'Agostini |
Keegan
Connelly |
Results
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Senior Dan D'Agostini (Allentown, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) won the 197-pound championship on Saturday at the 53rd Annual RIT Invitational to lead The University of Scranton to a ninth place finish in the overall competition.
As a team, the Royals totaled 68 points in the 16-team tournament hosted by the Rochester Institute of Technology.
D'Agostini went 5-0 on the day to claim the 197-pound championship while improving to 18-1 on the season. He opened the day with a 16-0 technical fall before posting an 8-3 decision. A 16-1 technical fall sent D'Agostini into the semifinal round where he battled to a 5-4 decision over Michael Curtis of WPI. He then won the title with a 7-4 decision over Thiel's Gage Gladysz in the championship match.
D'Agostini lifted his career record to 86-27. He currently ranks fourth all-time in Scranton history for career victories.
Junior Keegan Connelly (Schnecksville, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) brought home a fourth place finishing at 285 pounds, posting a 22-6 technical fall in his first bout before earning a 9-5 decision to reach the semifinals. Following a major decision setback to 2nd ranked James Bethel of Oneonta in the semifinals, Connelly picked up a 6-1 decision in the consolation round before settling for a fourth place finish after being nipped in the final consolation match, 3-2.
Senior Kevin Merle (Stroudsburg, Pa./Belvidere) enjoyed a strong day at 165 pounds finishing fifth after winning three straight decisions to advance to the semifinal round. Merle won his first match, 5-1, before claiming a 5-3 decision in the second round. He moved onto the semifinals with a 12-11 decision, but was topped in a 5-1 decision.
Freshman Matthew Murawski (Harrington Park, N.J./Northern Valley – Old Tappan) finished in fifth place at 125 pounds. Murawksi won his first two matches at 125 pounds, opening the day with a pin at the 4:37 mark of his first match before advancing with a 2-0 decision in his second bout. He was defeated in the semifinal round on an 11-4 decision and fell in the consolation round in a 15-4 major decision.
Sophomore Aidan McNally (Scranton, Pa./Scranton) won three matches in the consolation bracket of the 174-pound flight, notching a pair of 16-0 technical falls followed by a medical forfeit win.
Sophomore Kyle Shaffer (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) won twice in the 165-pound consolation round, picking up decisions of 13-7 and 8-2.
Freshman Justin Weimer (Leonardo, N.J./Middletown South) scored a pair of consolation round wins at 174 pounds, following a medical forfeit with a pin at the 1:16 mark of his next match.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute won the team tournament for the second year in a row with 139.5 points while John Carroll was the runner-up with 132 points.
Scranton will compete for the final time of the calendar year on Saturday, December 22 at the Wilkes Open starting at 9 a.m.
--ROYALS--
