CHATTANOOGA, TN – Rider University wrestlers Jesse Dellavecchia (Great River, NY/East Islip [Binghamton]), Ethan Laird (Waterford, PA/General McLane) and Dean Sherry (Brick, NJ/Brick Township) all placed at the Southern Scuffle, completed Thursday at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Dellavecchia finished second at 157, Laird earned third at 197 and Sherry took sixth at 174. As a team, the Broncs finished eighth of 34 teams with 72.5 points.

Dellavecchia advanced to the finals, defeating North Dakota State's Luke Weber, 8-2, in the semifinals. He then fell to North Carolina State's Hayden Hidley, 10-0, in the championship bout to take second.

Laird fell to West Virginia's Noah Adams, 3-0, in the semifinal at 197, before bouncing back to defeat Cornell commit and former New Jersey State Champion Jacob Cardenas, 3-1, in sudden victory to advance to the third place match. Cardenas is greyshirting this season. Laird claimed third place with a 9-7 decision over Penn State's Michael Beard.

Sherry fell in three matches Thursday to take sixth. He was defeated by Pittsburgh's Gregg Harvey, greyshirting Cornell commit and former New Jersey State Champion Chris Foca and Virginia Military Institute's Neal Richards.

Notes
- Rider was the top-finishing MAC team, ahead of Lock Haven (10^th, 64.5 points), George Mason (14^th, 45.5 points), Cleveland State (22^nd, 20 points), Missouri (27^th, 4.5 points) and Old Dominion (29^th, 0 points).
- Jonathan Tropea (Harrington Park, NJ/Saint Joseph (Montvale)) and George Walton (Franklin, NJ/Bound Brook) also competed Thursday, falling short of the podium with losses in their first consolation matches of the day.  
- The Broncs return to action Jan. 10-11, when they compete at the Virginia Duals.