PRINCETON, NJ – The Rider wrestling team opened its 2024 season at the Princeton Open, with three Broncs earning top 6 finishes. 

Leading the Broncs was Enrique Munguia, who competed in the 165-pound bracket. He began strong, securing a technical fall over Columbia's Oliver Howard (19-2) in the round of 32. After a 6-1 loss to Anthony White (Rutgers-Unattached) in the round of 16, Munguia dominated in the consolation bracket, winning five straight matches, culminating in an 18-8 major decision over Lehigh's Thayne Lawrence to claim 5th place.

At 184 lbs, Isaac Dean also had an impressive day. After winning his first match, he narrowly lost an 8-7 decision to Shane Cartagena-Walsh (Rutgers-Unattached). Dean bounced back with two close wins by one point, ultimately finishing 6th after falling to James Conway (Unattached) 4-1.

Steyn De Lange, wrestling at 197 lbs, opened with a 10-2 major decision victory over West Point's Thomas Godbee. Despite falling in the round of 16, De Lange moved through the consolation bracket, including a 12-3 win over Brown's Alex Hamrick. However, in his 5th place match, De Lange lost to Austin Kohlhofer (West Point) by a 15-6 major decision, finishing 6th.


Quotes and Notes
"Today we learned a lot about our team, we learned we have a lot of work ahead of us.  There were some bright spots; Enrique, Isaac, and Steyn wrestled well and got a lot out of the experience.  We also had solid performances from some of our freshman and I'm excited about their future." – Rider Head Coach John Hangey

Up Next
The Broncs are next in action when they host West Virginia in their homeopener in Alumni Gym on Nov. 14. 
Match set for 7 p.m.