PRINCETON, NJ – Elijah Griffin made a statement in his Rider debut, capturing the 141-pound title and knocking off two ranked opponents to lead the Broncs in their season opener at the Princeton Open on Sunday. Five other Broncs joined Griffin on the podium in a strong start to the 2025-26 campaign.
At 125 lbs, No. 26
Tyler Klinsky posted a pair of dominant tech falls in the first round and quarterfinals before meeting No. 18 Marc-Anthony McGowan (Princeton) in the semifinals. McGowan opened fast with two takedowns to build a 6-1 lead after one and went on to win by 14-2 major decision.
Klinsky bounced back strong, securing three takedowns in a 10-3 decision over Charlie Palmer (Army) to claim third place.
At 133 lbs,
Will Betancourt edged Jeff Lopez (Oregon State) 4-1 in his opening match thanks to a first-period takedown, then rolled through the quarters with a 14-4 major decision. Facing No. 24 Ethan Berginc (Army) in the semifinals, Betancourt dropped an 8-0 major decision before securing third place via medical forfeit.
At 141 lbs, Griffin wasted no time making his mark in his Bronc debut. He rolled into the semifinals with a tech fall, decision, and major decision before facing No. 14 Wyatt Henson (Lock Haven), the MAC's preseason No. 1 at the weight. Griffin struck first with a takedown that proved decisive, holding off Henson for a 4-3 upset victory. He then outlasted No. 21 Braden Basile (Army) in the finals, tallying two takedowns en route to an 8-6 win and the 141-pound crown.
At 149 lbs,
Dylan Layton impressed in his Rider debut, upsetting No. 2 seed CJ Hamblin (Oregon State) 12-2 in the second round before advancing to the finals. Layton's run ended against No. 9 Chance Lamer (Nebraska), who earned a 14-3 win, leaving Layton as the runner-up.
At 165 lbs, No. 28
Brendon Abdon continued his steady climb, outscoring opponents 36-9 en route to the semifinals before falling to No. 19 Ty Whalen (Princeton), 16-0. Abdon rebounded with a hard-fought 9-7 victory over Dakota Morris (Army) to take third.
At 197 lbs, No. 22
Brock Zurawski picked up right where he left off last season, racking up 43 combined points in his second-round and quarterfinal wins. In the semis, he met No. 19 JT Davis (Lehigh) in a tight contest that went to overtime tied 1-1. Zurawski escaped in nine seconds during the first rideout, then sealed the match with a takedown for a 5-3 decision.
Zurawski advanced to the finals where he faced No. 6 Justin Rademacher (Oregon State). Rademacher jumped out to a 7-0 advantage after the opening period and extended his lead with an escape and another takedown in the second to make it 11-0. Zurawski battled back with a takedown in the final frame, but Rademacher responded late to secure a 16-5 major decision, giving Zurawski a runner-up finish at 197 lbs.
Quotes and Notes
"There is a lot to work on for sure, but overall I thought we wrestled hard. We also found out a lot about some of the guys, so the dust settled a little bit today!
Great performances from Eli; Princeton Open Champ and Dylan and Brock for making the finals."
- Rider Head Coach John Hangey.
Up Next
The Broncs return to action when they open up dual meet action against No. 16 Illinois on Nov. 8
Match is set for 6 p.m on BIG+.
*All individual rankings are according to FloWrestling*
