LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Seven Broncs picked up victories as the Rider wrestling team posted a dominant 28-10 win over Kent State on Thursday afternoon in Alumni Gym, moving to 2-0 in MAC competition.

No. 24/20 Tyler Klinsky set the tone at 125 lbs, battling Nico Calello through a scoreless first period before taking control late. Klinsky earned an escape and a takedown in the second period, then pushed the pace in the third with two more takedowns to secure a 10-2 major decision and give the Broncs an early 4-0 lead.

At 133 lbs, Will Betancourt topped Nick Mochak in a tightly contested bout. After trading escapes and a second-period takedown by Betancourt, the graduate student relied on his strong defense down the stretch to hold on for a 4-2 decision.

Rider extended its advantage at 141 lbs as No. 16/14 Elijah Griffin dominated Landen Duncan, racking up three first-period takedowns before turning Duncan for a second-period fall to push the team score to 13-0.

The momentum continued at 149 lbs, where Dylan Layton rallied from a 4-2 deficit and scored a late third-period takedown to earn tight 5-4 decision over Silas Stits.

Gianni Maldonado followed at 157 lbs, breaking a 1-1 tie with a third-period takedown along the edge of the mat to defeat Keegan Knapp, 5-1, and give Rider a 19-0 cushion.

Kent State picked up its first points with a decision at 165 lbs, but the Broncs answered back at 174 lbs. Enrique Munguia posted a dominant 16-1 technical fall in the second period, fueled by multiple turns on top with legs and power halves.

After the Golden Flashes earned a major decision at 184 lbs, No. 24/24 Brock Zurawski swung momentum back in Rider's favor with a dominate 14-2 major decision at 197 lbs.

Kent State closed the match with a decision at heavyweight, but Rider sealed the 28-10 victory to remain unbeaten in MAC dual action

Quotes and Notes
"I thought it was a good response coming out of the Purdue match. We challenged the guys to put the chip back on their shoulder, wrestle physical, and score points. We were a little slow at times early, but once we settled in, our confidence started to build through the middle of the lineup and carried through the rest of the match.

Overall, I was really pleased with the effort. I think being as battle-tested as we are compared to most teams in the conference showed, and in dual meets, bonus points are huge. With Eli, when he's locked in and scoring points, he's extremely dangerous and very good." - Rider Head Coach John Hangey

Match Results
Rider 28, Kent State 10
125: #24/20 Tyler Klinsky (Rider) over Nico Calello (Kent State) (MD 10-2)
133: Will Betancourt (Rider) over Nick Molchak (Kent State) (Dec 4-2)
141: #16/14 Elijah Griffin (Rider) over Landen Duncan (Kent State) (Fall 3:59)
149: Dylan Layton (Rider) over Silas Stits (Kent State) (Dec 5-4)
157: Gianni Maldonado (Rider) over Keegan Knapp (Kent State) (Dec 5-1)
165: Chris Earnest (Kent State) over Brendon Abdon (Rider) (Dec 8-2)
174: #31 Enrique Munguia (Rider) over Ethan Barr (Kent State) (TF 16-1 5:00)
184: Ronald Dimmerling (Kent State) over JP Hangey (Rider) (MD 9-0)
197: #24/24 Brock Zurawski (Rider) over Blake Schaffer (Kent State) (MD 14-2)
285: Brentan Simmerman (Kent State) over Hogan Swenski (Rider) (Dec 5-4)

Up Next
The Broncs return to the mat on Jan. 17, traveling to North Carolina for a tri-dual against Campbell and The Citadel.
The opening match is scheduled for 1 p.m.