LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider wrestling team claimed the MAC East Division title for the first time since the 2023–24 season, cruising to a 42-0 shutout of Bloomsburg on Saturday afternoon in the final home dual of the year at Alumni Gym to cap a perfect 6-0 conference dual record.

The Broncs set the tone immediately at 125 lbs, as No. 16/20 Tyler Klinsky used a late first-period takedown to build momentum against Jace Schafer. Klinsky added another takedown in the second period and cruised to an 8-1 decision, improving to a perfect 16-0 in dual meets while extending his winning streak to 13 matches.

At 133 lbs, Will Betancourt controlled the action early with three first-period takedowns to open a 9-2 lead before securing a fall in the second period on the edge of the mat, giving Rider a 9-0 advantage.

No. 14/20 Elijah Griffin needed just 68 seconds at 141 lbs, pinning Richie Woods to push the Broncs' lead to 15-0. Rider kept the bonus-point parade rolling at 149 lbs, where Dylan Layton posted a dominant 17-2 technical fall.

The most tightly contested bout came at 157 lbs, as Gianni Maldonado and William Morrow traded escapes through regulation. In overtime, Maldonado turned defense into offense with a quick reattack at the edge of the mat to earn a 4-1 victory, extending the Rider lead to 23-0.

At 165 lbs, Brendon Abdon jumped out to a 14-0 first-period lead before closing out a 17-1 technical fall over Dustin Elliott, making it 28-0.

Rider added to the margin with decisions from Enrique Munguia at 174 lbs and Giovanni Alejandro at 184 lbs, moving the score to 34-0.

No. 15/19 Brock Zurawski delivered more bonus points at 197 lbs, scoring 13 first-period points on his way to a commanding 16-1 victory over Coy Rains.

The shutout was sealed at heavyweight, where Hogan Swenski earned 7-3 decision at 285 lbs to cap the Broncs' 42-0 sweep.

Quotes and Notes
"I thought our guys wrestled really well. The biggest thing today was not looking past anyone. The message to the team stayed the same, same routine, same performance, same energy and aggressiveness, no matter who we were wrestling. We wanted to go out, score points, and wrestle our style, and that's exactly what we did." - Rider Head Coach John Hangey

"I just go out there and do my job and set the tone for the dual. After a strong performance against Lock Haven last night, our mindset was really good coming in. We wanted to come out aggressive, score points, and get things going, and that's what we did." - Tyler Klinsky. 

- Rider stands alone atop the overall MAC dual standings, completing conference action with a perfect 6–0 record.

- The championship marks the fourth MAC East title in program history.

Match Results
Rider 42, Bloomsburg 0
125: #16/20 Tyler Klinsky (Rider) over Jace Schafer (Bloomsburg) (Dec 8-1)
133: Will Betancourt (Rider) over Gavin Mundy (Bloomsburg) (Fall 2:40)
141: #14/20 Elijah Griffin (Rider) over Richie Woods (Bloomsburg) (Fall 1:07)
149: Dylan Layton (Rider) over Cael Raines (Bloomsburg) (TF 17-2 9:00)
157: Gianni Maldonado (Rider) over William Morrow (Bloomsburg) (SV-1 4-1)
165: Brendon Abdon (Rider) over Dustin Elliott (Bloomsburg) (TF 17-1 3:24)
174: Enrique Munguia (Rider) over Eric Alderfer (Bloomsburg) (Dec 7-1)
184: Giovanni Alejandro (Rider) over Gavin Hannah (Bloomsburg) (Dec 8-1)
197: #15/19 Brock Zurawski (Rider) over Coy Raines (Bloomsburg) (TF 16-1 3:10)
285: Hogan Swenski (Rider) over Mason Rebuck (Bloomsburg) (Dec 7-3)

Up Next
The Broncs are back in action on Feb. 14, heading to Philadelphia for a matchup at Drexel.
First whistle is scheduled for 4 p.m.