ITHACA, N.Y. — For the first time in program history, Penn College will send three wrestlers to the NCAA Division III Championships as
Kaden Ware,
Carter Davis, and
Nick Woodruff punched their tickets to nationals as a result of their top three Region 2 finishes on Saturday.
Davis finished runner-up at 165 pounds, while Ware (141) and Woodruff (197) placed third.
On the mat: After going 2-0 during Friday's opening rounds at Ithaca College, Davis, who placed fourth at last year's regional, split on Saturday, winning with a major decision in the semifinals before falling in the finale and placing second.
Woodruff, who finished sixth a year ago, also was 2-0 on Friday and reached the semis, where he lost by decision before coming back with a pair of wins by decision to complete a 3-1 tournament.
Ware opened 2-1 on Friday and went into the consolation round, then battled back with a win by technical fall and two decisions to finish 5-1 and earn his spot at nationals.
David M'Balla went 4-1 on Friday at 157 and also went into Saturday's consolation round five, before dropping a major decision and then taking a medical forfeit in his last bout to finish 4-2.
Harris Keares, 1-2 at 125;
Blake Dergham, 2-2 at 133;
Chase Shaner, 0-2 at 149;
Isaac Cory, 1-2 at 174;
Gavin Gomes, 0-2 at 184; and Nic Brotzman, 1-2 at 285 were all eliminated from the tournament Friday.
During the 2022-23 season, Cory became the first Penn College wrestler to reach nationals when he placed second in the region at 184. Last season,
Noah Hunt became the second when he was third in the region at 141.
Team-wise at regionals, Penn College placed 11
th of 20 this season. It was 10 of 19 a year ago, 16
th of 21 in 2024, 11
th of 21 in 2023, and tied for 17
th in 2022.
The field (points): Stevens Tech 147.5, Ithaca 144, Lycoming College 108, RIT 98, SUNY Oneonta 96, Centenary (N.J.) 86.5, St. John Fisher 85.5, Penn State Behrend 81, Wilkes 79.5, SUNY Brockport 78, Penn College 76, Cortland State 68.5, New Jersey City University 56.5, Alfred State 47.5, SUNY Oswego 33, Elmira College 12, Hunter 10, Pitt-Bradford 8.5, Keystone 7, Kean 3.
Up next: Penn College will compete in the NCAA Division III Championships on March 13-14 at Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
NCAA Division III Region II Individual Results for Penn College
125
Harris Keares (1-2) scored 3.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 -
Harris Keares (Penn College) won by fall over Domenic Demarzo (Kean) (Fall 5:00)
Champ. Round 2 - Mason Drew (Alfred State) won by fall over
Harris Keares (Penn College) (Fall 1:02)
Cons. Round 3 - Cade Stern (Pitt-Bradford) won by decision over
Harris Keares (Penn College) 1-2 (Dec 8-3)
133
Blake Dergham (2-2) scored 2.5 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Robert Gardner (Lycoming) won by decision over Blake Dergham (Penn College) (Dec 8-3)
Cons. Round 2 - Blake Dergham (Penn College) won by major decision over mike Worsen (Pitt-Bradford) (MD 20-6)
Cons. Round 3 - Blake Dergham (Penn College) won by decision over Kolton Kelley (Brockport) (Dec 7-3)
Cons. Round 4 - Amarfio Reynolds (Penn State Behrend) won by decision over Blake Dergham (Penn College) (Dec 4-2)
141
Kaden Ware (5-1) placed 3rd and scored 17.0 team points.
Champ. Round 2 - Kaden Ware (Penn College) won by decision over Major Lewis (Lycoming) (Dec 5-1)
Quarterfinal - Joseph Innamorato (Centenary (NJ)) won by decision over Kaden Ware (Penn College) (Dec 4-2)
Cons. Round 4 - Kaden Ware (Penn College) won by fall over Jack Borowiek (Oneonta State) (Fall 2:56)
Cons. Round 5 - Kaden Ware (Penn College) won by tech fall over Richard Morales (Alfred State) (TF-1.5 4:12 (17-1))
Cons. Semi - Kaden Ware (Penn College) won in tie breaker - 1 over Isaiah Shafer (RIT) (TB-1 8-7)
3rd Place Match - Kaden Ware (Penn College) won by decision over Ashton Romberger (Wilkes) (Dec 8-4)
149
Chase Shaner (0-2) scored 0.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Zack Vera (New Jersey City University) won by major decision over Chase Shaner (Penn College) (MD 11-2)
Cons. Round 2 - Mason Mangialino (Brockport) won by injury default over Chase Shaner (Penn College) (Inj. 4:36)
157
David M`Balla (4-3) placed 8th and scored 10.5 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - David M`Balla (Penn College) won by tech fall over Akio Sanders (Ithaca) (TF-1.5 5:52 (19-4))
Champ. Round 2 - Kobin Karper (Lycoming) won by fall over David M`Balla (Penn College) (Fall 0:32)
Cons. Round 2 - David M`Balla (Penn College) won by fall over Jamison Carter (Kean) (Fall 1:40)
Cons. Round 3 - David M`Balla (Penn College) won by decision over Christopher Gliaos (Hunter) (Dec 8-3)
Cons. Round 4 - David M`Balla (Penn College) won by tech fall over Steven Ventricelli (Oswego State) (TF-1.5 7:00 (17-2))
Cons. Round 5 - Tyler Rossini (Brockport) won by major decision over David M`Balla (Penn College) (MD 15-5)
7th Place Match - Akio Sanders (Ithaca) won by medical forfeit over David M`Balla (Penn College) (M. For.)
165
Carter Davis (3-1) placed 2nd and scored 19.5 team points.
Champ. Round 2 - Carter Davis (Penn College) won by tech fall over Codi Bomboy (Keystone) (TF-1.5 1:33 (18-2))
Quarterfinal - Carter Davis (Penn College) won by major decision over Christopher Reddy (Ithaca) (MD 8-0)
Semifinal - Carter Davis (Penn College) won by major decision over Tyler Roe (Stevens Tech) (MD 15-1)
1st Place Match - Kaiden Wagner (Lycoming) won by major decision over Carter Davis (Penn College) (MD 8-0)
174
Isaac Cory (1-2) scored 3.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Isaac Cory (Penn College) won by fall over George Racz (Alfred State) (Fall 1:45)
Champ. Round 2 - Ian Flanagan (Stevens Tech) won by major decision over Isaac Cory (Penn College) (MD 14-5)
Cons. Round 2 - Cache Littrell (Elmira College) won by medical forfeit over Isaac Cory (Penn College) (M. For.)
184
Gavin Gomes (0-2) scored 0.0 team points.
Champ. Round 1 - Avery Canzano (Oswego State) won by major decision over Gavin Gomes (Penn College) (MD 17-6)
Cons. Round 2 - Robert Cunningham (Cortland State) won by fall over Gavin Gomes (Penn College) (Fall 4:41)
197
Nicholas Woodruff (4-1) placed 3rd and scored 17.5 team points.
Champ. Round 2 - Nicholas Woodruff (Penn College) won by fall over Kevin Arriaza (Oswego State) (Fall 2:12)
Quarterfinal - Nicholas Woodruff (Penn College) won by fall over Ivan Neal (Lycoming) (Fall 4:17)
Semifinal - Carson Licastri (Oneonta State) won by decision over Nicholas Woodruff (Penn College) (Dec 9-3)
Cons. Semi - Nicholas Woodruff (Penn College) won by decision over Terrance Thomas (Stevens Tech) (Dec 7-4)
3rd Place Match - Nicholas Woodruff (Penn College) won by decision over Ivan Neal (Lycoming) (Dec 4-0)
285
Nicholai Brotzman (1-2) scored 3.0 team points.
Champ. Round 2 - Nicholai Brotzman (Penn College) won by major decision over Walter Thomas (New Jersey City University) (MD 10-0)
Quarterfinal - Kamdyn Dorchester (Ithaca) won by decision over Nicholai Brotzman (Penn College) (Dec 3-0)
Cons. Round 4 - Michael Sipps (Lycoming) won by fall over Nicholai Brotzman (Penn College) (Fall 2:38)
