Story courtesy of Rider's Athletic Communications Department

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Six Broncs earned individual wins as the Rider wrestling team defeated Big Ten opponent Michigan State, 24–16, on Sunday afternoon in Alumni Gym.

At 125 lbs, No. 20/22 Tyler Klinsky opened the dual against No. 26/NR Caleb Weiand. After a scoreless first period, Klinsky took control in the second with an escape and the first takedown of the match. He added two more takedowns in the third and earned a riding-time point for an 11–2 major decision, putting Rider up 4–0.

Will Betancourt kept things rolling at 133 lbs against Andy Hampton. Betancourt came out fast with two early takedowns for a 6–1 lead. After Hampton escaped to start the second, Betancourt hit a strong reattack to stretch it to 9–1. Hampton picked up points late, but Betancourt held on for a 9–4 decision to make it 7–0 Broncs.

At 141 lbs, No. 20/23 Elijah Griffin faced Evan Herriman and took control right away. Griffin scored with a slick duck-under, then added another takedown in the closing seconds of the first to lead 6–1. After a Herriman escape, Griffin scored again on a slick single for a 9–2 lead. A riding-time point made it a 10–2 major decision and an 11–0 team lead.

Michigan State answered with bonus points at 149 and a decision at 157, cutting Rider's lead to 11–9.

The Broncs responded quickly at 165 lbs, where No. 29/NR Brendon Abdon took on DJ Shannon. Abdon needed just 56 seconds to throw a headlock and pin Shannon, giving Rider a huge six team points and a 17–9 lead.

At 174 lbs, Enrique Munguia kept the momentum going against Connor O'Neill. Munguia nearly secured a first-period pin with a cradle and carried a 6–0 lead into the second. He added an escape and another takedown for a 10–0 advantage before O'Neill escaped late, giving Munguia a 10–1 major decision and a 21–9 Rider lead.

Michigan State won at 184 lbs to make it 21–13, setting up No. 19/21 Brock Zurawski at 197 lbs against Kael Wisler. After Wisler scored an early takedown, Zurawski answered with a quick reversal to make it 3–2. On the restart following a medical timeout, Zurawski earned another reversal for a 4–3 lead before Wisler escaped to tie it 4–4 at the end of the first. Zurawski escaped in the second to lead 5–4, and Wisler escaped in the third to force overtime at 5–5. In sudden victory, Zurawski reattacked a Wisler shot with a low single and finished it for an 8–5 overtime win, sealing the dual for Rider and pushing the team score to 24–13.

Michigan State won the final bout of the afternoon, but Rider walked away with a strong 24–16 victory.

Quotes and Notes
"Wins are hard to come by, and getting one against a Big Ten program makes it even sweeter. Michigan State runs a strong program — their coach has been there a long time — so our guys had to step up in big moments today, and they did. Wrestling tough teams early in the season helps our mental and physical development. My job is to get these kids from point A in November to point B in March, and matches like this are the battle tests you need.

We had guys today who found ways to win, and that's something you have to do throughout the year. When you can do it against a Big Ten team, you know you're moving in the right direction. Abdon has that home-run ability, and his pin was huge for us in the dual. West Virginia will be another great opportunity next week." – Rider Head Coach John Hangey

"Beating a Big Ten program means a lot for our team, especially coming from a smaller school. Fans love seeing us take down bigger programs because of the name they carry, but for us, the goal is the same every time — we're trying to beat every team we wrestle. At the end of the day, it's another win and another step forward." — Junior 197-pounder Brock Zurawski

- The Broncs won six of the ten bouts against the Spartans.
- Rider is now 1–0 all-time against Michigan State, earning a victory in the programs' first-ever meeting.

Rider 24, Michigan State 16
Match Results
125: No. 20/22 Tyler Klinsky (RID) over No. 26/NR Caleb Weiand (MSU) (MD 10-2)
133: Will Betancourt (RID) over Andy Hampton (MSU) (Dec 9-4)
141: No. 20/23 Elijah Griffin (RID) over Evan Herriman (MSU) (MD 10-2)
149: Clayton Jones (MSU) over NR/No. 33 Dylan Layton (RID) (Fall 3:38)
157: Darius Marines (MSU) over James Farina (RID) (Dec 5-1)
165: No. 29/NR Brendon Abdon (RID) over DJ Shannon (MSU) (Fall 0:59)
174: Enrique Munguia (RID) over Connor O`Neill (MSU) (MD 10-1)
184: Luke Vanadia (MSU) over JP Hangey (RID) (MD 16-3)
197: No. 19/21 Brock Zurawski (RID) over Kael Wisler (MSU) (SV-1 8-5)
285: No. 32/NR Max Vanadia (MSU) over Steyn De Lange (RID) (Dec 6-4)
*All individual rankings are according to FloWrestling / InterMat*

Up Next
Rider returns to action on Nov. 26 with a road matchup at No. 20 West Virginia.
The duel is scheduled for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.