The Binghamton wrestling team competed in three dual matches at the Pitt Duals on Saturday. The Bearcats (4-3, 4-1 Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) dropped one match before bouncing back to take two straight.
BU got off to a slow start in its first matchup against West Virginia, losing its first three matches to fall behind, 14-0.
The Bearcats fought back, though, securing victories at 149 and 159, thanks to freshmen Parker Kropman and Tristan Rifanburg. After a technical fall went West Virginia’s way at 165, BU came back with two straight wins to cut the lead to 19-17.
After suffering a loss at 197, BU came back to win at 285, but the decision wasn’t enough to give BU the win. The Bearcats ultimately fell to the Mountaineers (2-6), 22-20.
“Obviously you don’t like to fall down 14-0,” said BU head coach Matt Dernlan. “But what I did love was the resiliency.”
Following a narrow loss, the Bearcats had to get right back on the mat to face fellow EIWA opponent Franklin and Marshall. They again found themselves in an early hole, down 9-6 after three matches.
Just as they did against West Virginia, Kropman and Rifanburg stepped up again with two more wins to give BU an 18-9 edge. The Bearcats didn’t relinquish the lead, going on to roll the Diplomats (2-3, 0-2 EIWA), 38-12.
“That’s the thing about this sport … you’ve got to have a short memory,” Dernlan said. “It was good that they put the West Virginia match quickly in the rearview and refocused.”
In the final match of the day, BU continued its theme of fighting back from behind. After leading early on in the match, Harvard pulled ahead, 16-12.
BU’s resiliency showed once again when it won its final three matches to record a 23-16 victory. BU’s win over Harvard (0-3, 0-1 EIWA) gave the Bearcats their second win against a conference opponent on the day.
Three Bearcats went undefeated on Saturday, two of whom were rookies Kropman and Rifanburg.
“It’s exciting to see [Kropman] and [Rifanburg], the two freshmen, to start to figure out [where to earn points],” he said. “The quicker you figure that out at a young age, it really bodes well for the remainder of their careers.”
The other wrestler who went 3-0 on the day was junior Steve Schneider. This comes as no surprise, as Schneider continues his stellar year. He is now 15-2 on the season, including a 6-1 dual meet record.
“[Schneider] has kind of figured it out over three years,” Dernlan said. “He knows where he needs to be, he knows where his offense is going to be generated from.”
With two EIWA wins on Saturday and a win over Columbia last week, the Bearcats are now 4-1 against conference opponents. The Bearcats, in just their fourth year in the conference, hope to prove that they are a competitive force.
“Getting off to a 4-1 start in conference play is really huge as far as establishing not only our identity as a team, but what Binghamton is as a program within this conference,” Dernlan said.
BU is scheduled to return to the mat this Friday against No. 25 Drexel. The match is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the West Gym in Vestal, New York.