SPRINGFIELD, MA – Williams Wrestling started their 2021-22 season strong earlier today at the 30thannual Doug Parker Invitational, finishing 4th overall in a competitive field of 14 East Coast programs.
Six Ephs placed in the top five of their respective weight classes and seven made their collegiate debuts.
Representing Williams for the first time were freshmen Eamon Garrity-Rokous (Columbus, OH), Thomas Goodwin (Pompton Plains, NJ), Lucas Johnson (Waterford, WI), Jack Napeloni (Denville, NJ), Noe Romero (Arlington, MA), and sophomores Elias Chen (Silver Springs, MD) and Scotty Richter (Broadview Heights, OH).
Richter and Goodwin each put together standout debuts, picking up a pair of 5th place finishes in the 133- and 285-pound weight classes respectively. Richter pinned his first opponent in 55 seconds and lost his second match on a 19-8 decision but rebounded with three straight wins by decision to secure 5th in his division and a 4-1 record. Goodwin, like Richter, pinned his first opponent and lost his second match before pulling off three consecutive pins to claim 5th place at 285 with a 4-1 record.
Johnson also had a strong showing, finishing with a 3-2 record on the day in the 125-pound weight class. He won two matches by decision and one by pin, and narrowly missed out on an appearance in the 5th place bout.
Also placing top-five for Williams were sophomores Dante Gutbrod and William Smith, junior Albert Xing, and senior Joseph Rossetti.
Gutbrod started the day hot with three wins in a row, landing him a spot in the 184-pound division's semifinals. Unfortunately, his win streak came to an end with an 11-5 loss by decision to the six seed, Jett Tancsik of Rhode Island College, leaving him with 4th place.
Smith, also competing in the 184-pound division (as the eight seed), battled his way through the consolation bracket after a loss in the quarterfinals to eventual weight class winner, Paul Detwiler of Coast Guard. He finished the day with an impressive 5-1 record and a 5th place finish to boot.
Xing was Williams' lone representative in the 157-pound division as the four seed. Like Smith, he fell in the quarterfinals and had to grind his way through the consolation bracket to a 5th place finish, putting together a 5-1 record in the process.
Rossetti, the top seed in the 149-pound division, produced Williams' best individual finish on the day. After a first round bye, he surged into the semifinals with a 3:20 pin and 4-2 decision. In the semifinal he was pinned by Coast Guard's Anthony Ulaszek but responded well with a decisive 7-5 win over Springfield's Chase Parrott to claim 3rd place.
Coach Scott Honecker was happy with his team's performance today: "This was a nice finish for the team. It was good to get off to a start where we had some success. More important than the scoreboard, I was focused on watching for three things: demonstrating our preparedness, effort, and using the skills that the guys have been refining in the room. At this juncture those characteristics are far more important that the wins and the losses. We have a talented group, so with those attributes in place we should be poised for a great stretch of development."
The Ephs will have plenty of time to recover and prepare for their next set of bouts at the RIT Invitational on Saturday, December 4th.
