GLENVILLE, W.Va. -- Davis & Elkins senior Garrett Eddy (Punxsutawney, Pa.) finished sixth with a 3-2 record at 197 pounds as D&E wrestling opened the 2024-25 season Saturday at the Glenville Invite, hosted by Glenville State University. Competing in a field of 13 teams, D&E placed 10th with 26.5 points, improving one spot and quadrupling their score from last year's results.

Eddy began his day with a quick 19-second fall against his Kentucky Wesleyan University opponent. Advancing to the quarterfinals, he lost to his Millersville University opponent, 10-1. In the wrestlebacks, Eddy secured two more first-period falls, defeating opponents from Frostburg State University and Fairmont State University. In the fifth-place match, Eddy medically forfeited to address an injury sustained earlier in the tournament.

Senior Nick Ammirati (Holmdel, N.J.) entered the 133-pound bracket but fell to his first opponent from the University of Findlay, 19-5. In the consolation bracket, Ammirati rebounded with a 16-4 win over a Millersville University opponent before his day ended in a 14-8 loss to another Millersville wrestler.

Returning from a season-ending injury, senior Richard Davis (Baltimore, Md.) competed in the 141-pound bracket, finishing with a 2-2 record. After an 8-3 loss to his Belmont Abbey University opponent, Davis advanced in the consolation rounds with a 17-7 major decision over Millersville and a 50-second fall against Emmanuel College. In the blood round, Davis faced a former D&E teammate, now at Millersville. The match ended after an inadvertent head collision, and Davis medically forfeited.

Junior Nathaniel Taylor (Stafford, Va.), a 2023 transfer from Alderson Broaddus, returned to the mat at 149 pounds for the first time in nearly two years. Taylor's tournament began with an 18-1 technical fall loss to the top-seeded, nationally ranked Belmont Abbey wrestler. In the consolation bracket, Taylor pinned an unattached opponent from Glenville State before ending his day with a technical fall loss to another Glenville State wrestler.

Sophomore Gabriel Pujadas (San Juan, Puerto Rico) had a competitive 157-pound match with a former D&E teammate and MEC Freshman of the Year, now competing for Glenville State. Leading 8-6 after the first period with a well-timed lateral drop, Pujadas ultimately lost by fall near the end of the second period. He earned his lone win by medical forfeit from Ashland University but exited the tournament with a first-period fall to another Ashland opponent.

Other D&E competitors included Wyatt Stemberger (Fr., Bluemont, Va.), Luke Shaffer (So., Canonsburg, Pa.), Bradden Galassi (Jackson, N.J.), Gavin Rodriguez-Cayro (So., Deland, Fla.), and Marshall Mounts (West Alexander, Pa.).

First-year head coach Tom Molony expressed pride in the team's efforts: "I'm really proud of the way our guys competed today," Molony said. "This tournament is tough and only getting tougher every year, with more teams, including two preseason top-25 teams, two others receiving votes, and at least 15 ranked individuals or All-Americans. The results aren't what we wanted, but our guys know exactly what they need to work on to be ready in two weeks."

Results

Wyatt Stemberger (0-2)
Bye
L, 8-0 - Giovanni Diaz (Glenville State)
L, Fall at 5:53 - Kentrell Kinney (Kentucky Wesleyan)

Nick Ammirati (1-2)
L, 19-5 - Nate Knowlton (Findlay - unattached)
W, 16-4 - Colin Higgins (Millersville)
L, 14-8 - Mason Beatty (Millersville)

Luke Shaffer (0-2)
L, 10-3 - Alex Fernandez (King University)
L, Fall at 2:34 - Johnathon Almany (Emory & Henry College)

Richard Davis (2-2)
L, 8-3 - Luke Kunath (Belmont Abbey)
Bye
W, 17-7 - Aidan Micheli (Millersville)
W, Fall at 0:50 - Austin Marshall (Emmanuel)
L, MFF 0:12 - Nick Cottone, Millersville

Nathaniel Taylor (1-2)
L, 18-1 - John Carayiannis (Belmont Abbey)
W, Fall at 1:36 - Samuel Giordano (Glenville, unattached)
L, 21-3 - Micah Cotrell (Findlay, unattached)

Gabriel Pujadas (1-2)
Bye
L, Fall at 4:37 - Riley Houser (Glenville)
Bye
W, MFF - Evan Davis
L, Fall at 2:01 - Zander Graham

Bradden Galassi (0-2)
Bye
L, 19-4 - Owen Butler (Frostburg)
L, 9-6 - Michael McCarthy (Emmanuel)

Gavin Rodriguez-Cayro (0-2)
Bye
L, Fall at 2:23 - Ethan Lopez (King)
L, Fall at 2:55 - Duncan Kammar (Frostburg)
 
Garrett Eddy (3-2)
Bye
W, Fall at 0:19 - Kamron Powell (Kentucky Wesleyan)
L, 10-1 - Riley O'Boyle (Millersville)
W, Fall at 1:36 - Alex Hoy (Frostburg)
W, Fall at 0:49 - Tyler Wise (Fairmont)
L, MFF - Nathan Coley (King)

Marshall Mounts (0-2)
L, 11-6 - Aiden Pham (Fairmont State University)
Bye
L, MFF - Tyler Carson (Fairmont)

Up Next

The Davis & Elkins College wrestlers will compete again on November 16 when they travel to Findlay University in Ohio for the Findlay Open.