JACKSONVILLE, FLA. – Campbell opened the 2022-23 season with a pair of wins at the Battle in the River City at Swisher Gymnasium on the campus of Jacksonville University.
The Camels opened the day with an 18-15 win over Little Rock before falling to No. 14 Iowa State 34-3. Campbell closed out competition with a 36-3 victory over Buffalo.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the opener, No. 12
Taye Ghadiali gave Campbell the win in the match's final bout. After No. 20
Caleb Hopkins' 10-2 major decision gave CU a 15-12 lead at 184 pounds, Little Rock's Stephen Little notched a 9-5 decision at 197, tying the match. Ghadiali's 10-4 decision, however, sealed the victory for the Camels, 18-15.
The 14
th-ranked Cyclones picked up wins in nine weight classes, including a pair of head to head ranked matchups in the 34-3 win over Campbell.
Troy Nation, who went 3-0 on the day at 157 pounds, earned CU's lone individual win over ISU, topping Isaac Judge, 11-8.
The Camels bounced back by taking nine bouts from Buffalo, including five with bonus points. Zander Phaturos (13-5 over Patrick Adams), Domenic Zaccone (14-6 over Cole Minnick) and No. 18 Shannon Hanna (16-6 over Jack Marlow) opened with three straight major decisions, and Dom Baker (over Ty Raines, 5:16) and No. 20
Caleb Hopkins (over Giuseppe Hoose, 8:54) tacked on pins to pace CU.
In addition to Nation's 3-0 day, Zaccone, Hanna and Hopkins also registered two victories on Saturday.
CAMEL TALK
"We got to wrestle three duals from three different conferences in a single day, no better way to spend a Saturday," said head coach
Scotti Sentes after his team's season debut. "In order to be successful in the postseason we need to see these teams and different styles of wrestling, so nothing is a surprise come nationals.
"Overall, the team fought hard and to see them respond to a tough dual loss with a lopsided 36-3 win over a team in the MAC known for being brawlers is very telling, and makes me excited for what this team is capable of doing this season," Sentes added.
"It was awesome to get the opportunity to compete in the first D1 wrestling event in Jacksonville," said redshirt senior 157 pounder
Troy Nation. "We learned a lot about our team this weekend and are excited to keep grinding as we look forward to March."
NEXT UP
The Camels will host the
Battle at Bragg, on Veterans Day, Friday, November 11, at the Pope Army Airfield at Fort Bragg, Fayetteville, N.C.
The event will be streamed live, globally, via
UFC Fight Pass, in association with Cage Fury Fighting Championships. CU will be joined on the mat for head to head duals by No. 5 Michigan (5:00 p.m.) and No. 16 North Carolina (7:30 p.m.).
Fighting Camels wrestling season tickets are on sale now at
GoCamels.com/Tickets. The 2022-23 home opener is set for Sunday, December 4 at 4:00 p.m. at Gore Arena as Campbell entertains the University of Virginia Cavaliers.
CAMPBELL 18, LITTLE ROCK 15
125: Jayden Carson (LR) over Zak Thompson (Campbell) Dec 9-6
133: Domenic Zaccone (Campbell) over Sarpy (LR) TF (7:00)
141: No. 18 Shannon Hanna (Campbell) over Jayden Gomez (LR) Dec 6-2
149: Joseph Bianchi (LR) over Callum Sitek (Campbell) Dec 5-1
157:
Troy Nation (Campbell) over Matty Bianchi (LR) Dec 5-3
165: Tyler Brennan (LR) over Dom Baker (Campbell) Dec 3-0
174: Triston Wills (LR) over Cole Rees (Campbell) Dec 3-1
184: No. 20
Caleb Hopkins (Campbell) over Mason Diel (LR) MD 10-2
197: Stephen Little (LR) over
Levi Hopkins (Campbell) Dec 9-5
285: No. 12
Taye Ghadiali (Campbell) over Josiah Hill (LR) Dec 10-4
No. 14 IOWA STATE 34, CAMPBELL 3
125: No. 24 Kysen Terukina (ISU) over Zak Thompson (Campbell) MD 12-4 4-0
133: Zach Redding (ISU) over Domenic Zaccone (Campbell) Dec 3-2 7-0
141: Casey Swiderski (ISU) over No. 18 Shannon Hanna (Campbell) Dec 7-4 10-0
149: Cam Robinson (ISU) over Domenic DeFalco (Campbell) MD 13-4 14-0
157:
Troy Nation (Campbell) over Isaac Judge (ISU) Dec 11-8 14-3
165: No. 3 David Carr (ISU) over Riley Augustine (Campbell) Fall (4:23) 20-3
174: Julien Broderson (ISU) over Cole Rees (Campbell) Dec 5-2 23-3
184: No. 5 Marcus Coleman (ISU) over No. 20
Caleb Hopkins (Campbell) MD 13-5 27-3
197: No. 6 Yonger Bastida (ISU) over
Levi Hopkins (Campbell) MD 16-5 31-3
285: No. 16 Sam Schuyler (ISU) over No. 12
Taye Ghadiali (Campbell) Dec 6-5 34-3
CAMPBELL 36, BUFFALO 3
125: Zander Phaturos (Campbell) over Patrick Adams (Buffalo) MD 13-5
133: Domenic Zaccone (Campbell) over Cole Minnick (Buffalo) MD 14-6
141: No. 18 Shannon Hanna (Campbell) over Jack Marlow (Buffalo) MD 16-6
149: Callum Sitek (Campbell) over Kaleb Burgess (Buffalo) Dec 6-5
157:
Troy Nation (Campbell) over Nick Stampoulus (Buffalo) Dec 7-2
165: Dom Baker (Campbell) over Ty Raines (Buffalo) Fall (5:16)
174: Marcus Petite (Buffalo) over Cole Rees (Campbell) Dec 8-3
184: No. 20
Caleb Hopkins (Campbell) over Giuseppe Hoose (Buffalo) Fall (8:54) SV1
197:
Levi Hopkins (Campbell) over Eli Sheeren (Buffalo) Dec 6-4
285: Chad Nix (Campbell) over Greg Hodulick (Buffalo) Dec 3-2
Individual rankings according to Intermat (as of 11/2/22)
Team rankings according to NWCA (as of 10/28/22)
