The Muhlenberg wrestling team had an outstanding first day at the Messiah Petrofes Invitational, with 10 competitors advancing to the second day and guaranteed of placing in the top eight.

The Mules were in a solid third place, behind only sixth-ranked Mount Union and 23rd-ranked Messiah, and bidding to post their highest finish at the Petrofes in 26 years (the 1992-93 team came in second).

Three Muhlenberg wrestlers - junior Austin Sherman at 141, senior Jimmy Fratantoni at 184 and senior Gennaro Cerminara at 197 - reached the championship semifinals. Sherman, who is ranked ninth in Division III, won all three of his bouts by decision to improve his season record to 13-1. Fratantoni extended his school record for career technical falls in his first bout, while Cerminara pinned each of his first two opponents.

Seven other Mules, five of them freshmen, were alive in the consolation semifinals: freshman Billy Moore (two pins and a technical fall) at 133, freshman Greg Buam (two pins) at 149, freshman Angelo Mahaffey at 157, freshman Nick Cope at 165, junior Dylan Schwartz (two pins) at 165, freshman Luca Colestock at 197 and junior Scott Schaeffer (two pins) at heavyweight.

Cope (pictured above) lost his first bout but one the next two by fall, pinning his second opponent in just 29 seconds.

Among Muhlenberg wrestlers who did not advance to the second day, junior Mike Cannon won three bouts, two by major decision, at 174, while freshmen Matt Ferrante (125) and Mathew Castimore (133) each picked up a pair of wins.

Team Scores (after first day)
1. Mount Union (Mt) 122.5
2. Messiah (Me) 96
3. MUHLENBERG (Muhl) 83
4. Washington & Jefferson (WJ) 74.5
5. Springfield (S) 70.5
6. Alderson Broaddus (AB) 66.5
7. Gettysburg (Ge) 63
8. Waynesburg (Way) 55
9. Penn College (Penn) 45.5
10. Greensboro (Gr) 43.5
11. West Virginia Tech (WVT) 30
12. King's (K) 27
13. Thaddeus Stevens (TS) 23.5
14. Bridgewater State (B) 18
15. Penn State Mont Alto (PS)

Muhlenberg Results
125 
Matt Ferrante (Muhl) maj. dec. Lucas Purpora (B), 11-1 
Josiah Gehr (Me) tech fall Ferrante, 17-0
Ferrante dec. Wilson Gomes (B), 11-8
Brantley Guckert (AB) pinned Ferrante, 2:56

133
Billy Moore (Muhl) pinned Andrew Lopez (B), 0:58
Moore tech fall Alex Shaffer (Ge), 20-4
Jacques St. Jean (S) dec. Moore, 8-4
Moore pinned Jacob Harry (S), 1:34

133
Mathew Castimore (Muhl) pinned Jonathan Avery (B), 4:44
Ian Tolotti (S) pinned Castimore, 2:54
Castimore pinned Colin Jens (Penn), 3:46
Dylan Winters (Way) maj. dec. Castimore, 15-5

141
Austin Sherman (Muhl) dec. Dakota McCloskey (Mt), 6-0
Sherman dec. Hunter Zacerous (Me), 13-6
Sherman dec. Matt Lascola (Way), 10-4

141
Bryce Palamar (PS) dec. Yonbue Tanco (Muhl), 7-5 (ot)
Liam Collins (WJ) pinned Tanco, 1:58

149
Greg Baum (Muhl) pinned Derek Bohle (S), 0:35
Baum dec. Dillon Lemons (AB), 9-5
Stephen Maloney (Me) pinned Baum, 2:31
Baum pinned Joshua Armstrong (WJ), 2:51

149
Luke Hernandez (Mt) tech fall Michael Dougan (Muhl), 22-7
Jason Jacaruso (S) maj. dec. Dougan, 13-4 

157
Angelo Mahaffey (Muhl) dec. Matt Pangle (Me), 5-2
Antwon Pugh (Mt) pinned Mahaffey, 6:53
Mahaffey dec. Dylan Miller (Mt), 4-3

157
Brian Jamison (Muhl) pinned Steve MacDonald (Ge), 4:13
Kevin Edwards (Me) dec. Jamison, 4-3
Michael Jones (Gr) pinned Jamison, 2:10

165
Dylan Schwartz (Muhl) pinned Efrain De Leon (Ge), 1:45
Schwartz dec. Matt Claxton (Way), 10-4
Noah Tarr (TS) maj. dec. Schwartz, 12-3
Schwartz pinned Tristan Chen (Ge), 2:50

165
Daniel Booth (AB) pinned Nick Cope (Muhl), 4:06
Cope pinned Jacob Fabian (WJ), 1:47
Cope pinned Michael Carioscia (Ge), 0:29
Cope over Noah Struss (Ge) by medical forfeit

174
Mike Cannon (Muhl) maj. dec. Spencer Clements (Me), 17-3
Colin Kowalski (G) pinned Cannon, 0:23
Cannon maj. dec. Anakin Cox (TS), 15-3
Cannon dec. Tucker Lawson (WVT), 9-4
Alex Miller (WJ) pinned Cannon, 1:52

174
Dillan Palaszewski (S) pinned Scott Horry (Muhl), 1:33
Horry dec. Colin Browne (Penn), 13-9
Tucker Lawson (WVT) maj. dec. Horry, 10-2

174
Bailey Shutt (TS) maj. dec. Tommy DiSisto (Muhl), 17-5
Tyron Dudley (Gr) dec. DiSisto, 5-2

184
Jimmy Fratantoni (Muhl) tech fall Robert Fryar II (B), 23-4
Fratantoni dec. George Lassnick (Mt), 8-3

184
Tristin Breen (AB) maj. dec. Adam Lizak (Muhl), 14-1
Lizak pinned Anthony Clavijo (Gr), 2:40
Daniel Ebert (Ge) maj. dec. Lizak, 9-0

197
Gennaro Cerminara (Muhl) pinned Kyle Beard (WJ), 1:30
Cerminara pinned Nick Kusich (Way), 3:17

197
Nick Corvo (Mt) dec. Luca Colestock (Muhl), 11-7
Colestock dec. Nick Kusich (Way), 8-2

HWT
Scott Schaeffer (Muhl) pinned Mykel Williams (Gr), 2:32
Schaeffer pinned Tyler White (WJ), 3:18
Jacob Evans (Way) pinned Schaeffer, 1:39
Schaeffer dec. Dennis Karas (Me), 9-2