YORK, Pa. (Dec. 1, 2018)  – Stevens Institute of Technology junior Troy Stanich, the nation's second-ranked wrestler at 141 pounds, shut out No. 1 Ben Brisman of Ithaca College in the championship final, to win the 141-pound title Saturday at the New Standard Invitational, hosted by York College of Pennsylvania.

Sophomore Brett Kaliner, junior Dylan Van Sickell and freshman Michael Dooley were also place-winners for No. 24 Wrestling as the Ducks finished in fifth place out of the 16 competing teams. 

"It was an encouraging day," said head coach Joe Favia. "The guys made adjustments from the last event. Some had success and [some] saw failure, but regardless there was a lot of fight."

No. 4 Johnson and Wales University won the team title with 154.5 points. No. 3 Ithaca College finished second with 106.5 points and No. 10 Baldwin Wallace University came in third with 100 points. The four place-winners moved the Ducks from tenth all the way up to fifth, with 83.5 points. No. 14 Roger Williams University rounded out the top five with 91.5 points to finish fourth.

Stanich continued his impressive run through the tournament, pinning Baldwin Wallace's Dalton Leightner to begin the day, after picking up a pair of pins Friday to reach the quarterfinals. The junior then earned an 18-3 technical fall over Baldwin Wallace's Charles Nash to reach the final for a showdown with Brisman, the returning national champion at 141. Stanich was leading 18-3 at the time of the stoppage in the final period.

In the final, Stanich didn't allow Brisman to get on track and spun an impressive 8-0 major decision to win the championship. Stanich concluded his tournament with three pins, a technical fall and a major to win his first individual title of the season. For his efforts, Stanich won the Outstanding Wrestler Award. The Ducks have earned the OW Award in each of the last three seasons.

"Our four place-winners battled and led by example," Favia commented. "Stanich did what he needed to to prove he's the best in the country: five dominant wins and inflicting his will over the returning national champion. There is no better way to finish a tournament."

Van Sickell edged Johns Hopkins' Dominick Reyes (5-4) to advance to meet the bracket's top seed, Roger Williams' Tyler Gazaway, in the semifinal. The Little Silver, New Jersey wasted little time in avenging a setback to Gazaway earlier this season, pinning the No. 1 seed in the weight class in the opening period. 

In the championship bout, Van Sickell met Ithaca's Jawan Jones, who advanced via a medical forfeit over the division's second seed, York's Eric Hutchinson. Unfortunately, Van Sickell came out on the wrong end of a 5-4 decision in his first championship bout at 157 pounds, but accounted himself well, picking up victories via pin, major decision and decision in his march to a second-place finish.

"Van Sickell had a breakout tournament, avenging a loss and beating a nationally ranked opponent," Favia shared. "Even his loss in the finals was a true battle."

Kaliner closed out his tournament with a first-period pin of No. 3 Greg Warner of York College to finish in third. The West Chester, Pennsylvania native began his day with a technical fall over Baldwin Wallace's Nicholas Sbrocco. Kaliner was leading 17-1 at the time of the stoppage in the second period. The tech fall was his second of the tournament and third of the season.

Kaliner dropped his semifinal bout to Johnson and Wales' Da'Mani Burns, who went on to win the weight class' individual title. The 149-pounded quickly rebounded with a first-period pin of Johnson and Wales' Darius Joyce in the consolation bracket before securing a third-place finish by pinning Warner.

"Kaliner took a loss to his own doing," Favia began. "But he did what champions do and came back with two pins [to finish] third."

Dooley, the talented freshman, began his day with a 2-1, overtime setback to Baldwin Wallace's Justin Ransom, but rebounded in the consolation bracket to pin York's Muhamed Alic in the second period and earn a 5-3 decision over Roger Williams' Ryan Deloach. The Hillsborough, New Jersey native dropped a 6-5 decision to Roger Williams' Anthony Malfitano, but finished in fifth thanks to a forfeit win over Ransom.

"Dooley is young and learning every time out, but, [he was still able] to find his way onto the podium," Favia said.

Sophomores Colin Myles and Bruce Parola, along with freshmen Joseph Schneider and Robert Gennat battled gamely in their respective weight classes before bowing out of the tournament.

Click here for the full results.

Up Next: No. 24 Wrestling heads to Waynesburg, Pennsylvania for the Waynesburg University Duals on Sat., Dec. 8. "There is a lot more to work on and we need to get better for the Waynesburg Duals," Favia said. 

The Ducks will take on The Apprentice School, No. 10 Baldwin Wallace, Thomas More University and Waynesburg. Links will be published when available.

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