Penn wrestlers see split decision at Northeast Duals

There were few surprises for the Quakers at Saturday’s Northeast Duals in Troy, N.Y.

After coming up just short of two higher-ranked opponents in its first two meets of the day, the Penn wrestling team topped the two opponents it was slated to beat.

The Quakers started the meet against a No. 14 Pittsburgh squad. Though Penn pushed the Panthers to the limit, the Red and Blue ultimately came up short, losing 16-15.

The match was highlighted by sophomore Micah Burak’s 3-2 upset of No. 8 Zac Thomusseit at the 197-pound weightclass.

“My goal was to get him tired and then score, score and build my lead,” Burak, who is ranked 13th in the weightclass, said.

Though Burak’s win gave Penn a 15-12 lead over Pittsburgh, the Panthers came back to take the dual following an 8-2 win at heavyweight.

The Quakers returned to the matt to take on a Maryland squad that entered the tournament two spots above Penn in the InterMat rankings.

Despite impressive opening victories from Mark Rappo at 125 and Rollie Peterkin at 133, Maryland took the next six bouts en route to a 25-10 win.

Though both losses may have been disheartening for the wrestlers, the Quakers used the defeats to regain focus against their next two opponents.

“I think the team rallied around the Pittsburgh match,” Peterkin said. “There’s a chemistry on the team and everyone pulled together and wrestled well after it.”

Indeed, Penn pulled together and took its frustration out on Sacred Heart, routing the Pioneers 48-0.

Penn built on that momentum and finished its day with another victory, this time over Stanford by a score of 31-7.

Despite the day’s mixed results, the Red and Blue hope to grow from the tough competition they faced at the Northeast Duals.

“Seeing the best guys early on is a good yardstick to see where we are as individuals and as a team,” Peterkin said.

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