Wrestling Weekend Is Coming: Ohio’s Shawver Blooms “On the Banks.”

PISCATAWAY, NJ – No. 17 Rutgers Wrestling (5-2) heads to its next three bouts, starting with a clash at Clarion on Friday night (7 p.m.) in Clarion, Pennsylvania. The Scarlet Knights then wrestle Gardner-Webb (noon) and Kent State (2 p.m.) on Saturday in Kent, Ohio.

Friday night’s game with the Golden Eagles will be streamed on FloWrestling. Kent State will provide a stream of both games on Saturday.

Ohio’s Shawver is thriving at Rutgers
By Bradly Derechailo

Rutgers wrestling head coach Scott Goodale shouts two words from his corner at almost every game of every tournament and on either side of the Scarlet Knights’ participation.


“Just wrestle.”


Nobody takes this short appeal more seriously than Dylan Shawverwho “just wanted to wrestle” since he stepped on campus in 2020.


“Even when he was a true freshman, he begged us to let him have a fight with (Nicolas) Aguilar, who was a returning All-American,” Goodale said. “He just believes he’s the best. It doesn’t matter who he wrestles. He always thinks he’s going to win and that’s refreshing. Some guys shy away from competition. Dylan doesn’t do that. Never.”


His eagerness to prove himself has taken Shawver from a rookie full of potential to one of the top lightweights in the country.


Shawver put together arguably one of the best individual seasons in program history last year, finishing with a team-best 27 wins en route to All-America laurels and a seventh-place finish in Kansas City. Before reaching the podium, Shawver defeated Michigan’s Dylan Ragusin by a 23-8 technical fall to secure RU’s fifth Big Ten singles title and first since Anthony Ashnault and Nick Suriano accomplished the feat in 2019.


This season, Shawver holds a 5-1 record and is ranked No. 8 in the country with two tech falls and a pin in his first month of action. His only loss came last weekend against Anthony Noto of Lock Haven. Noto ranked third in the country last season and was named an All-American for the second time in as many seasons.


The moments in which he can prove himself – win or lose – fuel his desire to be the best.


“I really enjoyed this trip,” Shawver said. “Not many people reach the position I am in. I’m grateful to be here and I’m just trying to prove myself and become a better wrestler and person every day.”

 

Shawver will get the opportunity to wrestle in front of his family and friends on Saturday when the Scarlet Knights take on Gardner-Webb and Kent State in Kent, Ohio. The Golden Flashes campus is just over an hour from Shawver’s hometown of Lorain – 25 miles west of Cleveland on Lake Erie.


Saturday will be just the second time Shawver has competed in his home state since leaving college after playing an extra match at Ohio State as a true freshman during the Covid-19 pandemic season.


“I’m grateful to be competing at home,” Shawver said. “We have a great group on site this weekend and I’m looking forward to putting on a show. My family can come and watch me, as can friends I haven’t seen in a while. This means a lot to me.” They’ve supported me since I started wrestling and haven’t let me give up. Without her I wouldn’t be where I am now.


Shawver had an outstanding academic career at Elyria High School, where he won state three times. As a senior, Shawver finished 46-3 and secured the regional and section titles before the Ohio State tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


Even ranked 8th nationally in his weight class FloWrestlingWhen Shawver arrived in Piscataway, he immediately wanted to contribute. Even though Aguilar was ahead of him on the depth chart at 125 pounds as a reigning All-American, Shawver showed up at every practice looking for an opportunity.


When Aguilar couldn’t compete in the postseason, Shawver saw his opportunity. Goodale named Shawver the program’s 125-pound competitor at the 2021 Big Ten Wrestling Championships at Penn State, and Shawver responded with two wins, including a 6-5 decision over then-No. 13 Patrick Mckee of Minnesota – a two-time All -American, who finished third in the country this season.

As a sophomore, Shawver posted 23 wins in his rookie season and finished seventh in the Big Ten, earning a national tournament berth for the first time. He posted a 12-5 record during the 2022-23 season before suffering an injury midway through his junior year that sidelined him.


Despite the setback, Shawver continued to fight and thrive. He credits the coaching staff for helping him stay focused on achieving his goals on and off the mat.


“I just had a great dialogue with the staff,” Shawver said. “They laid the foundation and I just worked on myself and believed in myself. I’m lucky that the coaches believe in me.”


His tireless efforts, says Goodale, are a big reason why Shawver has become one of the best in the country.


“He loves the spotlight and loves wrestling all the time,” Goodale said. “He trains and competes when he’s a little under the weather or when things aren’t always right. He is the poster boy for the type of student-athlete you want in your program. He persevered and wants to compete every day. He He never wants a day off right now.

 

No. 17 Rutgers (5-2)
125: 18/14 Dean Peterson (3-2) -OR- Ayden Smith (2-2)
133: 9/10 Dylan Shawver (5-1)
141: 24/33 Joseph Olivieri (5-2)
149: 33/27 Andrew Clark (10-3) -OR- Joe Fongaro (1-2)
157: 33/NO Conner Harer (5-2) -OR- Dylan Weaver (3-2)
165: 26/27 Anthony White (7-2) -OR- Ryan Ford (1-2)
174: 21/19 Jackson Turley (4-2) -OR- Eric Freeman (3-2)
184: NR/18 Brian Soldano (7-4) -OR- 29/NR Shane Cartagena Walsh (9-4)
197: 15/18 John Poznanski (4-1) -OR- PJ Casale (3-4)
Ranking Intermat/Flo

Clarion (0-3)
125: Weston Pisarchick (4-4) -OR- Travis Clawson (2-3)
133: Scott Johnson (5-4)
141: Gianni Silvestri (4-5) -OR- David McClelland (0-3)
149: Kyle Schickel (5-4)
157: John Altieri (2-4)
165: Wesley Barnes (6-3)
174: John Worthing (5-1)
184: Adrian Gacek (3-8) -OR- Patrick Cutchember (4-3)
197: Ethan Wiant (5-2)
HWT: Austin Chapman (6-4)

Gardner Webb (0-2)

125: Jeffery Jacome (4-5) -OR- Tyson Lane (1-6)

133: TK Davis (5-3)

141: 25/22 Todd Carter (5-1) -OR- Ty Edwards (6-5)

149: Joseph Giordano (5-6)

157: Drew Pepin (6-4)

165: Tyler Brignola (1-6) -OR- Grant Kress (2-3)

174: Andrew Wilson (2-6) -OR- Jackson Potts (4-4)

184: Edison Flores (2-5)

197: Josh McCutchen (4-5)

HWT: Mason Blue (2-5)

Ranking Intermat/Flo

Kent State (1-3)

125: Nico Callelo (9-5) -OR- Tyeler Hagensen (1-6)

133: Adan Benevidez (2-4)

141: Jordan Decatur (4-2)

157: Billy Meiszner (7-4) -OR- Nathan Roth (11-7)

157: Aaron Ferguson (2-5)

165: Carson Miller (4-4) -OR- Ethan Barr (3-8)

174: Waylon Wehler (4-6) -OR- Hunter Andel (5-8)

184: Trent Thomas (4-6) -OR- Holden Martin (5-5)

197: Blake Schaffer (2-2) -OR- Corey Boerio (1-6)

HWT: Brentan Simmerman (7-2) -OR- Josh Boggan (1-4)

 

• Rutgers won both games last weekend, defeating Lock Haven 34-6 on Friday at Jersey Mike’s Arena before defeating in-state rival Princeton 32-7 on Sunday at Jadwin Gymnasium. Overall, the Scarlet Knights won 16 of 20 games in their two double victories.
• RU earned an 8-2 match split against the Bald Eagles that included ranking decisions from No. 20 Jackson Turley (174), Conner Harer (157) and Shane Cartagena Walsh (184). No. 22 Brian Soldano wrestled a weight to accomplish a fall at 197 pounds, No. 9 Yaraslau Slavikouski (HWT) added a pin and #19 Dean Peterson (125) and No. 24 Joseph Olivieri (141) both guarded their opponents.
• Rutgers won eight of 10 games against the Tigers, while Harer, Slavikouski, Soldano and Turley all earned bonus-point victories.

• “My number one goal is to win NCAAs and that’s what I strive for.” – Dylan Shawver (133)

• Rutgers remained No. 17 in this week’s NWCA Coaches Poll, joining fellow Big Ten programs: No. 1 Penn State, No. 2 Iowa, No. 4 Nebraska, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 8 Minnesota, No. 9 Michigan, No. 11 Illinois and No. 25 Maryland in the rankings.
• Eleven Scarlet Knights appeared in the national rankings this week. Cartagena-Walsh and Harer achieved the first individual rankings of their respective careers, placing 29th and 33rd, respectively Intermat.
• Thanks to a three-game winning streak, Slavikouski is RU’s highest-ranked singles player, ranked No. 6 (Intermat/FloWrestling/TheOpenMat) with a record of 5-1 in the heavyweight division. Shawver is ranked No. 8 at 133 pounds (The Open Mat), while Peterson and Poznanski are ranked No. 12.

• Rutgers is 6-0 all-time against Clarion, with all matchups occurring with Goodale as head coach.
• The Scarlet Knights defeated the Golden Eagles on November 11, 2022 at College Ave. Gym 29-4 in their last meeting. Peterson, Soldano, Turley, Andrew Clark And Anthony White all deserved victories in the last meeting.
• Greg Bulsak, a 2022 graduate All-American for Rutgers, was a four-time NCAA qualifier for Clarion.

• This will be the first ever meeting between the two programs.

• This will be the second meeting ever between Rutgers and Kent State. The Scarlet Knights lost at College Ave on February 11, 2012. Gym with 19:13 against the Golden Flashes.

• Rutgers is sending its entire team to the Ken Kraft Midlands Championship, December 29-30 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.