ABOUT THE MARAUDERS
• The No. 25-ranked Millersville University wrestling team looks to capture its first conference victory Friday night in a dual meet against Gannon. The first bout starts at 7 p.m.
• The Marauders head into the weekend with six wrestlers ranked in the NCAA Super 1 rankings.
Shane Ruhnke, also ranked No. 3 in Division II, tops the 165-pound weight class.
Colton Dull is ranked No. 2 at 197 pounds.
Ryan McGuire (133) is No. 3, redshirt senior
David Wuestner sit in fourth at 285 pounds. Both have recorded 11 or more wins on the season.
Evan Morrill is No. 5 at 184 pounds, and
D.J. Mele is No. 6 at 149.
• Millersville is coming off a 45-0 loss to Division I Lock Haven. Before Sunday's matchup against the Bald Eagles, Ruhnke had a seven-match winning streak. It was snapped by Chance Marstellar in a 8-6 decision. After placing in his last three tournaments, including winning the PSAC Championships and "Shorty" Hitchcock Memorial Classic, Ruhnke returns to duals with a 3-1 record in his last four. Last year against the Golden Knights, Ruhnke won 17-10 against Nate Ross.
• McGuire is two wins shy of Ruhnke for the team lead in victories, Entering the weekend with a 14-10 record, McGuire has won three of his last four and is also tied with Ruhnke for the team lead in pins with seven.
• Dull has a team-leading six technical falls, which account for all of his wins but two. Dull is returning to the mat after an injury has kept him out since Jan. 5.
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David Wuestner's season started slowly because of an injury, wrestling only two duals before the PSAC Championships. Wuestner has surged lately, finishing fourth at the "Shorty" Hitchcock Memorial Classic and is 7-3 in his last 10 matches.
• There are two key projected match-ups for this dual at the 157-, and 165-pound weight classes. At 165, the nation's No. 3, Ruhnke, wrestles sixth-ranked Connor Day who has recorded 22 wins at 157.
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Rob Saum will have a tough task ahead of him as he faces No. 5 George McGuire, who was a national qualifier last season.
SERIES HISTORY
Series vs. Gannon: 1-5
Series Streak: Golden Knights, 1
First Meeting: 2012-13, (L, 12-29)
Last Meeting: 2017-18 (L, 11-32)
Kerry Regner vs. Golden Knights: 0-1
THE LAST TIME THESE TEAMS WRESTLED
• In 2018, the Marauders fell to the Golden Knights 32-11 with Millersville winning three bouts. The Golden Knights took an 18-3 lead after the first five bouts.
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Alex Baider earned the first three points for the Marauders, securing an 11-2 decision victory over Austin Hertel.
• Ruhnke shortened the lead at 165 to 18-6 with a high-scoring 17-10 decision.
• Dull won by a 15-0 technical fall over Gunner Loughman.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
• Three Golden Knights qualified to last year's NCAA Championships including George McGuire, Nate Ross and Eric Lewandowski. Only McGuire returned to the 2018-19 squad.
• Gannon received 12 votes in the most recent NCAA Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Poll. As for individual wrestlers, Jacob Dunlop is ranked 11th in the 125-pound weight class, coming off a rookie season that included an 18-12 record. McGuire, ranked fifth, is the highest ranked Golden Knight.
• Nine Golden Knights are ranked in the NCAA Super Regional 1 rankings including four that are in the top five of their respective weight classes. As a team, Gannon is ranked third in duals with a 4-3 record and fourth in tournaments.
• Gannon comes to Millersville after seven recorded place finishes at the Jamestown Community College Open. So far this season, the Golden Knights have only lost one conference dual. That came against Kutztown.
PROJECTED STARTERS
125 – No Entry
133 –
Ryan McGuire (14-10)
141 –
Alex Jablonski (1-12)
149 –
D.J. Mele (3-9)
157 –
Rob Saum (2-6)
165 - #3
Shane Ruhnke (16-3)
174 –
Anthony Yacovetti (6-7) or
Reece Muldoon (6-7)
184 –
Evan Morrill (8-9)
197 –
Ryan Kokawski (4-8) or
Colton Dull (8-5)
285 –
David Wuestner (12-8) or
Joshua Walls (6-8)
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