MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - Jerry Boland opens his first season as Millersville's head coach with four returning national qualifiers and his team ranked No. 18 in Division II. Those Marauders go head-to-head Sunday in the annual Black & Gold Wrestle-Off to determine the lineup to start the season. Sunday's event features 12 bouts and gives Marauders fans a first look at the 2022-23 squad.
 
Of the 24 wrestlers in action Sunday, all but one (freshman Colin Higgins) has experience wrestling at the collegiate level. That speaks to the experience, depth and maturity of the roster, which Boland sees as strengths.
 
"One thing I hear a lot are the guys saying how far they've come in a couple years compared to two-three years ago when they were young and immature," said Boland.
 
That growth is certainly noticeable on the mat. Devin Flannery (133), Brandon Connor (165) and Anthony Giampietro (184) have developed into some of the best wrestlers at the Division II level. Flannery earned All-America honors in 2022 while Connor and Giampietro reached the national tournament. That trio of returning Marauders and Davis & Elkins transfer Craig Cook (a three-time national qualifier) are looking to improve upon their performance at nationals while others, like 285-pound Bishop McCoy, 157-pound Jonathan Parilla and 197-pound Bruce Vaughn enter 2022-23 battling for more after placing at the Super Region 1 Championships but coming up just short in their bid for a NCAA Championships appearance.
 
The drive of the athletes has impressed Boland. Flannery, Connor, Giampietro and Cook all know what it takes to get to the NCAA Championships. They are setting the standard in practice, and the others are following that example.
 
"They are all willing to do extra," said Boland of the four national qualifiers. "They've all been there and sniffed success at the national level. None of them are satisfied. All four have warrior mentalities. They know to get to the next level, to get higher up on the podium, they have to put in the work and take care of themselves—when to push and when to rest their bodies. The rest of the team is following their lead."
 
Boland inherited a deep and experienced roster and wanted to make sure his transition into the head coach role was seamless. Instead of implementing total change, he sought cooperation, supplementing what worked well for the wrestlers who had seen success in the past while also incorporating his own philosophies. The one significant change has been an up-tempo, engaging practice schedule. Boland has seen buy-in and is impressed with the group's work ethic.


 
"They have definitely responded well," said Boland of the team. "No matter how hard we push them, they are willing to continue to drive. It's a tough group to break. They are always ready to respond, and that comes from maturity and experience. They have expectations for themselves. Every athlete on the team expects to be in the starting lineup."
 
It won't be easy for any wrestler to solidify a spot in the starting lineup as 19 wrestlers on the roster wrestled three or more dual matches last season.

At 125 pounds, Bryce Beatty is back after an 11-14 season that included a 7-7 record in duals. His competition is Dom Flatt who redshirted last season after two state tournament appearances under Millersville alum Tony Mendez at Solanco High School.
 
Flannery was a 20-match winner and All-PSAC selection in 2021-22, going 11-2 in duals with a third-place finish at the Super Region 1 Championships. On Sunday, freshman Colin Higgins draws the assignment of wrestling Millersville's returning All-American.
 
The 141-pound match-up features Tim Uhler and Danny Capozzoli. Uhler, who started the season 7-3 but finished 7-8, has impressed Boland in practice. Capozzoli, a sophomore, gained 13 matches of experience wrestling at 133 as a freshman last season.
 
Four wrestlers will compete at 149 pounds on Sunday. Cook, a three-time national qualifier with 61 career wins for Boland at Davis & Elkins faces Josh Tuckey, who is entering his fourth season in the program. Matt Morris bumped up a weight class to 149 after posting an 11-17 record with five pins a year ago. Morris faces junior Alex Bendinelli Sunday. Bendinelli wrestled at both 141 and 149 in 2021-22, winning seven times.
 
Junior Jackson Erb is back with the program after two years away. He went 11-13 at 149 pounds as a freshman in 2019-20. Up one weight class, Erb is looking to unseat Parrilla, who went 10-10 and placed fifth at the Super Region 1 Championships in 2022. Also competing at 157 pounds Sunday is junior Eli Tuckey and senior Jayden Johnson.
 
After a 23-win season and a Super Region 1 runner-up finish, Brandon Connor returns at 165 pounds. Not only did he lead the team in wins, but he also tied for the team lead with 10 bonus-point victories. Stepping in against Connor Sunday is Alvernia transfer Patrick Tocci.
 
Andrew Vogelbacher impressed wrestling in open tournaments in 2021-22, but he was stuck behind Connor at 165 pounds. Vogelbacher, who Boland lauded for his offseason work, has moved up a weight class to 174 and looks to beat out Tyler Stanton for the starting role. Stanton wrestled in 15 matches as a true freshman last season.
 
Giampietro shocked many by running through the super regional unseeded to the championship match. He earned All-PSAC Second Team as well despite wrestling in just 19 matches. Five of his 11 wins earned with bonus points. On Sunday, he'll wrestle Rob Saum, who has returned to the program after wrestling from 2018-20.
 
The 197-pound match-up is interesting as both Danny Pereira and Bruce Vaughn competed in duals for the Marauders previously. Vaughn earned the right to represent Millersville in the super regional and placed sixth. He finished the season 9-16 with a 4-4 dual record.
 
At 285 pounds, Bishop McCoy is the returning starter. As a first-year wrestler in 2021-22, McCoy placed fourth at the ESU Open and won 16 matches but struggled in duals (3-6). McCoy started the season 9-2 before fading down the stretch. Still, he won two matches as the super regional, losing one in sudden victory and one in the tiebreaker round. Seven of his 15 defeats came by two points or fewer. He'll have competition from veteran Jordan Espinosa. Espinosa went 8-9 and won his match in the dual against East Stroudsburg.
 
Millersville posted a 5-8 overall record and 2-5 mark in PSAC duals last season. The 2022-23 season is heavy on duals with the Marauders traveling to the George Mason Duals on Nov. 12, the West Liberty Duals on Dec. 16 and hosting their own multi-team event on Jan. 28. The NWCA Preseason Poll included three PSAC teams ranked above the Marauders and five total teams ranked. All those teams are included in the seven-match PSAC schedule. Following Sunday's Black & Gold Wrestle-Off (watch live on the PSAC Network), the Marauders start their season on Nov. 6 at the East Stroudsburg Open.
 
BLACK & GOLD WRESTLE-OFF LINEUP
125 – Bryce Beatty vs. Dom Flatt
133 – Devin Flannery vs. Colin Higgins
141 – Tim Uhler vs. Danny Capozzoli
149 – Craig Cook vs. Josh Tuckey
149 – Matt Morris vs. Alex Bendinelli
157 – Jonathan Parrilla vs. Jackson Erb
157 - Eli Tuckey vs. Jayden Johnson
165 – Brandon Connor vs. Patrick Tocci
174 – Andrew Vogelbacher vs. Tyler Stanton
184 – Anthony Giampietro vs. Rob Saum
197 – Bruce Vaughan vs. Danny Pereira
285 – Bishop McCoy vs. Jordan Espinosa