DeFulvio shined in his first Super Region appearance. The sophomore entered the tournament ranked third in the region and finished one spot higher in second place. His day began with a bye before facing opponents from Pitt-Johnstown and Felician. He defeated both opponents by decision to advance to the 157-pound championship bout. With his second victory of the day, DeFulvio officially secured his qualification for the national tournament. However, the New Jersey native was forced to settle for second place after an injury cut his championship match short.
"Richie knows how to wrestle in big tournaments," said head coach Jerry Boland. "He came into the day feeling confident and just kept the pressure on his opponents each round. He capitalized on scoring opportunities. That really is a formula for success, and he was able to execute it today."
Redshirt freshman Jaxon Townsend was one win away from joining DeFulvio in South Dakota. The Gettysburg native finished fourth after going 2–2 on the day. He opened the tournament with a pin before falling to Pitt-Johnstown's Bradley Morrison, whom he had previously defeated earlier in the year. Townsend rebounded with a major decision victory to earn a spot in the third-place match. Despite a strong effort, he fell just short of a national bid after losing to Kutztown in his final match.
Gavin Boland had an underdog story throughout the day. After starting with a decision victory at 125 pounds, he was tech-falled by Gannon in his next match and moved to the consolation bracket. The redshirt freshman bounced back by winning his next two matches by major decision, setting up a matchup with the No. 2-ranked wrestler in the nation, Trevon Gray. After trailing in the first period, Boland secured a takedown in the second period that led to a pin and a major upset victory, advancing him to the third-place match. Like Townsend, Boland was a win away from qualifying for nationals, but that opportunity slipped away after a loss to Kutztown, placing him fourth at 125.
Former national qualifier Nick Cottone was unable to repeat his previous success at 141 pounds. The New Jersey native started the day with a decision loss but rebounded in his next two matches with victories by technical fall and pin. Those wins set up a matchup with Joey Ortega of Kutztown, and the bout lived up to expectations as it went down to the wire. Cottone's hopes of returning to nationals ended with a sudden victory loss. He finished the tournament in fifth place after securing a pin in the final minute of his last match.
Chase Bish and Jack Weldon rounded out the podium finishes for Millersville, as both wrestlers placed sixth. Bish finished the day 3–3 after opening the tournament with a decision victory. His momentum shifted in the following match after a technical fall loss, but he responded by winning his next two matches by fall. His run ended in his fifth bout with a decision loss, and he medically forfeited his final match of the year. Weldon had a similar path, finishing 3–3 as well. He started the morning with a decision victory before dropping his second match by major decision. Weldon rebounded by winning his next two matches by decision but fell in his fifth match by sudden victory. He officially placed sixth at 174 pounds after a medical forfeit in his final match.
Colin Higgins, Taylor Robinson, and Avery Aurand each finished 1–3 on the day, bringing their seasons to a close. Kurt Scheuerman rounded out the Marauders' lineup, finishing 0–2.
"This team has suffered more adversity than any team I've ever coached," Boland said. "They never quit, never complained, and just kept believing in the process and believing in themselves and each other. We had a great two weeks of preparation, and they wrestled extremely well. Coming in ranked seventh and placing fourth says a lot about the resiliency of these guys. Obviously we want to win this thing, but I couldn't be more proud of them."
DeFulvio will begin preparing for the national tournament over the next two weeks. His final competition of the season will take place in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on March 13–14 at the NCAA Division II National Championships.
