Friday, March 13
Sioux Falls, SD (Danny Sanford Premier Center)
Millersville University
vs
NCAA Championship
DeFulvio’s national championship run comes to a close
3/13/2026 9:00:00 PM | Wrestling
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -The Millersville wrestling team wrapped up its 2025-26 campaign with Richie DeFulvio's run in the national tournament. The sophomore finished 1-2 in the 157-pound class for his first national appearance.
DeFulvio went head-to-head with Nico Taddy of West Liberty to start his day. The opening period went quiet, as neither wrestler scored a point. DeFulvio started on top to begin the second period. He rode for a minute and forty seconds before Taddy escaped in the final seconds. Taddy ran away with the match in the third period, preventing DeFulvio from standing and claiming riding points. Taddy advanced with a 2-0 decision victory.
Richie rebounded in his next match, claiming a 4-1 decision victory. The sophomore grabbed an early takedown in the first period, giving him the early lead. His opponent from Montevallo escaped before the end of the period, making it 3-1. DeFulvio started on bottom in the second period and earned the escape to make it 4-1. Richie displayed excellent defense in the final period to secure the win.
His final opponent was from Glenville State, and it would not be the story-ending bout he had hoped for. DeFulvio was taken down early in the match and rolled onto his back, falling by pin and ending his NCAA tournament run.
"Despite not getting on the podium, Richie should be proud of how he performed today." stated head coach Jerry Boland. "He overcame adversity last week having to recover from a concussion in the region finals. He never looked for excuses. He just did the right things he needed to do to prepare mentally and physically. This is a tough tournament, he just got caught in a tough spot in that last match. He's a warrior and he'll be back."
DeFulvio ended his sophomore season with a 12-11 record, including two tech falls and three major decisions. His career record heading into his junior season is 20-14.
"We showed a lot of resiliency this year." said Boland. "Battled a ton of adversity but pushed through it all the best we could. That's tough to do, especially for such a young team. We have a lot of returning impact guys and a talented group coming in. The future is bright."
DeFulvio went head-to-head with Nico Taddy of West Liberty to start his day. The opening period went quiet, as neither wrestler scored a point. DeFulvio started on top to begin the second period. He rode for a minute and forty seconds before Taddy escaped in the final seconds. Taddy ran away with the match in the third period, preventing DeFulvio from standing and claiming riding points. Taddy advanced with a 2-0 decision victory.
Richie rebounded in his next match, claiming a 4-1 decision victory. The sophomore grabbed an early takedown in the first period, giving him the early lead. His opponent from Montevallo escaped before the end of the period, making it 3-1. DeFulvio started on bottom in the second period and earned the escape to make it 4-1. Richie displayed excellent defense in the final period to secure the win.
His final opponent was from Glenville State, and it would not be the story-ending bout he had hoped for. DeFulvio was taken down early in the match and rolled onto his back, falling by pin and ending his NCAA tournament run.
"Despite not getting on the podium, Richie should be proud of how he performed today." stated head coach Jerry Boland. "He overcame adversity last week having to recover from a concussion in the region finals. He never looked for excuses. He just did the right things he needed to do to prepare mentally and physically. This is a tough tournament, he just got caught in a tough spot in that last match. He's a warrior and he'll be back."
DeFulvio ended his sophomore season with a 12-11 record, including two tech falls and three major decisions. His career record heading into his junior season is 20-14.
"We showed a lot of resiliency this year." said Boland. "Battled a ton of adversity but pushed through it all the best we could. That's tough to do, especially for such a young team. We have a lot of returning impact guys and a talented group coming in. The future is bright."
Players Mentioned
157
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