Bald Eagles Drop 24-11 Road Match at Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin wrestled to a commanding 24-11 victory over Lock Haven on Thursday evening at the UW Field House, securing the win on the strength of seven individual victories across ten weight classes. The Badgers were never seriously threatened in the team score, building an early cushion and withstanding a brief Lock Haven surge in the middle weights before pulling away in the upper half of the lineup.

Wisconsin went on a tear through the first six bouts, winning five of them to build a 17-5 lead that effectively put the match out of reach. The Badgers were particularly sharp at 149 and 157, where Joseph Zargo and Luke Mechler posted victories that padded the team advantage and gave Wisconsin room to absorb a pair of Lock Haven wins at 174 and 184.

Zargo was arguably Wisconsin's most impressive performer of the evening, recording a technical fall over Lucas Kapusta at 149 pounds with a final score of 19-4. The redshirt showed relentless offensive energy, racking up five takedowns across three periods and supplementing his point total with a stalling penalty that came after Kapusta collected back-to-back warnings. It was the kind of clinical, sustained performance that separates contenders from pretenders at this level.

Wyatt Ingham added a major decision at 197, topping Tucker Hogan 11-0 to restore Wisconsin's momentum after Lock Haven had cut into the margin. Ingham was persistent on his feet, landing takedowns in each of the first two periods, escaping cleanly in the third, and adding a riding time bonus to complete a thorough effort. Lock Haven challenged an escape call in the third period, but the call on the mat stood.

At 125, Nicolar Rivera provided an early tone-setter, rallying from an early 3-0 deficit to beat Curtis Nelson 15-9 in a back-and-forth opener that went the full distance. Rivera's ability to flip a match he was losing into a comfortable decision win was a signal of Wisconsin's mental resilience.

Zan Fugitt made it 6-0 with a grinding 3-2 win at 133 over Gable Strickland — a margin that required Fugitt to survive a successful Lock Haven video challenge in the second period that wiped out what appeared to be a reversal and gifted Strickland a penalty point. Fugitt held his composure and managed the lead into the final whistle.

Lock Haven's Wyatt Henson provided the most eye-catching individual result of the night, posting a technical fall over Carson Exferd at 141 with a dominant 21-6 final in 6:43. Henson was relentless off his feet, scoring six takedowns and barely letting Exferd breathe. It was the only period in the dual where Wisconsin was genuinely overmatched. The Haven also picked up wins at 174 (Avery Bassett over Luke Condon, 9-6 in sudden victory) and 184 (Sam Gautreau over Cale Anderson, 4-2).

Braxton Amos closed out the dual at 285, earning a 4-1 decision over Kade Sottolano on the strength of a third-period takedown and a penalty point awarded against Sottolano. It was a methodical finish to a methodical evening for the Badgers.

**Final Score: Wisconsin 24, Lock Haven 11**

| Weight | Winner | Result | Score | Team Score |
|--------|--------|--------|-------|------------|
| 125 | Nicolar Rivera (WIS) | Decision | 15-9 | WIS 3-0 |
| 133 | Zan Fugitt (WIS) | Decision | 3-2 | WIS 6-0 |
| 141 | Wyatt Henson (LHU) | Tech Fall (6:43) | 21-6 | WIS 6-5 |
| 149 | Joseph Zargo (WIS) | Tech Fall (5:49) | 19-4 | WIS 11-5 |
| 157 | Luke Mechler (WIS) | Decision | 5-0 | WIS 14-5 |
| 165 | Cody Goebel (WIS) | Decision | 9-3 | WIS 17-5 |
| 174 | Avery Bassett (LHU) | Decision | 9-6 | WIS 17-8 |
| 184 | Sam Gautreau (LHU) | Decision | 4-2 | WIS 17-11 |
| 197 | Wyatt Ingham (WIS) | Major Decision | 11-0 | WIS 21-11 |
| 285 | Braxton Amos (WIS) | Decision | 4-1 | WIS 24-11 |

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## Bout Narratives

**125 pounds — Nicolar Rivera (Wisconsin) dec. Curtis Nelson (Lock Haven), 15-9**

The evening's opener was one of its most competitive bouts, and it didn't start well for the home side. Curtis Nelson struck immediately, recording a takedown just ten seconds into the first period to go up 3-0. Rivera responded quickly with an escape, then turned the match on its head with a late first-period takedown and a three-point near fall with just eleven seconds left to take a 7-3 lead into the break. In the second period, Nelson won the coin toss and deferred, allowing Rivera to choose the bottom position. Rivera immediately capitalized with a reversal at the 1:40 mark and then earned another near fall worth three points, but Nelson answered with a reversal of his own with forty seconds left to close the gap to 12-5. In the third, Nelson opted for a neutral start, and Rivera wasted little time — he executed a takedown at 1:33 to go up 15-5. Rivera picked up a caution call not long after, and Nelson escaped and then hit a desperation takedown with twenty-five seconds remaining to make it 15-9, but the clock ran out before he could close further. Rivera's ability to pivot from a 3-0 hole to a six-point win showed the kind of composure that earns points in the team standings.

**133 pounds — Zan Fugitt (Wisconsin) dec. Gable Strickland (Lock Haven), 3-2**

This one was a dogfight start to finish, and it nearly got away from Wisconsin in the second period. Fugitt drew first blood with a takedown at the 2:14 mark of the first period to go up 2-0 — the two-point notation reflecting standard scoring — and then appeared set to extend his lead in the second. Fugitt won the toss and chose bottom, working toward a reversal, but Lock Haven immediately challenged what appeared to be that reversal, alleging a headgear pull on the move. The challenge was upheld on review, the reversal was overturned, and Strickland was awarded a penalty point, cutting Fugitt's lead to 2-1 with the bout back on neutral terms. In the third period, Strickland chose bottom and escaped early to tie the score at 2-2 with under two minutes left. The match appeared headed for overtime, but Fugitt — apparently ahead on riding time — held on as the clock expired to claim the decision by a single point. It was an ugly, tense win, but it was enough.

**141 pounds — Wyatt Henson (Lock Haven) tech fall Carson Exferd (Wisconsin), 21-6 (6:43)**

Lock Haven's Henson served notice from the opening whistle that this was going to be a long evening for Exferd. Henson ripped off a takedown four seconds into the first period, and Exferd escaped almost immediately, but Henson came right back with another takedown twenty-three seconds later. After Exferd escaped again, Henson scored his third takedown of the period at the 2:04 mark. Exferd then drew a penalty point via locked hands at 1:26, but it was a small consolation — Henson led 9-3 after one. Wyatt Henson won the toss for period two and elected neutral, and when Exferd drew a stalling warning midway through the second, it was a sign that he was struggling to generate offense. Henson punched in another takedown with twenty-seven seconds left to push it to 12-4. In the third, Exferd chose bottom and managed an escape, but Henson answered with two more takedowns — at 0:55 and 0:31 of the period — with Exferd escaping after each one, before Henson locked in the final takedown at 0:17 to push past the fifteen-point threshold and trigger the tech fall. The final count was six takedowns for Henson, who was never seriously threatened.

**149 pounds — Joseph Zargo (Wisconsin) tech fall Lucas Kapusta (Lock Haven), 19-4 (5:49)**

Zargo was a problem from the jump. He recorded a takedown with a minute to go in the first period, Kapusta escaped, and Zargo came right back with another takedown thirty-seven seconds in to end the first at 5-1. In the second period, Zargo deferred the choice and Kapusta picked bottom. Kapusta escaped immediately at the 2:00 mark to make it 5-2, but Zargo answered with a takedown at 1:04. After Kapusta escaped again, the Lock Haven wrestler picked up back-to-back stalling calls in rapid succession — at 0:45 and 0:43 — and the second warning translated into a penalty point for Zargo. Zargo added yet another takedown with twenty-six seconds remaining in the second to build a 14-4 lead. In the third, Zargo went neutral and immediately went back to work, hitting a takedown at 1:48. Kapusta escaped, but Zargo secured the final takedown of the bout at 1:11 to push past the fifteen-point advantage and end it by tech fall. Zargo finished with five offensive takedowns and owned the bout from start to finish.

**157 pounds — Luke Mechler (Wisconsin) dec. Nick Stampoulos (Lock Haven), 5-0**

The 157-pound match was Wisconsin's cleanest sheet of the night. The first period was scoreless — neither wrestler could generate an advantage — but Stampoulos won the toss and deferred for period two, allowing Mechler to choose bottom. Mechler quickly escaped at 1:54 and then converted a takedown at 1:16 to lead 4-0 heading into the final period. Stampoulos elected neutral for the third and drew a stalling warning at the 0:40 mark, but was unable to score. Mechler added a riding time bonus point at the final whistle to complete the shutout. It wasn't flashy, but it was efficient — Mechler did exactly what he needed to do and never gave Stampoulos a foothold.

**165 pounds — Cody Goebel (Wisconsin) dec. Ousmane Duncanson (Lock Haven), 9-3**

Goebel opened the scoring with a takedown at the 0:50 mark of the first period to go up 2-0. In the second, Goebel won the toss and chose bottom, escaping at 1:48, but then drew a stalling call at 1:27 — a curious warning for the wrestler who was leading. He added a takedown at 0:52 to make it 6-1 after Duncanson escaped, but then Goebel picked up a second stalling call with five seconds left in the period that resulted in a penalty point for Duncanson, trimming the margin to 6-3. In the third, Duncanson chose bottom and picked up his own stalling warning at 1:32, then escaped at 1:20. Another stalling call on Duncanson at 0:12 resulted in a penalty point for Goebel, and Goebel added a riding time bonus at the final whistle to account for the full 9-3 margin. The bout had an irregular rhythm with stalling calls scattered throughout, but Goebel managed the score effectively and never relinquished the lead.

**174 pounds — Avery Bassett (Lock Haven) dec. Luke Condon (Wisconsin), 9-6 (Sudden Victory)**

This was the dual meet's most dramatic individual bout, eventually requiring a sudden victory period to decide. Bassett opened with a takedown at 2:37, Condon escaped, and the first ended 3-1 in Bassett's favor. In the second, Bassett won the toss and deferred, and Condon chose bottom. Bassett drew a caution to open the period — the first cautionary note of the match — and Condon escaped at 1:52 before converting a takedown of his own at 1:01 to take a 4-3 lead. Bassett escaped with twenty-three seconds left to tie it at 4-4 heading into the third. Bassett chose bottom in the third and executed a reversal at 1:52 to go up 6-4. Condon escaped at 1:06 to make it 6-5, and neither wrestler could score in the final minute, sending the bout to sudden victory. In overtime, Bassett ended the drama quickly — he recorded a takedown at 1:15 of the SV period to win 9-6 and hand Wisconsin one of its two losses on the evening.

**184 pounds — Sam Gautreau (Lock Haven) dec. Cale Anderson (Wisconsin), 4-2**

The 184-pound match was a tightly contested, low-scoring affair that mirrored the competitiveness of the 133 bout earlier in the evening. The first period was scoreless. In the second, Anderson won the toss and chose bottom, escaping at 1:52. Gautreau then scored a takedown at 1:31 to go up 2-1, and Anderson escaped again at 1:00 to tie it at 2-2 heading into the third. In the final period, Gautreau chose bottom and escaped at 1:56 to take a 3-2 lead, and he managed that one-point margin for the remainder of the bout, taking the decision 4-2. It was a methodical, disciplined win for Lock Haven — they never overextended, scored when they needed to, and protected their lead. Wisconsin had no answer in the final two minutes.

**197 pounds — Wyatt Ingham (Wisconsin) major dec. Tucker Hogan (Lock Haven), 11-0**

After consecutive losses at 174 and 184, Wisconsin needed Ingham to deliver, and he did without hesitation. Ingham recorded a first-period takedown at 1:24 to go up 2-0, held Hogan through the remainder of the period, and then won neutral for the second period after Hogan won the toss and deferred. Ingham went right back to work with another takedown at 1:29 to go up 4-0. In the third, Hogan chose top, but Ingham escaped at 1:41 to make it 5-0 — a call that Lock Haven challenged on the grounds of a loss of control, but the call was upheld. Ingham then drove home another takedown at 1:19 to go up 7-0, and Hogan drew a stalling warning at 0:45. Ingham's riding time advantage earned him a bonus point at the whistle, and the major decision was recorded at 11-0. Ingham was dominant in all three phases and provided exactly the corrective the Badgers needed following the two-match skid.

**285 pounds — Braxton Amos (Wisconsin) dec. Kade Sottolano (Lock Haven), 4-1**

Amos closed out the dual with a workmanlike decision that sealed the Wisconsin victory. The first period was scoreless and featured no significant scoring action. In the second, Amos won the toss and chose bottom, executing an escape at 1:55 to take a 1-0 lead into the third. Sottolano chose neutral to start the final period, but drew a penalty point at 1:18 that spotted Amos a 2-1 lead on the scoreboard — the nature of the infraction was not specified in the match record. Amos then converted a takedown at 0:47 to push the score to 4-1 and close out the match. It wasn't a spectacular ending to the dual, but it was a decisive one — Amos was in control throughout, and Sottolano never mounted a meaningful threat.