• Final Team Standing (.pdf)
• Final Brackets (.pdf)

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (Dec. 1) – The Yellow Jackets returned to action for the first time in two weeks Saturday at the 42nd-annual Rochester Institute of Technology (R.I.T) Invitational. Waynesburg University finished the 14-team event in 12th place with 25.0 points and two individual wrestlers placing in their respective weight classes.

Freshman Jason King led the team with a fifth-place finish and three wins in the 174-pound bracket. After an opening-round loss to the third seed, King defeated teammate Matt Zimmerman with a major decision, 14-3, in his first bout in the wrestleback. The freshman then posted a 6-2 victory over Jared Teal of SUNY-Oswego before losing his second match of the day – both to Craig Becker of SUNY-Oswego. King then claimed the fifth-place finish with a medical default over second-seeded Josh Ballan of Wilkes University.

Sophomore Melvin Warrick placed sixth in the 14-wrestler field at the heavyweight division. Like King, Warrick lost his first match of the day before advancing through the wrestleback. Warrick first claimed a 5-2 victory over Jim Bierman of Williams College before defeating Tim Lambert of John Carroll University via a 6-4 decision. The Connellsville graduate then lost via pinfall in the semifinal match and had to take a medical forfeit in the fifth-place bout. Warrick currently ranks second on the team this season in total wins with eight.

Joining Warrick with victories in the heavyweight division were senior LR Neubauer and sophomore Rich Janicki.

In his first action of the season, sophomore Josh Mollica posted a win in the 125-pound bracket, while junior Joey Walker earned his first win of the season at 149-pound division.

Zimmerman, who suffered a loss to King, earned his first collegiate victory at the R.I.T. Invitational with a 4-2 upset win over sixth-seeded James McCarthy of Williams.

Rhode Island College won the event with a score of 121.5 points, edging out the score of 117 point by Wilkes. Williams (96), SUNY-Oswego (89.5) and Baldwin-Wallace College (87) rounded out the top-five finishers.

Waynesburg is idle next weekend in preparation for 27th-annual Ohio Northern Invitational in Ada, Ohio on Saturday, December 15. Matches are scheduled to start at 9 a.m.