Friday, February 14
Piscataway, N.J.
7 PM
Michigan State University
at
Rutgers
Photo by: Kam Beal
Wrestling to Wrap B1G Regular Season This Weekend
2/13/2025 11:24:00 AM | Wrestling
EAST LANSING, Mich. – It's a split weekend for Michigan State wrestling heading to Piscataway, N.J. for a 7:00 p.m. road dual at No. 12-ranked Rutgers on February 14 before returning home for a 12:00 p.m. dual against No. 19-ranked Michigan inside historic Jenison Field House on Sunday, February 16. This week wraps up regular season B1G action for the Spartans, who will finish their dual season at Central Michigan next Friday.
Friday night's dual will stream on B1G+, while Sunday's dual against rival Michigan will be televised on Big Ten Network.
The First Whistle
MSU is 2-6-1 all-time against Rutgers dating back to 2010 when the Spartans tied the Scarlet Knights 16-16 at the Spartan Duals in Jenison Field House. Michigan State defeated Rutgers in back-to-back seasons in 2022 (20-17) and 2023 (16-15) but dropped a 22-13 dual at home in 2024. Jordan Hamdan, Chase Saldate, Caleb Fish and Layne Malczewski earned wins for MSU in last season's dual against the Scarlet Knights.
Michigan State is 35-76-5 all-time against Michigan dating back to the 1921-22 season. The Wolverines have won 13 straight duals entering Sunday's meeting. MSU's highest scoring output since 2011 is 15 points. Kael Wisler and Caleb Fish earned decisions for MSU, while Chase Saldate added a fall in MSU's 29-12 loss last season.
Redshirt freshman Remy Cotton is enjoying a breakout campaign for the Spartans entering this week ranked No. 26 by InterMat and No. 28 by FloWrestling at 197 pounds. At heavyweight, redshirt Freshman Max Vanadia is ranked No. 33 by FloWrestling for the fourth consecutive week. Vanadia has won three consecutive bouts at heavyweight entering the week, including his first two B1G dual victories against Northwestern and Wisconsin last weekend. Vanadia posted a tech fall of Northwestern's Dirk Morley.
The Spartans are coming off an 0-2 weekend in which it fell on the road at Northwestern (27-12) and Wisconsin (25-12). Both duals were not without their bright spots however, as graduate 165-pounder Jay Nivison earned his first career B1G dual win over Northwestern's Jacob Bostelman (9-6) and a trio of up-and-comers earned wins at Wisconsin. Redshirt freshman Clayton Jones III picked up his first bonus point victory of the season when he pinned Aidan Medora in the second period. True freshman Cory Thomas was a first-time dual winner at 184 pounds in a high-scoring 19-13 decision over Matthew Jens. Vanadia extended his winning streak with an 11-4 victory over Gannon Rosenfeld.
First Look: #12 Rutgers
Rutgers is 12-5 with a 4-3 mark in B1G duals this season. The Scarlet Knights are coming off of a 21-20 victory over Maryland, sealed by John Poznanski's tech fall at 197 pounds. Rutgers hasn't wrestled in front of a home crowd since Jan. 26, a 16-15 win over then No. 10-ranked Illinois. The Scarlet Knights lineup features 10 ranked wrestlers including three in the Top 10 (Dean Peterson, Dylan Shawver and Yaraslau Slavikouski) and six in the Top 20. Dean Peterson has won four-straight bouts at 125 which included an upset over Penn State's Luke Lilledahl, 4-1.
MSU is 2-6-1 all-time against Rutgers dating back to 2010 when the Spartans tied the Scarlet Knights 16-16 at the Spartan Duals in Jenison Field House. Michigan State defeated Rutgers in back-to-back seasons in 2022 (20-17) and 2023 (16-15) but dropped a 22-13 dual at home in 2024.
First Look: #19 Michigan
Michigan is 5-5 overall and 2-5 in B1G duals this season. The Wolverines are coming off of a 39-0 loss to #1 Penn State last weekend and have lost four of their last five entering Sunday. Michigan last defeated then No. 24-ranked Indiana 22-13 on Jan. 26 in Ann Arbor. UM boasts eight ranked competitors in their lineup including three in the Top 10 (Jacob Cardenas, Josh Heindselman, Beau Mantanona) and five in the Top 15.
The Wolverines have a mix of young and older talent with redshirt freshman Beau Mantanona ranked No. 10 at 165 and sophomore Segio Lemley ranked No. 12 at 141. Graduate transfers Jacob Cardenas (Cornell, No. 4 at 197) and Josh Heindselman (Oklahoma, No. 8 at HWT) are the highest ranked opponents on the Michigan roster. Chase Saldate ranks No. 15 at 157 pounds and is a graduate transfer from Michigan State where he compiled a career 82-33 record and was a four-time NCAA qualifier for the Spartans reaching the Round of 12 once in 2023.
Vanadia's Streak
Redshirt freshman heavyweight Max Vanadia is coming into his own late in the season riding a three-bout winning streak into this week. Last weekend Vanadia defeated Northwestern's Dirk Morley by tech fall (20-5) and Wisconsin's Gannon Rosenfeld (11-4) to pick up the first two B1G dual wins of his career. Vanadia's streak started with a win over Clarion's Austin Chapman, 4-0, on Feb. 2.
Vanadia comes from a family of wrestlers, with twin brother Luke Vanadia wrestling at 197 pounds for the Spartans and older brother Ben Vanadia the 197 pound starter at Purdue.
Nine of Vanadia's losses have come to Top 33 ranked opponents, he owns a season-best victory over former national qualifier #17 Lucas Stoddard of Army, 4-3.
NCAA Rankings Update
The NCAA released its second set of coaches' rankings as well as its first RPI release of the season on Feb. 13.
Redshirt sophomore Ceasar Garza ranks No. 32 in RPI at 174, redshirt freshman Remy Cotton is No. 17 at 197 and redshirt freshman Max Vanadia is No. 23 at heavyweight. Cotton is the lone Spartan ranked in the second coaches' rankings, coming in at No. 27 at 197 pounds.
Up Next
Michigan State's dual season concludes on the road at Central Michigan next Friday, February 21 at 7 p.m. The Chippewas are 6-9 overall and 4-1 in the MAC with several familiar opponents on their schedule. CMU defeated Buffalo (26-6) and lost to Ohio (18-16), CSU Bakersfield (21-20), American (21-13) and Indiana (17-16). Central Michigan's lineup includes four ranked opponents - #31 Sean Spidle (133), #27 Mason Shrader (149), #18 Johnny Lovett (157) and #7 Alex Cramer (174).
Friday night's dual will stream on B1G+, while Sunday's dual against rival Michigan will be televised on Big Ten Network.
The First Whistle
MSU is 2-6-1 all-time against Rutgers dating back to 2010 when the Spartans tied the Scarlet Knights 16-16 at the Spartan Duals in Jenison Field House. Michigan State defeated Rutgers in back-to-back seasons in 2022 (20-17) and 2023 (16-15) but dropped a 22-13 dual at home in 2024. Jordan Hamdan, Chase Saldate, Caleb Fish and Layne Malczewski earned wins for MSU in last season's dual against the Scarlet Knights.
Michigan State is 35-76-5 all-time against Michigan dating back to the 1921-22 season. The Wolverines have won 13 straight duals entering Sunday's meeting. MSU's highest scoring output since 2011 is 15 points. Kael Wisler and Caleb Fish earned decisions for MSU, while Chase Saldate added a fall in MSU's 29-12 loss last season.
Redshirt freshman Remy Cotton is enjoying a breakout campaign for the Spartans entering this week ranked No. 26 by InterMat and No. 28 by FloWrestling at 197 pounds. At heavyweight, redshirt Freshman Max Vanadia is ranked No. 33 by FloWrestling for the fourth consecutive week. Vanadia has won three consecutive bouts at heavyweight entering the week, including his first two B1G dual victories against Northwestern and Wisconsin last weekend. Vanadia posted a tech fall of Northwestern's Dirk Morley.
The Spartans are coming off an 0-2 weekend in which it fell on the road at Northwestern (27-12) and Wisconsin (25-12). Both duals were not without their bright spots however, as graduate 165-pounder Jay Nivison earned his first career B1G dual win over Northwestern's Jacob Bostelman (9-6) and a trio of up-and-comers earned wins at Wisconsin. Redshirt freshman Clayton Jones III picked up his first bonus point victory of the season when he pinned Aidan Medora in the second period. True freshman Cory Thomas was a first-time dual winner at 184 pounds in a high-scoring 19-13 decision over Matthew Jens. Vanadia extended his winning streak with an 11-4 victory over Gannon Rosenfeld.
| MICHIGAN STATE PROBABLES |
| 125 | Caleb Weiand | R-Fr. |
| 133 | Andy Hampton | R-Jr. |
| 141 | Jaden Crumpler | R-Fr. |
| 149 | Clayton Jones III | R-Fr. |
| 157 | Braden Stauffenberg | R-So. |
| OR | Jack Conley | R-Fr. |
| 165 | Jay Nivison | R-Sr. |
| 174 | Ceasar Garza | R-So. |
| OR | Marty Larkin | R-Sr. |
| 184 | Luke Daly | R-Jr. |
| 197 | #26/28 Remy Cotton | R-Fr. |
| HWT | #33/NR Max Vanadia | R-Fr. |
| OR | Josh Terrill | R-So. |
First Look: #12 Rutgers
Rutgers is 12-5 with a 4-3 mark in B1G duals this season. The Scarlet Knights are coming off of a 21-20 victory over Maryland, sealed by John Poznanski's tech fall at 197 pounds. Rutgers hasn't wrestled in front of a home crowd since Jan. 26, a 16-15 win over then No. 10-ranked Illinois. The Scarlet Knights lineup features 10 ranked wrestlers including three in the Top 10 (Dean Peterson, Dylan Shawver and Yaraslau Slavikouski) and six in the Top 20. Dean Peterson has won four-straight bouts at 125 which included an upset over Penn State's Luke Lilledahl, 4-1.
MSU is 2-6-1 all-time against Rutgers dating back to 2010 when the Spartans tied the Scarlet Knights 16-16 at the Spartan Duals in Jenison Field House. Michigan State defeated Rutgers in back-to-back seasons in 2022 (20-17) and 2023 (16-15) but dropped a 22-13 dual at home in 2024.
| RUTGERS PROBABLES |
| 125 | #9 Dean Peterson | Sr. |
| OR | Ayden Smith | Fr. |
| 133 | #10 Dylan Shawver | Sr. |
| 141 | #13 Joseph Olivieri | Sr. |
| OR | Joe Fongaro | Fr. |
| 149 | #19 Andrew Clark | Sr. |
| 157 | #29 Conner Harer | Fr. |
| 165 | #23 Anthony White | Sr. |
| OR | Andrew Barbosa | Fr. |
| 174 | #27 Jackson Turley | Grad. |
| 184 | #17 Shane Cartagena-Walsh | So. |
| 197 | #18 John Poznanski | Sr. |
| OR | PJ Casale | Jr. |
| HWT | #7 Yaraslou Slavikouski | Grad. |
First Look: #19 Michigan
Michigan is 5-5 overall and 2-5 in B1G duals this season. The Wolverines are coming off of a 39-0 loss to #1 Penn State last weekend and have lost four of their last five entering Sunday. Michigan last defeated then No. 24-ranked Indiana 22-13 on Jan. 26 in Ann Arbor. UM boasts eight ranked competitors in their lineup including three in the Top 10 (Jacob Cardenas, Josh Heindselman, Beau Mantanona) and five in the Top 15.
The Wolverines have a mix of young and older talent with redshirt freshman Beau Mantanona ranked No. 10 at 165 and sophomore Segio Lemley ranked No. 12 at 141. Graduate transfers Jacob Cardenas (Cornell, No. 4 at 197) and Josh Heindselman (Oklahoma, No. 8 at HWT) are the highest ranked opponents on the Michigan roster. Chase Saldate ranks No. 15 at 157 pounds and is a graduate transfer from Michigan State where he compiled a career 82-33 record and was a four-time NCAA qualifier for the Spartans reaching the Round of 12 once in 2023.
| MICHIGAN PROBABLES |
| 125 | Christian Tanefeu | R-Jr. |
| OR | Wilfried Tanefeu | R-Jr. |
| 133 | Nolan Wertanen | R-So. |
| 141 | #12 Sergio Lemley | So. |
| 149 | #24 Dylan Gilcher | R-Fr. |
| 157 | #15 Chase Saldate | Grad. |
| OR | Zack Mattin | R-Jr. |
| 165 | #10 Beau Mantanona | R-Fr. |
| 174 | #30 Joseph Walker | R-Sr. |
| 184 | #26 Jaden Bullock | R-Sr. |
| 197 | #4 Jacob Cardenas | Grad. |
| HWT | #8 Josh Heindselman | Grad. |
Vanadia's Streak
Redshirt freshman heavyweight Max Vanadia is coming into his own late in the season riding a three-bout winning streak into this week. Last weekend Vanadia defeated Northwestern's Dirk Morley by tech fall (20-5) and Wisconsin's Gannon Rosenfeld (11-4) to pick up the first two B1G dual wins of his career. Vanadia's streak started with a win over Clarion's Austin Chapman, 4-0, on Feb. 2.
Vanadia comes from a family of wrestlers, with twin brother Luke Vanadia wrestling at 197 pounds for the Spartans and older brother Ben Vanadia the 197 pound starter at Purdue.
Nine of Vanadia's losses have come to Top 33 ranked opponents, he owns a season-best victory over former national qualifier #17 Lucas Stoddard of Army, 4-3.
NCAA Rankings Update
The NCAA released its second set of coaches' rankings as well as its first RPI release of the season on Feb. 13.
Redshirt sophomore Ceasar Garza ranks No. 32 in RPI at 174, redshirt freshman Remy Cotton is No. 17 at 197 and redshirt freshman Max Vanadia is No. 23 at heavyweight. Cotton is the lone Spartan ranked in the second coaches' rankings, coming in at No. 27 at 197 pounds.
Up Next
Michigan State's dual season concludes on the road at Central Michigan next Friday, February 21 at 7 p.m. The Chippewas are 6-9 overall and 4-1 in the MAC with several familiar opponents on their schedule. CMU defeated Buffalo (26-6) and lost to Ohio (18-16), CSU Bakersfield (21-20), American (21-13) and Indiana (17-16). Central Michigan's lineup includes four ranked opponents - #31 Sean Spidle (133), #27 Mason Shrader (149), #18 Johnny Lovett (157) and #7 Alex Cramer (174).
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