Tyler Klinsky, Michael Cetta awarded at-large berths to NCAA Wrestling Tournament
Two results from the Rutgers University-Rider University match on Jan. 7 helped a wrestler from each school earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Tournament Tuesday, the NCAA Wrestling Committee announced.
Rider's Tyler Klinsky, who was the 2020 NJSIAA 113-pound champion during his senior season at Middletown High School North, was among the six at-large selections to the 125-pound field.
Klinsky will be the fifth Rider wrestler to be seeded into the NCAA Tournament, when the tournament is seeded Wednesday at 8 p.m.
The others are Mid-American Conference champions Quinn Kinner (149) and David Szuba (285), MAC runner-up Michael Wilson (174) and MAC fifth-place finisher Colton Washleski (157).
More: 34 wrestlers with New Jersey ties will be in the NCAA Tournament. Here's the full list
Rutgers' Michael Cetta, who was a two-time state sixth-place finisher during his scholastic career at St. Joseph (Montvale) was among the four at-large selections to the 149-pound field.
Cetta will be the eighth Rutgers wrestler seeded into the national tournament.
The others are Big Ten Conference fifth-place finisher Dean Peterson (125), Big Ten champion Dylan Shawver (133); Big Ten fourth-place finishers Jackson Turley (174) and Yaraslau Slavikouski (285); Big Ten sixth-place finishers Mitch Moore (141) and Brian Soldano (184) and Big Ten seventh-place finisher John Poznanski (197).
More: Rutgers wrestling eyes NCAA Tournament after Big Ten surge: 'Wrestled our tails off'
The University of Pennsylvania's Michael Colaiocco, who is a native of Sparta and a former Blaie Academy wrestler, was one of the five at-large selections to the 133-pound field and Navy's Danny Wask, a native of Wantage and a former Blaie Academy wrestler, was one of the four added to the 174-pound field.
Forty seven wrestlers over the 10 weight classes were awarded at-large selections and added to the 283 wrestlers who qualified automatically through the seven conference tournaments last weekend Each weight will have 33 wrestlers.
A 9-6 win over Peterson, when Peterson was ranked No. 2 in the country, probably was a major boost to Klinsky's chances after he fell one spot of automatic qualification by finshing third in the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
Cetta, who began the season as Rutgers' backup at 149 and was thrust into the lineup when projected starter Jacob Butler sustained a knee injury on Nov. 19, had two wins that boosted his chances.
The first was an 8-6 win over two-time MAC champion and three-time NCAA qualifier. Kinner. The other was a 12-9 win in sudden victory over Ohio State's Dylan D'Emilio. D'Emilio was sixth in the Big Ten Tournament and was the NCAA eighth-place finisher at 141 last season.
Cetta fell one win short of earning an automatic berth, when he was defeated by Minnesota's Drew Roberts 5-3 in the final of the Big Ten's ninth-place bracket. Cetta did go 0-3 on the mat in the Big Ten Tournament. His only win came by forfeit in the ninth-place bracket's semifinal.
Colaiocco went 1-2 and did not place in the EIWA Tournament.
Wask went 3-2 and finished seventh in the EIWA Tournament.
The NCAA Tournament will take place March 21-23 in Kansas City.
The additions of Klinsky, Cetta, Colaiocco and Wask makes it 35 wrestlers with New Jersey ties will be in the tournament.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: 2024 NCAA Wrestling Tournament: Tyler Klinsky, Michael Cetta get bids
