Wrestling wins MAC Championship, five individual titles won

On January 21, No. 5 Stevens Institute of Technology wrestling won its third straight Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Championship with five wrestlers winning individual championships at the M&T Bank Field House. Saturday’s match-ups marked the 76th MAC Wrestling Championship dating back to the first championship in 1936. The 2019 and 2021 championships were both canceled due to Winter Storm Harper and COVID-19, respectively.

Seniors Kyle Slendorn, Hunter Gutierrez, Frank Medina, first-year Jason Smith, and  junior Stefan Major won individual titles. The five first-place finishes bring Stevens’ individual titles to 15 in the span of three years. The individual conference championship is the third for Slendorn, second for Major, and first for Gutierrez, Smith, and Medina.

To earn all-conference honors, a wrestler must place top three in their weight class. The Ducks had five conference champions, each of whom was named to the First Team All-MAC. Junior Luke Hoerle, senior Pasquale Vizzoni, first-year Ryan Smith, and sophomore Harrison Hinojosa all achieved second-place finishes and were named to the Second Team All-MAC. Senior James Snyder placed third and received Third Team All-MAC recognition. The Ducks had the most First Team All-MAC honorees of all conference schools, as well as four Second Team All-MAC selections.

Slendorn, the top seed at 141, earned three consecutive pins and captured the championship with a 16-6 victory over the bracket’s second seed. His four victories brought his season record to 19-2.

At 149, Gutierrez was also the top seed in his weight class. He defeated Vizzoni in the championship with a shutout of 9-0 to win the title via major decision. His eight pins and three major decisions gave him a 16-3 record for the year.

Major, the top seed at 174, secured the championship bout with an 8-1 margin. His four wins gave him a total of 13 for the season, marking his third year with over 10 victories.

At 184, Medina was ranked second in his bracket. He won the championship match against top-seeded Isaac Kassis of Alvernia, bringing his win total to 17.

Smith battled through his bracket, beginning with an 18-3 tech fall over Messiah’s Jared Butler in the opening round. In the championship match, he faced off against teammate Ryan Smith, who was the top seed in the field. In the extra period, Jason Smith scored a takedown to push the score to 7-5 and earn his first conference championship.

Stevens earned 152 points to win the eight-team competition. The Ducks have claimed the MAC’s team title each year since they joined in the 2019-20 season, and have now secured the conference championship for eight consecutive seasons. The remaining top five finishers were Alvernia with 138 points, Messiah with 97.5, Wilkes with 97, and Delaware Valley with 92.5. With this result, Stevens is tied with nine other teams in MAC history for the most team championships, with three each. Congratulations to the Ducks on another exceptional performance.