Stevens men’s wrestling wins MAC Conference title

During the winter break, the Stevens men’s wrestling team struggled against nationally-ranked teams. However, Stevens proved they are a strong team as they knocked off every team in their conference and took home the Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) title.

Freshman Kyle Slendorn, senior Troy Stanich, junior Brett Kaliner, and three other Stevens wrestlers topped the seven-team field with 154 points. This means that the Ducks had the most points and won the conference.

At 133 pounds, Slendorn captured his first conference championship as a Stevens student. He posted a pin and a pair of decision victories to win the title. After receiving a bye, he met a Messiah University wrestler and got his eighth pin of the season.

Slendorn met a second Messiah wrestler in the semifinals and came away with a 10-4 decision to reach the championship bout. He won over his Stevens teammate and received his first conference championship.

At 141 pounds, Stanich, as a senior, captured his fourth straight conference title after scoring a pair of pins and mercy rules en route to the championship. In the opening round, Stanich pinned a King’s College player. Stanich scored an early takedown and registered his fifth pin of the season 45 seconds later. Afterwards, Stanich posted a mercy rule over his semifinal opponent to move onto the championship match.

In the 141-pound championship, Stanich posted his third pin of the day with a first-period stoppage of a Wilkes player. Stanich scored a pair of takedowns before ultimately pinning the opposition in the final seconds of the period.

Brett Kaliner earned his third conference title after topping 14 competitors at 149 pounds. The nation’s top-ranked wrestler in the weight class was dominant in capturing the title, scoring a pair of mercy rules and two pins to push his season win total to 18. Each of Kaliner’s victories have come with bonus points.

As a junior, Brett Kaliner crushes the opposition every bout and pull off the victories. In Division 3, Kaliner dominates as the top-ranked wrestler in the nation.

This victory seals six straight conference titles for Stevens wrestling and their first MAC conference title after last year’s switch between conferences. Let’s keep it going into the NCAA tournament, Ducks!