Wrestling | 12/31/2022 9:37:00 AM

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. – Sophomore Cade Balestrini (Sunbury, PA/Shikellamy) and redshirt senior Josh Mason (New Ringgold, Pa./Blue Mountain) finished with a spot on the podium at the 58^th Midlands Championships for the Bloomsburg wrestling team.
 
Balestrini took seventh in the 149-pound bracket after going 2-1 on day two of the tournament. He opened the day with a 3-2 decision over Johnny Lovett from Central Michigan before dropping a 9-4 decision to Max Brignola from Lehigh to move onto the seventh-place match. Balestrini took down Nate Higley of George Mason with a 9-6 decision to earn seventh overall.
 
Mason took eighth overall in the 141-pound bracket with a 1-2 day on the mats for day two. Mason won by a 3-0 decision over Joe Olivieri from Rutgers to stay alive in the bracket before falling to Ryan Michaels from Pittsburg by a 5-2 decision to move to the seventh-place bout. Mason fell to Danny Pucino of Illinois by a 14-4 major decision to take eighth overall.
 
The Huskies finished 21^st as a team with 19.5 team points.

Midlands Results for Bloomsburg

Men`s 133

• Champ. Round 1 - Cole Rhone (Benton, Pa./Benton Area) (Bloomsburg) received a bye () (Bye)
• Champ. Round 2 - Cole Rhone (Benton, Pa./Benton Area) (Bloomsburg) won by fall over Tuvsin Zunnbayan (Harper College) (Fall 5:54)
• Champ. Round 3 - Lucas Byrd (Illinois) won by major decision over Cole Rhone (Benton, Pa./Benton Area) (Bloomsburg) (Maj 9-1)
• Cons. Round 4 - Cole Rhone (Benton, Pa./Benton Area) (Bloomsburg) won by decision over Pat Phillips (Franklin & Marshall) (Dec 7-1)
• Cons. Round 5 - Evan Mougalian (Penn) won by decision over Cole Rhone (Benton, Pa./Benton Area) (Bloomsburg) (Dec 4-2)

Men`s 141

• Champ. Round 1 - Josh Mason (New Ringgold, Pa./Blue Mountain) (Bloomsburg) won by decision over Jaivon Jones (Northern Illinois) (Dec 11-5)
• Champ. Round 2 - Joseph Zargo (Wisconsin) won by decision over Josh Mason (New Ringgold, Pa./Blue Mountain) (Bloomsburg) (Dec 10-4)
• Cons. Round 2 - Josh Mason (New Ringgold, Pa./Blue Mountain) (Bloomsburg) won by decision over Anthony Glasl (George Mason) (Dec 5-0)
• Cons. Round 3 - Josh Mason (New Ringgold, Pa./Blue Mountain) (Bloomsburg) won by medical forfeit over Justin Bierdumpfel (Brown) (MFF)
• Cons. Round 4 - Josh Mason (New Ringgold, Pa./Blue Mountain) (Bloomsburg) won by decision over Joseph Cangro (Harvard) (Dec 5-0)
• Cons. Round 5 - Josh Mason (New Ringgold, Pa./Blue Mountain) (Bloomsburg) won by decision over Zeke Seltzer (Missouri) (Dec 3-0)
• Cons. Round 6 - Josh Mason (New Ringgold, Pa./Blue Mountain) (Bloomsburg) won by decision over Joe Olivieri (Rutgers) (Dec 3-0)
• Cons. Round 7 - Ryan Michaels (Pittsburgh) won by decision over Josh Mason (New Ringgold, Pa./Blue Mountain) (Bloomsburg) (Dec 5-2)
• 7th Place Match - Danny Pucino (Illinois) won by major decision over Josh Mason (New Ringgold, Pa./Blue Mountain) (Bloomsburg) (Maj 14-4)

Men`s 149

• Champ. Round 1 - Cade Balestrini (Sunbury, PA/Shikellamy) (Bloomsburg) received a bye () (Bye)
• Champ. Round 2 - Cade Balestrini (Sunbury, PA/Shikellamy) (Bloomsburg) won by decision over Ricky Cabanillas (Brown) (Dec 5-3)
• Champ. Round 3 - Yahya Thomas (Northwestern) won by major decision over Cade Balestrini (Sunbury, PA/Shikellamy) (Bloomsburg) (Maj 17-4)
• Cons. Round 4 - Cade Balestrini (Sunbury, PA/Shikellamy) (Bloomsburg) won by decision over Umihiko Saito (Brown) (Dec 5-1)
• Cons. Round 5 - Cade Balestrini (Sunbury, PA/Shikellamy) (Bloomsburg) won by decision over Jude Swisher (Pennsylvania RTC) (Dec 3-1)
• Cons. Round 6 - Cade Balestrini (Sunbury, PA/Shikellamy) (Bloomsburg) won by decision over Johnny Lovett (Central Michigan) (Dec 3-2)
• Cons. Round 7 - Max Brignola (Lehigh) won by decision over Cade Balestrini (Sunbury, PA/Shikellamy) (Bloomsburg) (Dec 9-4)
• 7th Place Match - Cade Balestrini (Sunbury, PA/Shikellamy) (Bloomsburg) won by decision over Nate Higley (George Mason) (Dec 9-6)

Bloomsburg returns to the mat on Friday, January 6 when they host Rutgers for a 7:00 p.m. match at Nelson Field House.