ITHACA — A day after nearly upsetting 7th-ranked Cornell, the University at Buffalo wrestling team continued to post solid results at the New York State Intercollegiate Championships on Sunday. The team finished second overall and Colt Cotten and James Benjamin won individual titles.
Cotten, the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler, was dominant all afternoon. He won his first two matches by tech fall, earned a pin in the semifinals before winning a 10-1 major decision over Columbia’s Danny Reed to win the title.
Benjamin won his first match by tech fall over NYU’s Jack La Corte. After beating defeating Cornell’s Jacob Anderson by a 7-1 decision in the semifinals, Benjamin beat teammate Nate Rose in the title match, 5-2.
Rose wasn’t threatened on his path to the finals. He won a major decision over Columbia’s Matt Doggett, an 8-2 decision over Ithaca’s Carlos Toribio and a 9-2 decision over Cornell’s Benjamin Honis.
True freshman Derek Spann continues to impress at 125 in his first season with the Bulls. He pinned his first opponent, Carlos Aucancela of Binghamton, and won by decision in the quarterfinals. After losing a 5-3 decision in the semifinals, Spann rebounded to defeat Jacob Martin of Hofstra by major decision in the consolation semifinals and then won a 7-4 decision over Sparacio to take third place.
Nolan Terrance also took third place. The Bulls’ redshirt-freshman rebounded nicely after losing his open match to win five straight. His run included a pair of major decisions over Jonathan Solorzano (Nassau CC) and Kade Andrews of Oswego.
Muhamed McBryde (174) and Brett Perry (184) took fourth place and Kobe Garrehy (157) Derek Holcomb (165) took fifth place to round out the Bulls on the podium.
“We had a very productive weekend with two champions and a runner up,” head coach John Stutzman said. “We are starting to improve and I’m excited to see what we can do next at the Grapple at the Garden.”
The Bulls will next travel to New York City to compete at the Grapple at the Garden next Sunday.
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