No. 13 Rutgers wrestling team recorded a split at the Journeymen Jostle event in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, on Sunday. The Scarlet Knights defeated Davidson with a decisive 49-3 victory before falling to No. 10 NC State, 27-11.
Rutgers secured 12 match wins across both duals. Notable performances came from No. 12 Dylan Shawver (133 lbs), No. 12 Joseph Olivieri (141 lbs), and No. 16 Shane Cartagena-Walsh (184 lbs), each earning multiple victories during the event. Olivieri delivered what was described as Rutgers’ signature win of the day by defeating No. 7 Ryan Jack, a 2024 All-American, with an 8-6 decision.
Against Davidson, Rutgers achieved nine bonus-point victories, including pins from Cartagena-Walsh, Olivieri, Shawver, Ayden Smith (125 lbs), and PJ Casale (197 lbs). Lenny Pinto (174 lbs), Hunter Catka (heavyweight), and Ryan Ford (165 lbs) added technical falls while Anthony White (157 lbs) earned a major decision.
In the first dual against Davidson, Rutgers started strong with three consecutive falls and continued to dominate throughout the matchups. After an upset loss at 149 pounds by Andrew Clark to Anderson Heap, Rutgers closed out the dual with six straight wins from 157 pounds through heavyweight.
The second dual saw Rutgers face off against NC State. Ayden Smith opened against top-ranked Vincent Robinson but lost by decision after holding Robinson to an eight-point score. Shawver gave Rutgers its first lead in this matchup with a sudden victory over Troy Howman.
Olivieri followed up with his win over Jack: “Down 3-1 midway through the second period, Olivieri locked up a cradle for a takedown and three backs for an 8-4 lead through two periods.” He held on for an eventual victory that put Rutgers ahead early in the dual.
Despite these efforts, NC State won four consecutive bouts after Olivieri’s match-up—including a pin at 174 pounds—establishing a commanding lead that proved insurmountable for Rutgers even after Cartagena-Walsh’s technical fall at 184 pounds.
Rutgers will next host No. 19 Oklahoma on Saturday, December 13 at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway before facing Drexel on Sunday afternoon.