CORTLAND (NY) – The Delaware Valley University wrestling team began its tough trip to upstate New York with a 29-13 setback to sixth-ranked SUNY Cortland on Friday evening.
 
The Red Dragons, improved to 10-2 in dual meets while the Aggies fell to 3-4. It does not get easier for DelVal on Saturday afternoon as the Aggies will battle ninth-ranked Ithaca College (10-4) at noon.
 
DelVal jumped out to a 6-0 lead thanks to shutout decisions in the opening two weight classes. At 125, Brenden Velez improved to 16-9 on the season with a 6-0 blanking of Hector Guerrero. Conor Kirkegard, ranked eighth in Division III at 133 pounds, followed with a 5-0 triumph over Andrew Roden. It was Kirkegard's 17^th win in 22 matches this season.
 
Cortland got its first points of the night at 141 as a nip and tuck match went in favor of Derak Heyman, 5-2, over Tim Ambacher (10-12). The 149-pound match-up saw the Aggies' Nick Menkin nearly pin Austin Whitney, who is listed as a contender in the D3wrestle.com rankings. Menkin led 6-1 after the near fall, but Whitney regrouped and pinned Menkin (5-6) in the second period. What almost became a 12-3 DelVal lead, instead had the Red Dragons going up by three.
 
Top-ranked Bobby Dierna followed with a technical fall victory over the Aggies' Anthony Snyder at 157 while late points at 165 gave Cortland's Colin Barber an 8-3 decision over Sekou Harris. Chris Jastrzebski was in a tight contest with fourth-ranked Lou Puca at 174 pounds, before Puca picked up a second-period fall and a 23-6 Red Dragon advantage.
 
Nick Della Fera ended Cortland's run by earning a 5-1 decision over Mike Beckwith at 184 pounds. The win improved Della Fera to 13-9 on the year. Freshman Josh Richardson (10-9) then had the task of taking on defending national champion Joe Giaramita at 197 and Giaramita notched a first-period pin.
 
DelVal picked up the final points of the night thanks to two-time All-American and second-ranked Zach Roseberry. The junior heavyweight had little trouble with Nicholas Lupi, en route to a 12-3 major decision and his 17^th win in 18 tries.
 
SUNY CORTLAND 29, DELAWARE VALLEY UNIVERSITY 13
125 – Brenden Velez (DelVal) by decision over Hector Guerrero, 6-0 (3-0 DelVal)
133 – Conor Kirkegard (DelVal) by decision over Andrew Roden, 5-0 (6-0 DelVal)
141 – Derak Heyman (CORT) by decision over Tim Ambacher, 5-2 (6-3 DelVal)
149 – Austin Whitney (CORT) by fall over Nick Menkin, 4:12 (9-6 CORT)
157 – Bobby Dierna (CORT) by technical fall over Anthony Snyder, 21-5; 2:24 (14-6 CORT)  
165 – Colin Barber (CORT) by decision over Sekou Harris, 8-3 (17-6 CORT) 
174 – Lou Puca (CORT) by fall over Chris Jastrzebski, 3:16 (23-6 CORT) 
184 – Nick Della Fera (DelVal) by decision over Mike Beckwith, 5-1 (23-9 CORT)
197 – Joe Giaramita (CORT)by fall over Josh Richardson, 1:31 (29-9 CORT)
285 – Zach Roseberry (DelVal) by major decision over Nicholas Lupi, 12-3 (29-13 CORT)
Exh – Tristan Broddus (CORT) by fall over Steve Orlic, 5:18