GRANTHAM (Pa.) – The Delaware Valley University men's wrestling team placed eight student-athletes on the podium, led by a runner-up showing from Dan Eckley, and finished sixth of eight teams at the 2022 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Championships.

The Aggies totaled 78 team points to finish ahead of Lycoming (67.5) and King's (47.5) but trailed fifth place Wilkes at 88.5 points. Stevens Institute of Technology won its second consecutive conference championship with 134.5 team points and host Messiah finished second with 114 points.

DelVal had four wrestlers earn fourth place in first-years Ryan Kelly (125 lbs.) and Greg Croce (149 lbs.), sophomore Rashad Stratton (133 lbs.) and junior Mike Rubino (141 lbs.). Sophomore Isaiah Johnson earned fifth at 197 pounds and senior Youssef Ait Boulahri landed in sixth after an injury forced him into two medical forfeits. Sophomore heavyweight Austin Williams also landed a sixth-place finish.

Eckley, the second-year heavyweight, earned second-team all-conference accolades with his runner-up showing. He began his day with a convincing 8-2 decision over Robert West of Lycoming before taking consecutive 2-0 decisions to advance to the finals. In the semi-finals, Eckley defeated the reigning MAC heavyweight champion and NCAA Qualifier Palmer Rodenhaber of Alvernia. He met senior Carter Urich of Messiah in the finals and fell by 5-2 decision. With the 3-1 showing, Eckley improved to 29-6 on the year. It is his fifth top-3 tournament finish this season.

Kelly, coming off a first-place finish at Waynesburg, had a first round bye and then met senior Nicholas Bauer of Wilkes. Kelly dominated Bauer en route to a 17-1 technical fall to advance to the semi-finals. In the semi's, he game top-seed top-seed and nationally-ranked Akhil Vega of Stevens a highly contested bout. The two lightweights battled back and forth until Vega held a late 6-5 lead. Kelly was in position to get the escape, but Vega held on and closed out the one-point victory. In the consolation bracket, Kelly took a 7-5 decision to advance to the third place match where he eventually dropped a 5-1 decision to Keito Shaw of Alvernia. Kelly finished fourth overall and went 2-2.

Fellow first-year Gio Luciano also posed a 2-2 mark in the 125-pound bracket as he earned a 17-7 major decision and later a 13-6 decision.

At 133 pounds, Stratton was pinned in his opening bout by Gustav Petruske of King's, but bounced-back with a win by fall in his first consolation match. He posted two more wins by decision to advance to the third-place bout where he met Petruske again. In the rematch, Stratton found himself trailing 5-3 and could not tie the match late as Petruske earned his second win of the day over Stratton. Stratton finished fourth overall with a 3-2 record on the day.

Rubino won his first match in the 141-pound bracket with a 7-1 decision. He met national qualifier Josiah Gehr in the next bout and suffered a loss by fall. In his next match in the consolation bracket, Rubino dominated Louis LaRocca of Alvernia to the tune of an 18-0 technical fall. He followed that up with a 4-1 decision over Bryan Diaz of York and earned a medical forfeit to advance to the third-place match. Quinn Tobin of Alvernia caught Rubino early in the match and earned a win by fall in the first period. Rubino finished fourth overall with a 4-2 mark.

Croce, the rookie 149 pounder had a first-round bye and then took a 5-3 decision over Logan Barlett to advance to the semi-finals. He met nationally ranked Brett Kaliner of Stevens for a chance to advance to the finals, but it was Kaliner that earned a first period pin. In consolations, Croce used a 10-6 decision to advance to the third place match. Jared Blair of York got the best of Croce and won by 18-3 technical fall as the first-year Aggie earned fourth overall.

Ait Boulahri was the top-seeded 174 pounder coming into the tournament and he showed why in his first to bouts. He won his first match by first period fall and took the next by 10-3 decision. After dropping his next match by fall, Ait Boulahri's day was done due to injury. Despite that, the senior earned a place on the podium with a sixth-place showing.

Johnson, DelVal's 197 pounder, earned fifth overall to round out the podium appearances. In a field of just eight 197-pound competitors, Johnson dropped his first match but then pinned Jacob Davis of Lycoming just 53 seconds. After falling to Gable Crebs, Johnson earned another win by fall in the fifth place bout.

Williams earned his sixth place finish in a tough heavyweight bracket with a 3-2 showing. Williams got wins by 16-0 technical fall, 5-2 decision, and 11-4 decision.

The Aggies will now get set for its first home dual of the season as they welcome King's College to Doylestown on Friday, January 21 at 6 p.m.