Rutgers Wrestling Heads to Midlands with Momentum and Depth
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - With the calendar winding down and the postseason inching closer, No. 17 Rutgers wrestling is set to test its depth and firepower at the 2025 Ken Kraft Midlands Championships.
The two-day event kicks off Monday at 10:30 a.m. ET from Ryan Fieldhouse in Evanston, Illinois, with all matches streamed on Big Ten Plus.
This isn’t just another tournament stop for Rutgers - it’s a chance to measure up against some of the nation’s top talent in one of college wrestling’s most storied midseason showcases. The Scarlet Knights are sending a mix of attached and unattached wrestlers, including several nationally ranked names looking to make a statement as the second half of the season begins.
Who’s Hitting the Mat for Rutgers
Rutgers will be represented in six attached weight classes, headlined by a trio of ranked starters:
- 165: Ryan Ford and Andrew Barbosa (32nd Intermat/NR FloWrestling)
- 184: Shane Cartagena-Walsh (15th Intermat/18th FloWrestling)
- 197: Remy Cotton (18th Intermat/16th FloWrestling) and PJ Casale
- HWT: Hunter Catka (25th Intermat/24th FloWrestling)
In addition, several unattached wrestlers will compete, giving the coaching staff a valuable look at up-and-coming talent:
- 133: Dylan Shawver (20th Intermat/14th FloWrestling)
- 149: Andrew Clark (27th Intermat/24th FloWrestling)
- 157: Conner Harer
- 174: Jordan Chapman
Shawver and Clark, though competing unattached, bring experience and national rankings into the field - and could shake things up in their respective brackets.
Riding High After Drexel Comeback
Rutgers enters Midlands with momentum after a gritty comeback win over Drexel on December 14. Trailing 12-6 at the halfway mark, the Scarlet Knights rattled off five straight wins to close the dual and seal a 28-12 victory in front of nearly 3,000 fans at Jersey Mike’s Arena.
The turning point came at 174 pounds, where No. 9 Lenny Pinto delivered a pin over **No.
18 Jasiah Queen** that ignited the rally. From there, Rutgers piled on bonus points.
No. 18 Remy Cotton followed with a dominant major decision over **No.
31 Ibrahim Ameer**, and No. 15 Shane Cartagena-Walsh and **No.
22 Hunter Catka** each added bonus wins of their own. Ayden Smith (125), Andrew Clark (149), and Andrew Barbosa (165) all chipped in with decisions to help Rutgers notch its sixth dual win of the season.
The 7-3 match split showed off the team’s resilience - and its growing ability to close out meets strong, a trait that could pay dividends in tournament-style settings like Midlands.
Climbing the Rankings
That Drexel win helped Rutgers climb to No. 17 in the latest NWCA Coaches Poll. The Big Ten continues to dominate the rankings, with 10 conference teams currently in the top 25.
Rutgers joins a loaded list that includes **No. 1 Penn State, No.
2 Ohio State**, and No. 4 Iowa, among others.
Individually, 10 Scarlet Knights are ranked in at least one national poll, with all 10 weight classes represented in Intermat’s rankings - a testament to the program’s balance and depth. Leading the way are Joseph Olivieri (141) and Lenny Pinto (174), both ranked inside the top 10 at No. 6 and No. 9, respectively.
Looking Back at Last Year’s Midlands Run
Rutgers made serious noise at the 2024 Ken Kraft Midlands Championships, finishing second overall with a school-record nine placewinners and 147 team points - the most ever scored by the program at the event. Only Stanford outpaced the Scarlet Knights, edging them out for the team title with 157 points.
Dean Peterson (125) led the charge with an individual title, while three others - Dylan Shawver (133), Joseph Olivieri (141), and Shane Cartagena-Walsh (184) - reached the finals. Yaraslau Slavikouski (HWT) battled back for third, and Andrew Clark (149) and Brian Soldano (184) took fourth. Jackson Turley (174) claimed fifth, and John Poznanski (197) rounded out the group with a sixth-place finish.
It was a breakout performance that showed Rutgers could not only hang with elite programs - it could challenge for titles. With several of those same names returning to the Midlands mat, expectations will be high once again.
What’s Next
The Midlands Championships offer Rutgers another critical checkpoint before Big Ten duals ramp back up in January. With a deep lineup, momentum from a strong finish against Drexel, and a proven track record at Midlands, the Scarlet Knights are poised to make another deep run in Evanston.
Whether it’s established starters chasing podium finishes or younger wrestlers getting their first taste of high-level tournament action, this week is about more than medals - it’s about sharpening the edge for the battles still to come.