Michigan beats Rutgers 21-12 in Piscataway
Three major decisions in the upper middleweights and a late heavyweight decision provided the margin as Michigan won at Rutgers on Jan. 16.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Michigan defeated Rutgers 21-12 at Jersey Mike’s Arena on Jan. 16, using three major decisions in the upper middleweights and a tight heavyweight decision to secure the road victory.
The decisive stretch arrived in the middle of the lineup. Cameron Catrabone opened the run with a 13-3 major decision at 157. No. 12 Beau Mantanona followed with an 11-3 major at 174 over No. 10 Lenny Pinto, and No. 8 Brock Mantanona extended the surge with a 17-3 major at 184. Those bonus-point wins swung the team score and gave Michigan separation before the final bouts.
At heavyweight, No. 6 Taye Ghadiali held off No. 19 Hunter Catka, 7-5. Ghadiali used second-period scoring to build a lead that Catka cut to 7-5 in the third but could not overcome, preserving Michigan’s late advantage.
Rutgers supplied early resistance. No. 32 Ayden Smith opened the dual with a 3-1 decision at 125, finishing with a third-period takedown that reversed a 1-0 deficit. No. 25 Dylan Shawver followed with a 4-1 decision at 133; Rutgers’ recap noted the win was Shawver’s 100th career victory. No. 26 Andrew Barbosa added a 6-2 decision at 165, and No. 16 Remy Cotton secured a 4-1 decision at 197 by countering a third-period escape with an immediate takedown.
No. 11 Dylan Ragusin provided a key win at 141, rallying with a third-period takedown and a riding-time point to claim a 6-4 decision and help steady Michigan as Rutgers tried to close the gap.
Michigan’s and Rutgers’ postmatch reports framed the result similarly: Michigan’s release noted the fast start and three early bonus wins; Rutgers’ account recorded the 21-12 final and an announced attendance of 4,127. The pair of team recaps also placed the dual in the national rankings context used throughout the lineup coverage.
The victory moved Michigan to 6-2 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten duals, while Rutgers fell to 6-4 and 0-2 in conference competition, according to the team releases.
The majors from Catrabone and the Mantanona brothers and Ghadiali’s late heavyweight decision were the decisive elements in a dual that featured multiple ranked matchups and several tight decisions that kept the outcome in doubt until the closing bouts.