Bucknell @ American

American University edged Bucknell 23-18 in a dual at American University in Washington, D.C., on February 14, 2025. The margin came down to bonus-point wrestling across several weight classes, with American collecting multiple high-value wins that Bucknell could not fully overcome.

Coen Bainey’s fall at 125 pounds was a momentum swinger, worth six team points, and Gage Owen’s pin at 149 added another six that pushed the hosts ahead on the bonus board. Elijah White’s 10-2 major decision at 141 (four team points) and Austin Craft’s 10-1 major at 174 (four team points) further padded American’s total. Those four bonus results — two falls and two majors — accounted for the bulk of American’s scoring and proved decisive in a tight dual.

Bucknell battled back with two important bonus wins of its own. Logan Deacetis scored a 12-3 major decision at 184 (four team points), and Dillon Bechtold delivered a 19-4 technical fall at 197 (five team points), cutting into American’s lead and keeping the dual close down the stretch. In the end American’s string of bonus victories provided just enough separation, and Bucknell’s late rallies fell short in the 23-18 final.