COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. — The New Jersey City University men's wrestling team took home 12th place with 43 team total-points on Saturday, Nov. 13, at the Racich Rumble hosted by Ursinus College. NJCU had 15 wrestlers compete in nine different weight classes at the Rumble. The Gothic Knights had a very strong showing by their freshmen class, as Andre Ruiz (Little Ferry, N.J./Ridgefield Park) and Damienlee Torres (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) finished fourth and sixth in their weight classes, respectfully.

The overall event was won by New York University, followed by Messiah University in second, York College (Pa.) in third, Alvernia University in fourth and Worcester Polytechnic Institute in fifth place. The Gothic Knights had a strong showing today as well, which bodes positively for the young NJCU program moving forward.

As mentioned, 133-pounder Ruiz led the Green and Gold with four victories — including his first-career victory against Corey Jenkins of Alvernia — at the Rumble. Ruiz came up short in the quarterfinal round after a tight 2-0 defeat to top-seeded Dalton Rohrbaugh from York (Pa.).

Another freshman, 125-pounder Torres was ready for his first-ever meet against other Division III opponents. Torres started his day with a huge upset against sixth-seeded Nicholas Bauer of Wilkes University by 3-2 decision for his first collegiate victory. Torres was one match short of the 125-pound championship after falling to second-seeded Ryan Kelly of Delaware Valley University. He ended his day with two victories. 

In addition to Ruiz and Torres, sophomore 165-pounder Ty Bailey (Point Pleasant, N.J./Point Pleasant Boro), sophomore 174-pounder Shane Lallkissoon (Manville, N.J./Manville), junior co-captain 174-pounder Matthew Armamento (Kenilworth, N.J./Roselle Park), sophomore 125-pounder George Rivera (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) and freshman 141-pounder Dom Merola (East Hanover, N.J./Hanover Park Regional) all secured victories for the Gothic Knights during the Racich Rumble. 

Up Next:
Jersey City returns to the mat on Saturday, Nov. 20, for the first of the program's four home dual meets this season. The Gothic Knights welcome Ursinus to the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (JMAC) for a 7:00 p.m. match. Follow all the action live on GothicVision.