Wrestling: Mougalian Named CC Most Outstanding Wrestler

Results

BALTIMORE – Junior Eric Mougalian (Kinnelon, N.J./Kinnelon) was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Centennial Conference Championship after winning the title at 149 pounds and leading Gettysburg College to a fourth-place finish in the team standings on Saturday inside Goldfarb Gym on the campus of Johns Hopkins University.

 
Team Standings

 
Top Performers

125: Antonio Abate ’24 (Northvale, N.J./Don Bosco Prep)

• Won by major decision over Alex DuFour (McDaniel), 12-2
• Lost by decision to Terry Adams (Ursinus), 8-3
• Lost by major decision to Joey Lamparelli (Muhlenberg), 10-2 (3^rd-Place Match)

133: Luke Kowalski ’24 (Derwood, Md./Saint John’s College)

• Won by major decision over David Rubin (W&L), 11-3
• Lost by major decision to Brent Lorin (Johns Hopkins), 17-7
• Won by fall over Ricky Caamano (Muhlenberg), 5:21
• Won by decision over David Rubin (W&L), 11-5 (3^rd-Place Match)

141: Jake Stein ’23 (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge)

• Won by decision over Yosef Ellis-rech (Johns Hopkins), 10-5
• Lost by fall to Edward Pinc (MMA), 3:19
• Won by decision over Chris Dalmau (Muhlenberg), 5-2
• Won by decision over Yosef Ellis-rech (Johns Hopkins), 3-2 (3^rd-Place Match)

149: Eric Mougalian ’23

• Won by decision over Dante Monaco (Ursinus), 8-4
• Won by major decision over Nic Zamaloff (W&L), 15-7
• Won by decision over Justin Valdoria (Johns Hopkins), 10-6 (Championship)

165: Ray Martin ’22 (Downingtown, Pa./West Chester Henderson)

• Won by fall over Eric DeWald (MMA), 0:58
• Won by decision over Joe Salerno (W&L), 6-0
• Lost by maj. decision to #3 Dominick Reyes (Johns Hopkins), 13-0 (Championship)

 
Match Highlights

• Mougalian was one of the biggest surprises of the day, defeating two wrestlers he had lost to this season on the way to his first career conference title at 149. The Gettysburg junior had lost twice to his first-round opponent, Dante Monaco from Ursinus, this season by major decision (12-2) and decision (12-9). On Saturday, Mougalian took down his nemesis from Ursinus 8-4 before laying down a 15-7 major decision against Nic Zamaloff, who had beaten the Bullet grappler 6-4 during a dual in late January.
• Mougalian entered the championship bout with a 2-0 career record against Justin Valdoria and he jumped out in front with a takedown following a scramble on the edge of the mat. The two wrestlers traded moves throughout the match and stood tied 5-5 early in the third period when Mougalian scored another takedown. Valdoria escaped, but picked up a penalty point to fall behind 8-6. Needing a takedown to force overtime, the Blue Jay grappler was unable to reel in the Gettysburg junior and Mougalian hopped on his back for the final points in a 10-6 win.
• Martin ran his winning streak to 16 matches with two wins to start his day at 165. He ran past Eric DeWald from Merchant Marine in less than a minute with a pin and blanked Joe Salerno from W&L 6-0 in the semifinals. Martin squared off with returning champ and third-ranked Dominick Reyes from Johns Hopkins in the finals and the Johns Hopkins wrestler came out on top 13-0.
• Kowalski won his opening match over David Rubin from Washington and Lee by major decision (11-3) at 133, but he was upended by eventual champion Brent Lorin from Johns Hopkins 17-7 in the semifinals. The Gettysburg sophomore bounced back by pinning Muhlenberg’s Ricky Caamano in 5:21 before squaring off with Rubin again in the third-place match. Kowalski scored his third win of the season against the W&L wrestler 11-5 in the consolation final.
• Stein took down Yosef Ellis-rech from Johns Hopkins twice on the way to a third-place finish at 141. He began his day with a 10-5 win over the Blue Jay wrestler before falling to Edward Pinc from Merchant Marine by pin in the semis. Stein came back with a 5-2 win over Chris Dalmau of Muhlenberg in the consolation semifinals to set up a rematch with Ellis-rech. All of the Gettysburg’s offense came in the second period with an escape and takedown and he thwarted Ellis-rech’s takedown attempts in the third period to pull off the 3-2 win.
• Abate ran past McDaniel’s Alex DuFour in his opening bout at 125 by major decision 12-2. The Gettysburg sophomore was upended in the semis by Terry Adams of Ursinus 8-3 and received a bye in the wrestleback to reach the third-place match. Paired against Joey Lamaprelli of Muhlenberg, Abate fell by a 10-2 major decision to earn a fourth-place finish.

 
By the Numbers

• Gettysburg finished fourth in the teams standings, tying its best finish since a third-place showing in 2017. The Bullets were picked last in the conference’s preseason poll back in October. Washington and Lee claimed its second consecutive team championship.
• Mougalian became Gettysburg’s first 149-pound champion since Matt Shank ’08 in 2008. The Gettysburg junior also became the first Bullet to earn Outstanding Wrestler since Andrew Goldstein ’09 in 2009. The conference title was Mougalian’s first-ever collegiate tournament championship.
• Martin scored his 13th pin of the season, which moved him into a tie for sixth on Gettysburg’s single-season list. The senior also tied Lenny Ogozalek ’18 for third with 37 career pins and he is one behind Colin Devlin ’20 for second. Martin moved to 28-6 overall this season.
• Kowalski improved to 26-6 with 10 pins eight major decisions. He is the second member of his family to earn a spot on the conference podium. His older brother, Colin Kowalski ’19, was a two-time runner-up at 157 and 165 and placed third at 174 in 2019.
• Stein improved upon his previous best finish at conferences by one spot. The junior finished fourth at 133 pounds in 2020. Stein moved to 14-12 on the year.

 
Next Up

Gettysburg will send a contingent of wrestlers to the Futures Tournament hosted by Muhlenberg College on Sunday, Feb. 20, at 10 a.m. The NCAA Division III Southeast Regional Championship will take place the following weekend on Feb. 25-26 at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pa.

This story was originally posted on the Gettysburg College Website.