WASHINGTON, Pa. (Nov. 11) – The reborn Saint Vincent wrestling team turned in a number of strong performances across the board enroute to a 10th place finish at the 20-team Washington & Jefferson Invitational.
 
Competing for the first time this season, senior Jake Beistel led the way for the Bearcats, winning three of four matches to place third in the 285-pound division. Beistel opened the day with a pin of McDaniel's Ezekiel Gayle in 3:46, before earning an 11-1 major decision over Pitt-Bradford's Gavin Thompson. After falling to a 2023 NAIA All-American from Thomas More, Beistel regrouped for a 4-1 decision over Noah Dehainault of Muskingum in the third-place match.
 
Saint Vincent 165-pounder Chase Brandebura turned in a 4-1 record on the day. The freshman won his first two matches, pinning Farhid Neghaban of Pitt-Bradford in 1:54 and then earning a 10-3 decision over Ethan Kolb of Lycoming. After falling in his third match of the afternoon, Brandebura rebounded for a pin of Lycoming's Chase Chapman and a 4-1, overtime decision over Fairmont State's Evan Thompson in the blood round.
 
Brandebura was one of two SVC wrestlers to post a 4-win day, as 125-pounder Sean Cain went 4-2. Cain dropped a close 11-8 decision in his first match of the day, before rattling off four straight victories. After pinning Hiram's Ian Fuentes in 1:43, Cain earned an 8-4 decision of Thiel's E.J. McCarthy. He would then pick up his second pin of the day, this time in only 39 seconds over W&J's Michael Cruz, before earning a decisive 13-3 major decision.
 
Tyler Debnar and Ryan Klingensmith each earned three wins on the afternoon. At 141 pounds, Debnar rallied from a loss in his first match to post three consecutive pins, taking down Thiel's Jacob Potts in 1:35, Southern Virginia's Porter Kinne in 2:32, and Lycoming's Kyle Haverstick in 2:26.
 
Klingensmith, at 133 pounds, began with a pin over Lycoming's Jaciah Whitcomb in 1:52, before pinning Hiram's Jon Waszil in 1:46 and earning a high-scoring 27-12 major decision over Richie Morales of Alfred State.
 
Joining Cain at 125 pounds, Noah Henry posted a pair of victories, first grinding out a 1-0 win over Southern Virginia's Joseph Comaduran, before earning a fall in 5:52 over Fairmont State's Branden Myers.
 
Five Bearcat rookies earned their first career victories on the afternoon, with Ryan Yocum earning a decisive 18-0 tech fall over Grayson Smith of Hiram at 141 pounds; 157-pounder Charlie Mesich pinning Thiel's Landon Mead in 4:42; 197-pounder Dakota McDermott pinning Saint John Fisher's Nicholas Byrne in 2:15; 165-pounder Nick Carter pinning Penn State-Behrend's Trey Lineberry in 4:58; and heavyweight Christo Merion pinning Thiel's Howard Congdon in 1:33.
 
The Bearcats will now prep for their first dual of the season, and their first home match in 50 years, as they will welcome Penn State-Behrend to the Carey Center on Tuesday, Nov. 14, for a 7 p.m. match.