Wrestling Weekend Ahead: Ohio’s Shawver Thrives ‘On the Banks’

PISCATAWAY, NJ – No. 17 Rutgers wrestling (5-2) hits the court for its next three matches, beginning with a dual at Clarion Friday night (7 p.m.) in Clarion, Pennsylvania. The Scarlet Knights then battle Gardner-Webb (noon) and Kent State (2 p.m.) on Saturday in Kent, Ohio.

Friday night’s game with the Golden Eagles will stream on FloWrestling. Kent State will provide a stream of both games on Saturday.

Ohio’s Shawver thrives at Rutgers
By Bradley Derechailo

Rutgers wrestling head coach Scott Goodale shouts two words from his corner almost every game in every tournament and dual in which the Scarlet Knights compete.


“Just break.”


No one takes this short prayer more seriously than Dylan Shawverwho has wanted to ‘just break’ since stepping foot on campus in 2020.


“Even when he was a true freshman, he asked us to give him a matchup with (Nicolas) Aguilar, who was a returning All-American,” Goodale said. “He just thinks he’s the best guy. It doesn’t matter who he wrestles. He always thinks he’s going to win, and that’s refreshing. Some guys shy away from competition. Dylan doesn’t. ever.”


His eagerness to prove himself has transformed Shawver from a rookie full of potential to one of the best lightweights in the country.


Shawver put together arguably one of the best individual seasons in program history last year, finishing with a team-high 27 wins en route to All-America laurels and a seventh-place finish in Kansas City. Prior to his run to the podium, Shawver downed Michigan’s Dylan Ragusin by 23-8 tech fall to secure RU’s fifth individual Big Ten title and first since Anthony Ashnault and Nick Suriano accomplished the feat in 2019.


This season, Shawver owns a 5-1 record and is ranked as high as No. 8 in the country with two tech falls and one pin through the first month of action. His lone loss came to Lock Haven’s Anthony Noto last weekend. Noto finished third in the nation last season and was an All-American for the second time in as many seasons.


The moments that allow him to prove himself – win or lose – are what fuel his desire to be the best.


“I have enjoyed this journey very much,” Shawver said. “Not a lot of people get to be in the position I’m in. I’m thankful to be here and just try to prove myself and become a better wrestler and person every day.”

 

Shawver will get an opportunity to wrestle in front of his family and friends on Saturday when the Scarlet Knights face Gardner-Webb and Kent State in Kent, Ohio. The Golden Flashes’ campus is just over an hour away from Shawver’s hometown of Lorain – located 40 miles west of Cleveland on Lake Erie.


Saturday will be just the second time Shawver has competed in his home state since leaving for college, having wrestled an extra game at Ohio State as a true freshman during the Covid-19 pandemic season.


“I’m thankful to compete at home,” Shawver said. “We’ve got a great team coming out there this weekend and I’m looking forward to putting on a show. My family is going to come and see me, as well as friends that I haven’t seen in a while. It means a lot to me. They have supported me since I started wrestling and wouldn’t let me stop. Without them I wouldn’t be where I am right now.


Shawver put together an outstanding scholastic career at Elyria High School where he was a three-time state placer. As a senior, Shawver finished 46-3 and delivered regional and sectional titles before the Ohio State tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


Ranked as high as no. 8 in his weight class nationally by FloWrestlingShawver arrived in Piscataway and wanted to contribute immediately. Despite Aguilar ahead of him on the depth chart as a reigning All-American at 125 pounds, Shawver showed up to every practice looking for an opportunity.


When Aguilar was unable to compete in the postseason, Shawver saw his chance. Goodale tabbed Shawver as the program’s 125-pound entrant at the 2021 Big Ten Wrestling Championships at Penn State, and Shawver responded with two wins, including a 6-5 decision over then-No. 13 Patrick Mckee of Minnesota – a two-time All-American who finished third in the nation that season.

Shawver followed up his rookie campaign with 23 wins as a sophomore, finishing seventh at the Big Tens to earn his first trip to the national tournament. He broke out to a 12-5 record in 2022-23 before suffering an injury that shut him down midway through his junior year.


Despite the setback, Shawver continued to ‘just fight’ and develop. He credits the coaching staff for helping him stay focused on achieving his goals both on and off the mat.


“I just had a good dialogue with the staff,” Shawver said. “They laid the foundation and I just worked on myself and believed in myself. I’m so lucky that the coaches believe in me.”


His relentless effort, Goodale says, is a big reason why Shawver has made himself one of the best in the country.


“He loves the spotlight and loves to fight all the time,” Goodale said. “He practices and competes when he’s a little rowdy or when things aren’t always right. He’s the poster child for the type of student-athlete you want in your program. He persevered and will compete every single day. He’ll never have an off day. He’s the absolute spark in this program right now.”

 

No. 17 Rutgers (5-2)
125: 18/14 Dean Peterson (3-2) -OR- Ayden Smith (2-2)
133: 9/10 Dylan Shawver (5-1)
141: 24/33 Joseph Olivieri (5-2)
149: 33/27 Andrew Clark (10-3) -OR- Joe Fongaro (1-2)
157: 33/NO Conner Hare (5-2) -OR- Dylan Weaver (3-2)
165: 26/27 Anthony White (7-2) -OR- Ryan Ford (1-2)
174: 21/19 Jackson Turley (4-2) -OR- Erik Freeman (3-2)
184: NO/18 Brian Soldano (7-4) -OR- 29/NO Shane Cartagena-Walsh (9-4)
197: 15/18 John Poznanski (4-1) -OR- PJ Casale (3-4)
Locations Intermat/Flo

Clarion (0-3)
125: Weston Pisarchick (4-4) -OR- Travis Clawson (2-3)
133: Scott Johnson (5-4)
141: Gianni Silvestri (4-5) -OR- David McClelland (0-3)
149: Kyle Schickel (5-4)
157: John Altieri (2-4)
165: Wesley Barnes (6-3)
174: John Worthing (5-1)
184: Adrian Gacek (3-8) -OR- Patrick Cutchember (4-3)
197: Ethan Wiant (5-2)
HWT: Austin Chapman (6-4)

Gardner-Webb (0-2)

125: Jeffery Jacome (4-5) -OR- Tyson Lane (1-6)

133: TK Davis (5-3)

141: 25/22 Todd Carter (5-1) -OR- Ty Edwards (6-5)

149: Joseph Giordano (5-6)

157: Drew Pepin (6-4)

165: Tyler Brignola (1-6) -OR- Grant Kress (2-3)

174: Andrew Wilson (2-6) -OR- Jackson Potts (4-4)

184: Edison Flores (2-5)

197: Josh McCutchen (4-5)

HWT: Mason Blue (2-5)

Locations Intermat/Flo

Kent State (1-3)

125: Nico Callelo (9-5) -OR- Tyeler Hagensen (1-6)

133: Adan Benevidez (2-4)

141: Jordan Decatur (4-2)

157: Billy Meiszner (7-4) -OR- Nathan Roth (11-7)

157: Aaron Ferguson (2-5)

165: Carson Miller (4-4) -OR- Ethan Barr (3-8)

174: Waylon Wehler (4-6) -OR- Hunter Andel (5-8)

184: Trent Thomas (4-6) -OR- Holden Martin (5-5)

197: Blake Schaffer (2-2) -OR- Corey Boerio (1-6)

HWT: Brentan Simmerman (7-2) -OR- Josh Boggan (1-4)

 

• Rutgers won both of its games last weekend, defeating Lock Haven, 34-6, on Friday at Jersey Mike’s Arena before downing in-state rival Princeton, 32-7, on Sunday at Jadwin Gymnasium. In all, the Scarlet Knights won 16 of 20 games in their two doubleheader wins.
• RU worked an 8-2 match split over the Bald Eagles, which included ranked decisions from No. 20 Jackson Turley (174), Conner Hare (157) and Shane Cartagena-Walsh (184). no. 22 Brian Soldano battled up a weight to deliver a fall of 197 pounds, the no. 9 Yaraslau Slavikouski (HWT) added a pin and no. 19 Dean Peterson (125) and no. 24 Joseph Olivieri (141) both tech their opponents.
• Rutgers won eight of 10 games against the Tigers as Harer, Slavikouski, Soldano and Turley all earned bonus point victories.

• “My ultimate goal is to win NCAAs and that’s what I’m aiming for.” – Dylan Shawver (133)

• Rutgers remained no. 17 in this week’s NWCA Coaches Poll, joining other Big Ten programs No. 1 Penn State, no. 2 Iowa, no. 4 Nebraska, no. 5 Ohio State, no. 8 Minnesota, no. 9 Michigan, no. 11 Illinois and no. 25 Maryland in the rankings.
• Eleven Scarlet Knights appeared in the national rankings this week. Cartagena-Walsh and Harer achieved the first individual rankings of their respective careers, checking in at No. 29 and no. 33 of Intermat.
• Thanks to a three-match winning streak, Slavikouski is RUC’s highest-ranked individual, appearing as high as no. 6 (Intermat/FloWrestling/TheOpenMat) with a record of 5-1 at heavyweight. Shawver is ranked as high as no. 8 (The Open Mat) at 133 pounds, while Peterson and Poznanski are ranked as high as No. 12.

• Rutgers is 6-0 all-time against Clarion, with all meetings taking place with Goodale as head coach.
• The Scarlet Knights defeated the Golden Eagles, 29-4, on November 11, 2022 at College Ave. Gym in their last meeting. Peterson, Soldano, Turley, Andrew Clark and Anthony White all earned wins in the last meeting.
• Greg Bulsak, who was an All-American for Rutgers as a graduate transfer in 2022, was a four-time NCAA qualifier for Clarion.

• This will be the first ever meeting between the two programs.

• This will be the second ever meeting between Rutgers and Kent State. The Scarlet Knights lost to the Golden Flashes, 19-13, on February 11, 2012 at College Ave. Gym.

• Rutgers is sending its entire team to the Ken Kraft Midlands Championship, which will be held on 29-30. December in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.