No. 14 Rutgers Wrestling Defeats Princeton 28-9, Wins Fifth Straight in Rivalry
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In a display of grit and tactical precision, the No. 14 Rutgers Scarlet Knights wrestling team continued its reign over the Garden State on Monday night. The team competed in front of a spirited crowd of 3,820 fans at Jersey Mike’s Arena. The Scarlet Knights dispatched in-state rival Princeton Tigers with a commanding 28-9 victory.
Rutgers Wrestling Extends Garden State Dominance
The win marks Rutgers’ fifth consecutive victory over the Tigers. They also solidify a period of near-total dominance. Now, the Scarlet Knights have claimed 29 of the last 30 meetings against Princeton dating back to 1993.
The B1G-IVY Trophy Stays Home!#RelentlessPursuit | #GoRU pic.twitter.com/CzVlsEgjNK
— Rutgers Wrestling (@RUWrestling) February 17, 2026
Rutgers worked a 7-3 match split in the dual and retained the B1G-IVY Trophy. More importantly, this victory provides a powerful exclamation point to a successful week. Rutgers secured a winning Big Ten record for the second year in a row.
Rutgers (13-5) entered the week with significant momentum after a decisive 29-9 victory over Michigan State Spartans wrestling in East Lansing. That win elevated the program to a 5-3 Big Ten dual record, placing them fifth in the current conference standings.
Under the leadership of head coach Scott Goodale, this marks the program's fifth winning conference record since joining the Big Ten in 2014. It is a testament to the sustained growth of Rutgers wrestling on the national stage.
Monday’s duel was more than just a box score. Because it was a celebration of the program's foundation. Before the matches began, Rutgers honored ten seniors for their contributions. The names include Hunter Catka, Andrew Clark, Joseph Olivieri, Anthony White, Patrick Adams, Brandan Chletsos, Eric Freeman, Sebastiano Nini, Lenny Pinto, and Dylan Shawver.
Princeton won the toss and elected to start at 174 pounds. Pinto jumped out to an early lead with a first-period takedown. However, the bout went to sudden victory, where Holden Garcia secured an 8-5 overtime win to give Princeton a 3-0 advantage.
The duel shifted dramatically as Rutgers responded with three consecutive bonus-point victories. No. 20 Shane Cartagena-Walsh at 184 delivered a 21-8 major decision. Then comes no. 16 Remy Cotton at 197, followed by a 19-4 technical fall over Conor McCloskey, powered by six takedowns.
No. 19 Hunter Catka at heavyweight added a 21-5 technical fall over Sebastian Garibaldi, racking up five takedowns in just three minutes. Suddenly, the energy inside Jersey Mike’s Arena changed completely. That run gave Rutgers a commanding 14-3 lead through four bouts.
A 5-1 loss from No. 24 Ayden Smith at 125 to No. 12 Marc-Anthony McGowen cut the lead to 14-6 at intermission. Princeton then narrowed the gap to 14-9 after Dylan Shawver dropped his bout to Ethan Rivera.
Closing Strong With a Four Straight to Finish
Rutgers won the final four matches to close out the dual in emphatic fashion. No. 6 Joseph Olivieri at 141 ignited the run with a dominant technical fall over Matthew Martino. He sealed it with a four-point tilt late in the second period. The crowd felt it. The momentum was permanent.
Andrew Clark, ranked No. 29 at 149, delivered one of the biggest moments of the night. Facing No. 10 Eligh Rivera, Clark secured an escape in the second period before grinding out a two-minute rideout in the third to claim a gritty 2-1 victory.
At 157, No. 26 Anthony White controlled his match against Rocco Camillaci from start to finish. That made him earn a 7-0 decision that effectively put the dual out of reach. No. 19 Andrew Barbosa at 165 closed the evening against No. 17 Ty Whalen. Barbosa used a first-period takedown and steady mat control to earn a 4-3 decision, sealing the 28-9 final.
The Michigan State dual earlier in the week served as a blueprint. Rutgers won eight of ten bouts, highlighted by Andrew Clark’s second-period pin of Clayton Jones, Andrew Barbosa’s 19-4 technical fall over Jack Conley, and Lenny Pinto’s 10-2 major decision over Connor O’Neill.
Even a minor team-point deduction during Shawver’s bout due to a clock malfunction could not slow the Scarlet Knights in that 29-9 victory. Put it all together, and the message is clear. Rutgers wrestling is not just competitive. It is confident, deep, and battle-tested.
With the B1G-IVY Trophy secured, Rutgers now turns its attention to the regular-season finale. The Scarlet Knights will travel to Hempstead, New York, to face Hofstra Pride wrestling on Wednesday, February 18. The dual is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. and will stream on FloWrestling.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.