Rutgers Wrestling Continues Strong Season with Home Win
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The energy inside Jersey Mike’s Arena was electric on Sunday afternoon as the No. 17 Rutgers wrestling team returned to the win column with authority. In front of 3,595 energised fans, the Scarlet Knights powered past Purdue with a convincing 24–9 victory. That improved their overall record to 7–4 overall and 1–2 in Big Ten action. Purdue left Piscataway at 8–3 overall and 1–2 in conference play.
Bonus Points Set the Tone Early for The Rutgers Wrestling Team
Rutgers claimed seven of the ten bouts and outscored the Boilermakers 62–31 in total match points. The team snapped a brief two-dual skid and reaffirmed its place as a dangerous Big Ten contender.
Sunday VICTORY over the Boilermakers!#RelentlessPursuit | #GoRU pic.twitter.com/Yq5VY7XCXD
— Rutgers Wrestling (@RUWrestling) January 18, 2026
The afternoon began at 197 pounds with No. 18 Remy Cotton facing No. 22 Ben Vanadia. Cotton dictated the pace from start to finish, scoring takedowns in every period and piling up more than two minutes of riding time. His 11–3 major decision marked his second straight win over a ranked opponent and gave Rutgers a quick 4–0 advantage.
No. 20 Hunter Catka delivered another bonus-point effort. Holding a 7–2 lead late in the third period, Catka closed strong with a last-second takedown against 2025 NCAA qualifier Hayden Filipovich to secure an 11–2 major decision. The surge continued at 125 pounds, where No. 27 Ayden Smith capitalised in a sudden victory. That countered a shot and wrapped up a 5–2 overtime win over Ashton Jackson to push the lead to 11–0.
Losses from No. 26 Dylan Shawver at 133 pounds and Mason Gibson at 141 allowed the Boilermakers to trim the deficit to 11–6 at the break.
Veterans Take Control After the Break
The second half of the dual belonged to Rutgers’ experience. At 149 pounds, No. 30 Andrew Clark put together a textbook performance against No. 21 Gavin Brown. Nursing a 1–0 lead entering the third period, Clark relied on his elite top game, riding Brown for the final two minutes to seal a 2–0 decision.
At 157 pounds, No. 33 Anthony White delivered one of the grittiest wins of the day. Locked in a tight battle with No. 22 Stoney Buell, White struck in sudden victory, coming from underneath to score the decisive takedown in a 4–1 win that energized the crowd.
Moments later, No. 21 Andrew Barbosa turned dominance into bonus points. Barbosa controlled the action at 165 pounds. He racked up takedowns in a commanding 17–6 major decision over Isaac Ruble that stretched the Rutgers lead to 21–6.
Though No. 10 Lenny Pinto dropped a narrow 5–4 decision to No. 17 Brody Baumann at 174 pounds, Rutgers never lost control of the dual. No. 15 Shane Cartagena-Walsh made sure of that at 184 pounds, grinding out a disciplined 2–1 victory over No. 26 James Rowley to officially clinch the 24–9 team win.
By the final whistle, four Scarlet Knights had defeated ranked opponents. Rutgers now turns its attention to a challenging Big Ten road swing, traveling to Northwestern on Friday, January 23, at 8:00 p.m. ET before facing No. 11 Illinois on Sunday, January 25, at 1:00 p.m. ET.
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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.