Rutgers Wrestling Battles Back but Falls 21-12 in Conference Duel
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The tension inside Jersey Mike’s Arena was palpable as the final bouts approached on Friday night. After trailing by as much as 15-6, the Rutgers wrestling team mounted a furious late-match charge. And that brought the home crowd to its feet and cut the deficit to just three points. Meanwhile, the comeback ultimately fell short in a 21-12 loss to Michigan.
The Rutgers' Wrestling turned the Tide for The Spark of the Comeback
The duel’s outcome essentially hinged on the final two matchups. That left the No. 17 Scarlet Knights (6-4, 0-2) just one or two big moves away from an upset. Meanwhile, the No. 13 Wolverines (6-2, 2-0) leveraged a dominant early stretch to remain undefeated in conference play.
FINAL: No. 13 Michigan 21, No. 17 Rutgers 12
— Rutgers Wrestling (@RUWrestling) January 17, 2026
We pick up four wins against the Wolverines, including ranked victories from No. 18 Remy Cotton (197) and No. 27 Ayden Smith (125).#RelentlessPursuit | #GoRU pic.twitter.com/OBJroFIrYi
The most electric moment came at 125 pounds, where No. 27 freshman Ayden Smith faced No. 19 Diego Sotelo. With the score tied 1-1 and less than ten seconds remaining, Smith slammed Sotelo to the ground for a thunderous takedown with just three seconds left on the clock. The dramatic 3-1 victory sent Jersey Mike’s Arena into a frenzy and provided the momentum Rutgers desperately needed.
Riding that energy, No. 26 graduate student Dylan Shawver followed with a composed 4-1 decision over unranked Gauge Botero at 133 pounds. The win carried historic significance, marking Shawver’s 100th career victory and making him just the 18th wrestler in program history to reach the milestone. His result cut the deficit to 15-12 and set the stage for a dramatic finish.
At 157 pounds, No. 14 Cameron Catrabone defeated No. 33 senior Anthony White by major decision in White’s return to the lineup after missing the Penn State dual.
Rutgers found its first spark at 165 pounds, where No. 21 redshirt freshman Andrew Barbosa brought the crowd to life with a lightning-fast takedown of No. 24 Dylan Gilcher. After a quiet second period, Barbosa struck again in the third to secure Rutgers’ first dual points since its win over Drexel on December 14.
Momentum stalled again at 174 pounds, where No. 12 Beau Mantanona overcame an early takedown by No. 10 senior Lenny Pinto. He rattled off six unanswered points before pulling away for an 11-3 win.
Michigan continued to build its lead at 184 pounds, as No. 8 Brock Mantanona controlled the bout against No. 15 Shane Cartagena-Walsh. That scored three early takedowns to stay firmly in command.
Rutgers answered at 197 pounds behind the return of No. 18 sophomore Remy Cotton. After a scoreless opening period, Cotton recorded an escape in the second before sealing a 4-1 win with a takedown in the final 30 seconds against No. 20 Hayden Walters.
The Deciding Bouts Changed The Game
At heavyweight, No. 8 Taye Ghadiali used seven points in the second period to edge No. 20 Hunter Catka, 7-5. That pushed Michigan’s advantage further before Rutgers’ late surge.
With Rutgers trailing 15-12, unranked redshirt freshman Mason Gibson stepped in at 141 pounds against No. 27 Dylan Ragusin. Gibson struck early with a takedown in the opening 30 seconds and carried a 3-2 lead into the final period. Ragusin rallied late, however, handing Gibson a hard-fought 6-4 loss and extending Michigan’s lead to 18-12.
In the final bout at 149 pounds, No. 30 senior Andrew Clark faced a monumental task, needing a pin against No. 13 Lachlan McNeil to tie the dual.
Despite the result, Rutgers proved it can trade blows with the nation’s best and compete deep into duals against ranked opponents. The Scarlet Knights will stay home to close the weekend, hosting Purdue on Sunday afternoon. The dual is set for 1 p.m. at Jersey Mike’s Arena, with live coverage available on Big Ten Plus.
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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.