This year marked the second consecutive season and the third instance in five championships where three Rutgers wrestlers competed during the NCAA Championships’ Friday evening session. Peterson endured a close and competitive bout against the No. 10 seed Stevo Poulin (Northern Colorado), while Shawver lost 5-1 to No. 6 seed Connor McGonagle (Virginia Tech), and Olivieri was narrowly defeated 5-3 by No. 6 seed Vance VomBaur (Minnesota).
Overall, Rutgers had seven qualifiers — Olivieri, Peterson, Shawver, Andrew Clark (149), Jackson Turley (174), Shane Cartagena-Walsh (184), and Yaraslau Slavikouski (HWT) — collectively achieving 13 victories, including standout wins by Peterson and Shawver against top-10 seeded opponents.
In his match against Poulin, Peterson grabbed an early lead with a takedown five seconds into the contest, going up 3-1. He held a 4-2 advantage in the third period before a pivotal challenge from Poulin changed the score to 5-4 in Poulin’s favor. Despite Peterson’s efforts, which included a scramble from the bottom, he fell by a 6-4 decision. This marked Peterson’s second appearance in the Blood Round during his career, and he concluded the season with 22 wins.
Shawver confronted McGonagle in his Round of 12 match, matching him point-for-point before ultimately suffering a decision loss. Meanwhile, Olivieri briefly took a 2-1 lead with a reversal in the second period against VomBaur but could not hold it as VomBaur secured an escape and a decisive takedown in the final period.
Both Shawver and Olivieri finished the championships with three wins each. Shawver recovered after an initial loss to secure three consecutive victories, including an overtime win against No. 9 seed Braxton Brown (Maryland). Olivieri also tallied three wins, defeating competitors ranked No. 16, No. 26, and No. 31 on his journey.
Clark, Cartagena-Walsh, and Slavikouski all made their mark with wins during the competition’s early rounds. Clark achieved a notable victory over No. 14 seed Chance Lamer (Cal Poly) in his first-round matchup. Cartagena-Walsh finished his first NCAA Championship with two wins, and All-American Slavikouski closed his college career with two victories in Philadelphia. Turley, who ends his collegiate career as a 2021 All-American and the seventh four-time qualifier in program history, also leaves a notable legacy.
