Hoosiers Open Season with Team Title, Three Individual Champions at The Citadel

Sunday, November 5

Charleston, S.C.

All Day

Indiana University

Battle at The Citadel

Hoosiers Open Season with Team Title, Three Individual Champions at The Citadel

11/5/2023 6:09:00 PM | Wrestling

Results (PDF)

CHARLESTON, S.C. ––– Indiana Wrestling opened its 2023-24 campaign at The Battle at The Citadel tournament on Sunday in McAlister Fieldhouse.

The Hoosiers took first place in the tournament with 118.5 points and three individual champions winning their weight class' bracket, along with seven total Indiana wrestlers placing.

Indiana's Dan Fongaro (141), No. 6 Graham Rooks (149) and Gabe Sollars (197) each won the bracket for their weight class. Tyler Lillard (165) took second place while No. 22 Cayden Rooks (133), Nico Bolivar (157) and Roman Rogotzke (184) each finished in third.

Indiana entered 16 total wrestlers in the tournament, and they faced opponents from The Citadel, American, Appalachian State, Drexel and George Mason.

KEY MOMENTS
• Rogotzke worked his way through wrestlebacks to finish in third place. Rogotzke dropped his first match of the tournament and then won four matches in a row to take third.
• Graham Rooks looked the part of his No. 6 national ranking, winning his three matches en route to his title and only allowing a combined six points in his bouts.
• Anthony Bahl and Aidan Torres each won their first match in their collegiate debuts as true freshmen. Bahl won by major decision over The Citadel's Jeffrey Boyd by major decision, 16-6. Torres defeated Gage Owen from American by major decision, 13-4.
• Sollars won his first two matches of the tournament by fall.

NOTABLES
• The team title was Indiana's first team win at a tournament since winning the Maryville Open last season (Nov. 5, 2022).
• All four of Sollars' wins were by fall or major decision.
• Rogotzke and Fongaro made their Indiana debuts after transferring to Bloomingon this offseason.
• Every wrestler who entered the tournament for Indiana at least won one match and advanced past the Round of 16.

UP NEXT
• Indiana Wrestling will be back in action for on Friday, Nov. 10 for the team's first dual action of the season. The Hoosiers will host Rider with a 6 p.m. start in the historic Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

TEAM RESULTS

Indiana (118.5)
Drexel (114.5)
The Citadel (96.5)
George Mason (95.5)
American (73)
Appalachian State (65.5)

FULL INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Blaine Frazier – 125 lbs.

R16: Blaine Frazier (IU) def. JB Dragovich (George Mason): Fall (2:56)
R8: Chad Bellis (App State) def. Blaine Frazier (IU): MD, 16-6
Cons. R2: Malik Hardy (Citadel) def. Blaine Frazier (IU): MF, 7-3 (5:00)

Cayden Rooks – 133 lbs.

R16: No. 22 Cayden Rooks (IU) advanced on bye.
R8: No. 22 Cayden Rooks (IU) def. Shawn Nonaka (George Mason): Dec. 14-7
Semi: Maximilian Leete (American) def. No. 22 Cayden Rooks (IU): Fall (1:35)
Cons. Semi: No. 22 Cayden Rooks (IU) def. John Hildebrandt (Drexel): Fall (0:43)
3^rd Place: No. 22 Cayden Rooks (IU) def. George Rosas (Citadel): MD, 11-0

Cayden Rooks finished in third place of the 133 Bracket

Isaac Thornton – 133 lbs.

R16: Isaac Thornton (IU) def. Cael McIntyre (American): Dec. 1-0
R8: No. 31 Brandon Wittenberg (George Mason) def. Isaac Thornton (IU): MD, 11-3
Cons. R2: John Hildebrandt (Drexel) def. Isaac Thornton (IU): Dec. 17-12

Dan Fongaro – 141 lbs.

R16: Dan Fongaro (IU) advanced on bye.
R8: Dan Fongaro (IU) def. Isaac Byers (App State): Fall (2:56)
Semi: Dan Fongaro (IU) def. Kaden Keiser (App State): Dec. 4-2
Final: Dan Fongaro (IU) def. Jordan Soriano (Drexel): Dec. 9-6

Dan Fongaro finished in first place of the 141 Bracket

Anthony Bahl – 149 lbs.

R16: Anthony Bahl (IU) def. Jeffrey Boyd (Citadel): MD, 16-6
R8: Jeramiah Price (App State) def. Anthony Bahl (IU): MD, 13-4
Cons. R2: Carson DeRosier (Citadel) def. Anthony Bahl (IU): Dec. 8-4

Aidan Torres – 149 lbs.

R16: Aidan Torres (IU) def. Gage Owen (American): MD, 13-4
R8: Dominic Findora (Drexel) def. Aidan Torres (IU): Dec. 9-3
Cons. R2: Jeffrey Boyd (The Citadel) def. Aidan Torres (IU): Dec. 6-4

Graham Rooks – 149 lbs.

R16: No. 6 Graham Rooks (IU) advanced on bye.
R8: No. 6 Graham Rooks (IU) def. Hayden Watson (Citadel): MD, 15-3
Semi: No. 6 Graham Rooks (IU) def. Dominic Findora (Drexel): Dec. 4-1
Final: No. 6 Graham Rooks (IU) def. Kaden Cassidy (George Mason): Dec. 7-2

Graham Rooks finished in first place of the 149 Bracket

Nico Bolivar – 157 lbs.

R16: Nico Bolivar (IU) advanced on bye.
R8: Nico Bolivar (IU) def. Thomas Snipes (The Citadel): Dec. 5-2
Semi: DJ McGee (George Mason) def. Nico Bolivar (IU): SV-1, 4-1
Cons. Semi: Nico Bolivar (IU) def. Tyler Williams (Drexel): Dec. 7-2
3^rd: Nico Bolivar def. Thomas Snipes (The Citadel): Dec. 4-1

Nico Bolivar finished in third place of the 157 Bracket

Zack Rotkvich – 157 lbs.

R16: Zack Rotkvich (IU) advanced on bye.
R8: Loranzo Rajaonarivelo (George Mason) def. Zack Rotkvich (IU): Dec. 4-2
Cons. R2: Zack Rotkvich (IU) def. Aboubakare Diaby (Drexel): Dec. 7-2
Cons. R4: Tyler Williams (Drexel) def. Zack Rotkvich (IU): Forfeit

Tyler Lillard – 165 lbs.

R16: Tyler Lillard (IU) def. Alex Hopper (App State): TF, 21-5 (6:34)
R8: Tyler Lillard (IU) def. Jayden Dobeck (App State): TF, 19-1 (7:00)
Semi: Tyler Lillard (IU) def. Drake Acklin (App State): Dec. 4-1
Final: Cody Walsh (Drexel) def. Tyler Lillard (IU): Dec. 7-5

Tyler Lillard finished in second place of the 165 Bracket

Robert Major – 165 lbs.

R16: Robert Major (IU) def. Oren Bost (App State): Dec. 10-6
R8: Cody Walsh (Drexel) def. Robert Major (IU): MD, 9-1
Cons. R2: Evan Maag (George Mason) def. Robert Major (IU): TF, 16-0 (5:24)

Nick South – 165 lbs.

R16: Nick South (IU) def. Evan Maag (George Mason): Dec. 7-5
R8: Drake Acklin (App State) def. Nick South (IU): Dec. 9-6
Cons. R2: Oren Bost (App State) def. Nick South (IU): Dec. 4-2

Magnus Kuokkanen – 174 lbs.

R16: Magnus Kuokkanen (IU) advanced on bye.
R8: Jack Janda (Drexel) def. Magnus Kuokkanen (IU): MD, 9-1
Cons. R2: George Rhodes (Drexel) def. Magnus Kuokkanen (IU): Dec. 8-3

Roman Rogotzke – 184 lbs.

R16: Roman Rogotzke (IU) advanced on bye.
R8: Hunter Adams (App State) def. Roman Rogotzke (IU): SV-1, 6-3
Cons. R2: Roman Rogotzke (IU) def. Malachi DuVall (George Mason): Fall (4:40)
Cons. R4: Roman Rogotzke (IU) def. Joe Zovistoski (App State): Fall (4:39)
Cons. Semi: Roman Rogotzke (IU) def. Dalton Battle (App State): Fall (1:28)
3^rd: Roman Rogotzke (IU) def. Justin Griffith (Drexel): MD, 13-1

Roman Rogotzke finished in third place of the 184 Bracket

Gabe Sollars – 197 lbs.

R16: Gabe Sollars (IU) def. Mason Ayers (The Citadel): Fall (0:53)
R8: Gabe Sollars (IU) def. Gunnar Pool (App State): Fall (4:22)
Semi: Gabe Sollars (IU) def. Ibrahim Ameer (Drexel): MD, 13-1
Final: Gabe Sollars (IU) def. Tyler Kocak (George Mason): MD, 12-2

Gabe Sollars finished in first place of the 197 Bracket

Nick Willham – 285 lbs.

R16: No. 31 Nick Willham (IU) def. Emmanuel Ulrich (American): Dec. 2-1
R8: No. 31 Nick Willham (IU) def. Santino Morina (Drexel): SV-1, 4-1
Semi: Chad Nix (George Mason) def. No.31 Nick Willham (IU): Medical Forfeit (1:15)
Cons. Semi: Emmanuel Ulrich (American) def. No. 31 Nick Willham (IU): Medical Forfeit