LHU Men’s Wrestling wins 2025 MAC Championship; Noto, Henson and Hoffman earn individual titles
TRENTON, N.J. (Saturday, March 8) – The final day featured a two-team race to be named the 2025 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Champion and the Lock Haven men’s wrestling team prevailed to bring home its third team title in four seasons. Anthony Noto, Wyatt Henson and Gavin Hoffman brought home individual titles and a total of four wrestlers punched their tickets to the 2025 NCAA DI National Championships in Philadelphia (Wells Fargo Center) on Thursday-Saturday, March 20-22.
The Bald Eagles won their third team title in four years, dating back to the 2022 season. Lock Haven entered Championship Saturday trailing Central Michigan 98-85 in team points, but had a monster final day that featured three individual champions, four national qualifiers and podium finishes at eight of 10 weights.
Lock Haven dominated the afternoon and was the only school to score over 120 points as they finished with 121.5 team points. Central Michigan (113) finished second and Edinboro took third (97.5).
No. 1 seeds Noto (133) and Henson (141) and No. 2 seed Hoffman (285) soared to individual championships at their respective weight classes with a combined 11-0 record. Avery Bassett will join the trio of champions at the NCAA DI Wrestling Championships after punching his ticket to Philadelphia with a third-place finish at 174 pounds.
The top seed at 133 pounds, Noto soared to his fourth straight MAC individual title with a perfect 3-0 record, including one tech fall and one major decision. Noto became the Bald Eagles’ first four-time MAC Champion after defeating No. 2 seed Sean Spidle (Central Michigan), 5-1, in the 133 championship. Noto is also the 10th ever four-time MAC Champion.
Earning his second straight MAC Championship at 141 pounds, Henson went 4-0 on the weekend with three tech falls, including a convincing 23-3 (7:00) tech in the championship bout over the No. 2 seed from Central Michigan Andrew Austin.
Hoffman, ranked second at heavy weight, went 4-0 in the tournament and 2-0 on Saturday to claim the 285 title. Hoffman upset the No. 1 seed Jordan Greer (Ohio) with an 8-3 decision in the title match.
Tucker Hogan capped the quartet of Bald Eagle finalists at 197 pounds, where he went 2-0 to earn a spot in the title match, but fell in a narrow 7-4 decision to No. 3 seed Brock Zurawski (Rider).
Bassett fought his way through the consolation bracket and went 3-0 on Saturday, which he capped off by defeating the No. 6 seed Michael Wilson (Rider) with a 10-4 decision to earn third place and secure a spot at Nationals.
At 165, Caden Dobbins earned an important third-place finish, which proved crucial to the Bald Eagles’ team title. Dobbins, the No. 7 seed at 165, went 3-0 to kick off Saturday to secure third and earned a chance at a true-second match, which he fell narrowly in a 2-0 decision to Central Michigan’s Chandler Amaker.
Bassett and Dobbins finished with a team-high five individual victories in the tournament.
Collin Fegley earned a fourth-place finish at 184 with a pair of consolation wins on Saturday, including an exciting sudden death victory over No. 4 seed Marcus Petite (Buffalo).
Lucas Kapusta earned a spot on the podium with a sixth-place finish at 149.
The Road Ahead:
The 2025 NCAA Division I National Championships are set for March 20-22 in Philadelphia, Oklahoma. The NCAA will release additional at-large NCAA tournament qualifiers on Tuesday, March 11.
Lock Haven Results:
125: Branden Wentzel
First Round vs. #6 seed Ben Monn (George Mason), L, dec., 1-0
Consolation Round 2 vs. #5 seed Chris Vargo (Edinboro), L fall (2:52)
0-2
133: #1 seed (No. 16 nationally) Anthony Noto
First Round vs. BYE
Quarterfinals vs. TJ England (Ohio), W, tech fall 21-6 (3:14)
Semifinals vs. #4 seed Colton Camacho (Edinboro), W, major dec. 12-1
Finals vs. #2 seed Sean Spidle (Central Michigan), W, dec. 5-1
3-0, Champion
141: #1 seed (No. 17 nationally) Wyatt Henson
First Round vs. Anthony Lucinsky (Buffalo), W, tech fall, 17-1 (3:28)
Quarterfinals vs. #8 seed Dominic Hargrove (George Mason), W, tech fall 18-2 (5:17)
Semifinals vs. #4 seed Danny Martinez (SIUE), W, major dec. 13-2
Finals vs. #2 seed Andrew Austin (Central Michigan), W, tech fall 23-3 (7:00)
4-0, Champion
149: #5 seed Lucas Kapusta
First Round vs. Connor Saylor (Cleveland State), W, fall (4:54)
Quarterfinals vs. #4 seed Billy Meiszner (Kent State) W, fall (5:32)
Semifinals vs. #1 Sammy Alvarez (Rider), L, fall (2:39)
Consolation Semifinals vs. #3 seed Kaden Cassidy (George Mason), L, dec. 9-4
5th Place Match vs. #6 seed Derek Raike (Ohio), L, dec. 4-1
2-3, 6th Place
157: #4 seed Nick Stampoulos
First Round vs. John Altieri (Clarion), W, tech fall, 18-2 (4:05)
Quarterfinals vs. #5 seed Landen Johnson (Northern Illinois), L, dec. 10-6
Consolation Round 2 vs. Ryan Burgos (Edinboro), L, fall (1:22)
1-2
165: #7 seed Caden Dobbins
First Round vs. Brett Smith (Northern Illinois), W, dec. 6-2
Quarterfinals vs. #2 seed Evan Maag (George Mason), L, dec. 7-4
Consolation Round 2 vs. Bradley Gillum (SIUE), W, dec. 5-2
Consolation Quarterfinals vs. #3 seed Tate Geiser (Cleveland State), W, dec. 1-0
Consolation Semifinals vs. Maxwell Kirby (Edinboro), W, dec. 1-0
Consolation Finals vs. Hunter Shaut (Buffalo), W, SV 6-3
5-2, 3rd Place
174: #3 seed (No. 30 nationally) Avery Bassett
First Round vs. Luke Odom (SIU Edwardsville), W, fall (1:48)
Quarterfinals vs. #1 seed Michael Wilson, L, dec. 12-11
Consolation Round 2 vs. Hunter Andel (Kent State), W, tech fall 15-0
Consolation Quarterfinals vs. Ronald Dimmerling (Cleveland State), W, major dec. 11-1
Consolation Semifinals vs. #5 seed Logan Messer (George Mason), W, SV, 8-5
Consolation Finals vs. #6 seed Michael Wilson (Rider), W, dec. 10-4
5-1, 3rd Place
184: #2 seed (No. 24 nationally) Colin Fegley
First Round vs. Kolby Flank (Bloomsburg), W, tech fall, 16-1 (5:40)
Quarterfinals vs. #7 seed Jared McGill (Edinboro), L, dec. 6-2
Consolation Round 2 vs. Holden Martin (Kent State), W, tech fall 17-2
Consolation Quarterfinals vs. Adrian Gacek (Clarion), W, dec. 6-2
Consolation Semifinal vs. #4 seed Marcus Petite (Buffalo), W, SV 4-1
Consolation Final vs. #3 seed Malachi DuVall (George Mason), L fall (4:12)
4-2, 4th Place
197: #1 seed (No. 29 nationally) Tucker Hogan
First Round vs. BYE
Quarterfinals vs. #8 seed Joey Lyons (Cleveland State), W, dec, 4-2
Semifinals vs. #5 seed Blake Schaffer (Kent State), W, major dec. 9-1
Finals vs. #3 seed Brock Zurawski (Rider), L, dec. 7-4
2-1, 2nd Place
285: #2 seed (No. 17 nationally) Gavin Hoffman
First Round vs. Tyler McCatharn (Bloomsburg), W, fall (4:35)
Quarterfinals vs. #7 seed Brentan Simmerman (Kent State), W, dec. 9-2
Semifinals vs. #2 seed Daniel Bucknavich (Cleveland State), W, dec. 3-2
Finals vs. #1 seed Jordan Greer (Ohio), W, dec. 8-3
4-0, Champion
The MAC Championships is one of seven NCAA qualifying tournaments across the country. The Mid-American Conference was awarded 23 total NCAA championship qualifying spots stretched across the 10 weight classes: 125 (1), 133 (3), 141 (1), 149 (3), 157 (3), 165 (2), 174 (3), 184 (3), 197 (1) and 285 (3).
