Spartans Set for B1G/EIWA Battle in 2022 Garden State Grapple

NEWARK, N.J. – Michigan State wrestling prepares to take part in one of the premier dual events of the 2022-23 campaign, as the Spartans head to the Garden State Grapple to challenge the Binghamton Bearcats and Princeton Tigers inside Prudential Center on Sunday, Dec. 4.

MSU takes the mat against Binghamton at 2 p.m., with the dual against Princeton set for a 4 p.m. first whistle from the home of the National Hockey League's New Jersey Devils.

HEAD COACH ROGER CHANDLER SAID…
"I am very much looking forward to getting our guys back to competition this Sunday. There is no doubt that we are going to be challenged and pushed by both Binghamton and Princeton. Both of our opponents at the Garden State Grapple will wrestle hard and compete until the very end, which is what I'm most looking forward to. This is another opportunity for our guys to continue to build their season and put a better version of themselves on the mat. We talk a lot about being better than the last time you stepped on the mat and consistently putting our best foot forward competitively. Our staff, and our wrestlers are extremely excited for the opportunity to wrestle at a premier event and venue like Prudential Center."

GARDEN STATE OF MIND
Michigan State wrestling joins an eight-team field for the 2022 edition of the Garden State Grapple, hosted at the Prudential Center on Sunday, Dec. 4. The event will feature Rutgers, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Indiana from the Big Ten Conference facing off against Binghamton, Drexel, Penn, and Princeton from the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association.

The Garden State Grapple will feature 45 previous NCAA Tournament qualifiers. Headlining that group are 13 previous All-Americans including a program record for Wisconsin who will return their most All-Americans to start a season with five. Rutgers returns three previous All-Americans, John Poznanski (2021), Jackson Turley (2021), and Sammy Alvarez (2020). Princeton is led by two 2022 National Championship runnerups, including Patrick Glory, who is a three-time All-American, and Quincy Monday, who is a two-time All-American. Binghamton, Michigan State, and Penn each have one previous All-American.

ANCHORS AWAY
Following its second shutout of the season in a 33-0 rout of the American University Eagles the night before, MSU took home a pair of individual titles at the 44th annual Navy Classic, with junior Tristan Lujan picking up the title at 125 and redshirt senior Layne Malczewski earning the undefeated crown at 184. Multiple Spartan starters took the mat in Annapolis on Saturday, with 157-pound sophomore Chase Saldate and 165-pound junior Caleb Fish each booking top-three finishes in their respective weight classes.

The Green & White saw a pair of individual athletes earn podium marks in the 149-pound category, with junior Peyton Omania and freshman Braden Stauffenberg both tying for sixth-place in the weight class. At 141, redshirt junior Jordan Hamdan earned an eighth-place result, while freshman Ceasar Garza took sixth at 174. Graduate Ryan Vasbinder rounded out the nine Michigan State athletes that earned tournament placements, logging a fourth-place finish at 285.

FIRST LOOK: BINGHAMTON & PRINCETON
Binghamton enters the 2022 Garden State Grapple with a 1-3 overall record through this point in the season, dropping its first three duals of the year before recording a solid 22-9 win over the Buffalo Bulls on the road on Sunday, Nov. 27. The Bearcats dropped their season opener by a 22-16 margin against Northern Colorado before falling in back-to-back ranked duals against No. 18 North Dakota State (18-13) and No. 11 Minnesota (19-15). Individually, Binghamton is led on the mat by seventh-ranked 197-pounder Lou DePrez, who boasts a 4-0 record on the season, all in dual meet action. Michigan State boasts an impressive 3-0 overall record against Binghamton in an all-time series which dates to the 2009-10 campaign.

Princeton enters the weekend's dual event in their home state of New Jersey with an 0-1 record following a loss to Big Ten challenger Indiana on the road in their only dual action of the 2022-23 season to date. The Tigers opened the season at home with the Princeton Open, hosting a competitive field inside Jadwin Gymnasium. Though no team scores were reported, the Tigers took home a trio of individual championships with Patrick Glory (125), Kole Mulhauser (174) and Matt Cover (285) reaching the top of the podium at their respective weight classes. Princeton is led by a pair of individuals ranked in the top-two of their respective weight classes, with second-ranked 125-pounder Patrick Glory and top-ranked 157-pounder Quincy Monday leading the lineup. Princeton owns a 1-0 record against MSU all-time.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
Both of Michigan State's duals at the 2022 Garden State Grapple will be streamed live to a worldwide audience via B1G+. Click here and sign in with credentials to follow along live with both duals. As always, fans are encouraged to follow the Spartans on Twitter @MSU_Wrestling for score updates throughout each dual. Any Spartan fans in the greater Newark-New York metropolitan area are encouraged to click here to purchase tickets for one of the nation's premier wrestling events. Michigan State is slated to wrestle on mat four, with recommended seating for Spartan fans in sections 5, 6, 7, 20 and 21.

FOLLOW THE SPARTANS
Visit MSUSpartans.com for more information on Michigan State wrestling. Fans can keep up to date with the Spartan wrestling team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter by following @MSU_Wrestling.

Spartans Set for B1G/EIWA Battle in 2022 Garden State Grapple

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Players Mentioned

Caleb Fish

Ceasar Garza

Jordan Hamdan

Tristan Lujan

Layne Malczewski

Peyton Omania

Chase Saldate

Braden Stauffenberg

Ryan Vasbinder