Patrick McGraw Sets Career Wins Record as JCU Finishes 7th at Citrus Invite

12/30/2023 6:26:00 PM | By: Joe Ginley '16, SID

Patrick McGraw now holds the program's record for career wins.

FORT LAUDERDALE – History has been made for the second time in as many years.

Andrew Perelka broke the program's all-time record for career wins a season ago, but his time on the throne was short-lived. His teammate has now stolen the record away.

Patrick McGraw is now the program's winningest wrestler after capturing the crown at the Citrus Invitational in Florida, while JCU finished in seventh place.

McGraw was John Carroll's lone champion, as the veteran roared for a 5-0 record en route to the title at 157 pounds. Following the weekend's action, McGraw stands alone atop the career leaderboard with 127 wins.

The Chardon native opened things up with a pair of tech fall victories, 19-4 and 15-0. His closest match of the tournament occurred next, as McGraw edged Ethan Wendell (UNC Pembroke) by a 6-5 decision. The success continued in the semifinal, as McGraw tallied a 13-4 major decision over Nate Camiscioli (Castleton).

In the title bout, McGraw notched a 12-6 decision over Keegan Roberson (UNC Pembroke). This is McGraw's first Citrus title, as he finished second in 2019, third in 2021, and fourth in 2022.

Jesse Kanatzar finished fourth for the day as JCU's other top-four finisher. The Tallmadge native opened at 184 pounds with dominant wins, an 18-2 TF and a fall in 4:53. The junior kept on rolling with a quarterfinal win, besting Jose Zambrano (UNC Pembroke) with a 13-6 major decision. Kanatzar lost his semifinal, 5-1, to drop to the consolation bracket. He fought into the fourth-place match with a 7-3 decision win over Christophe Dickey (UNC Pembroke). But Kanatzar's day ended with a 7-1 loss to Christophe Dickey (UNC Pembroke).

Steven Shellenberger and Ryan Forrest tallied seventh-place finishes for JCU, while Wills Bronson nabbed eighth.

Shellenberger opened with two conquests at 184, an 11-0 major decision over Ethan Fragoso (Ferrum) and then a 5-1 decision over Gabriel Hayes (Liberty). The JCU freshman lost next in the quarterfinal to the eventual champ, Sampson Wilkins (Castleton). After a very narrow 2-1 tiebreaker loss to open consis, Shellenberger got a 3-2 decision win in the seventh-place match.

Forrest started with a 14-4 major decision over Sampson Wilkins (Castleton) and then kept the train rolling with a great pin of Tyler Ramirez (Ferrum). Forrest got dropped to the consis with a loss to Roberson (who lost to McGraw in the 157 final), where he opened with a 14-7 decision. A loss dropped him into the seventh-place match, which Forrest won by medical forfeit.

Bronson experienced a similar journey at 174. The freshman conquered his opening foe, Corbin Maraia (Castleton), with a pin at 2:52. A 16-3 TF win over Liam Leckie (Southeastern) pushed the Memphis native into the quarterfinal, which he lost, but quickly rebounded with a pin in 2:19 in his first consolation match. But a 9-6 decision sent him to the seventh-place match, which he lost narrowly, 7-2.

Following the pre-New Year action, JCU will return on January 6, facing St. Thomas University, also in Florida.

Print Friendly Version

Related Videos

Related Stories

Sponsors