The Muhlenberg men's wrestling team had a tremendous day at the Messiah Petrofes Invitational.

Of the 20 Mules who competed, 11 advanced to the second day of the tournament by earning a place in the top eight. Muhlenberg was fifth in the team scoring after the first day.

Senior Joey Lamparelli (125) and sophomores Ryan Fairchild (184) and Ben Krauss (285) went undefeated to reach the championship semifinals, while junior Brian McCaw (125), freshman CJ Horvath (125), junior Frank DiEsso (133), freshman Andrew Loniewski (141), senior Riley McHale (165), junior Aidan Weingrad (174), junior Paul Parise (197) and senior Deon Savage (197) were all alive in the consolation semifinals. 

Lamparelli, ranked fifth in Division III, rolled to two technical falls in his first two bouts before winning a close 4-2 decision against a Messiah wrestler in the quarterfinals. He is scheduled to face a Springfield opponent in the semifinals, with a potential showdown with the fourth-ranked 125-pounder in Division III looming. 

Fairchild pinned his first opponent late in the first period after taking him down in the first minute. In the quarterfinals, he came from behind after getting taken down in the first minute, breaking a 5-5 tie on a takedown with 1:22 left in the third and going on to win, 8-6. His semifinal opponent is ranked third in the Southeast Region.

Krauss won by pin and major decision to become the first Mule to reach 10 wins this season. He is slated to face a wrestler from Messiah in the semis.

Horvath and McCaw are scheduled to face each other for the second time this season in the consolation semifinals; they both advanced to the championship at the season-opening tournament at Alvernia but did not wrestle each other. Horvath's lone loss came to the 13th-ranked 125-pounder in Division III in a bout decided on a last-second takedown.

DiEsso dropped his first bout but stormed back with a first-minute pin and major decision. Loniewski also came back after losing in the first round, whipping through the consolation bracket with two technical falls, a pin and a 7-5 decision.

McHale needed a total of only 3:39 to record three pins among his four bouts, while Weingrad secured his first career tournament placing with a pin, decision and technical fall.

Parise and Savage both advanced to the second day with pins in their first consolation bouts. Savage (pictured above) was due to face a regionally ranked King's opponent who he defeated in his first bout.

Mules who fell just short of placing included freshmen Alex Greco (3-2 with two major decisions at 149) and Tyson Derenberger (2-2 with a pin and a technical fall at 174) and junior Fletcher Goodman (2-2 with a pin and major decision at 184).

Team Scores after first day
1. Messiah (Me) 117
2. Alvernia (Alv) 94
3. Averett (Av) 92.5
4. Springfield (Spr) 90
5. MUHLENBERG (Muhl) 86
6. Gettysburg (Ge) 64
7. Mount Union (Mt) 60.5
8. King's (K) 54
9. Shenandoah (She) 49
10. Southern Virginia (SV) 42
11. Greensboro (Gr) 40
12. Thaddeus Stevens (TS) 25
13. Bridgewater State (B) 20.5

Muhlenberg results
125
Joey Lamparelli (Muhl) tech fall Jeremiah Nichols (TS), 5:28 (18-1)
Lamparelli tech fall Adam DiStasio (B), 1:20 (16-0)
Lamparelli dec. Tyler Ratledge (Me), 4-2

125
Brian McCaw (Muhl) tech fall Ethan Staples (Alv), 5:24 (17-2)
McCaw dec. Alexander Logsdon (Av), 11-8 (sv)
Mason Barrett (Av) maj. dec. McCaw, 12-3
McCaw by medical forfeit

125
CJ Horvath (Muhl) dec. Keito Shaw (Alv), 4-3
Isiac Paulino (Spr) dec. Horvath, 8-5
Horvath pinned Alexander Logsdon (Av), 1:37

133
Nolan Frye (Mt) dec. Frank DiEsso (Muhl), 5-3
DiEsso pinned Jesse Lemon (Av), 0:40
DiEsso maj. dec. Caiden Heller (Me), 15-3

141
Josh Wilson (Gr) tech fall Andrew Loniewski (Muhl), 5:47 (20-3)
Loniewski tech fall Jackson Higgins (Av), 3:46 (17-0)
Loniewski tech fall Porter Kinne (SV), 6:03 (18-1)
Loniewski pinned Mason Casey (Me), 4:02 
Loniewski dec. Luke Temple (Spr), 7-5

141
Christopher Dalmau (Muhl) dec. Mason McCarty (Mt), 9-2
Mauricio Reyes (Av) pinned Dalmau, 4:28
Mason Casey (Me) pinned Dalmau, 1:53

141
Asa Brunk (Me) pinned Jace Yannucciello (Muhl), 2:00
Yannucciello dec. Jonathan Clarke (B), 4-3
Weston Hirschi (SV) pinned Yannucciello, 0:19

149
Elijah Blackwell (SV) dec. Alex Greco (Muhl), 9-5
Greco maj. dec. Alex Driggs (Av), 12-3
Greco maj. dec. Kevin Sevigny (Spr), 16-6
Greco over E. Mendez (Muhl) by injury default, 3:00
Quinn Tobin (Alv) pinned Greco, 0:24

149
Evan Mendez (Muhl) pinned Ryan Findlay (TS), 5:35
Aiden Swann (Alv) pinned Mendez, 3:29
Mendez pinned Ryan Donovan (B), 4:19
A. Greco (Muhl) over Mendez by injury default, 3:00

165
Riley McHale (Muhl) pinned Andrew Kozubal (Me), 1:20
McHale pinned Levi Dehart (Av), 0:17
Chance Babb (Alv) tech fall McHale, 3:59 (19-0)
McHale pinned Nicholas Menjivar (Gr), 2:02

165
Blake Kaminski (Mt) over Nick Stump (Muhl) by injury default, 7:00

174
Aidan Weingrad (Muhl) pinned Ricardo Diego (SV), 1:35
Weingrad dec. Nick Costello (K), 5-2
Dylan Weaver (Sh) tech fall Weingrad, 2:41 (15-0)
Weingrad tech fall T. Derenberger (Muhl), 4:05 (16-1)

174
Tyson Hoopes (Mt) pinned Tyson Derenberger (Muhl), 4:53
Derenberger pinned C. Boldt (Muhl), 1:44
Derenberger tech fall Caleb Zimmerman (Mt), 5:20 (18-3)
A. Weingrad (Muhl) tech fall Derenberger, 4:05 (16-1)

174
Landen Sword (Mt) pinned Collin Boldt (Muhl), 1:01
T. Derenberger (Muhl) pinned Boldt, 1:44

184
Ryan Fairchild (Muhl) pinned Omori Lee (Gr), 2:48
Fairchild dec. Casey Allen (Spr), 8-6

184
Nolan Gerwitz (Av) tech fall Fletcher Goodman (Muhl), 5:11 (18-3)
Goodman pinned Landon Gingo (Mt), 4:41
Goodman maj. dec. James Doliscar (Ge), 11-1
Casey Allen (Spr) maj. dec. Goodman, 12-0

184
Mike LaRosa (Muhl) pinned Christian Curley (B), 2:17
Hunter Thompson (Sh) maj. dec. LaRosa, 17-4
Nathan Kovalchik (Me) dec. LaRosa, 12-9 

197
Paul Parise (Muhl) dec. Loyal Holm (SV), 7-4
Jamar Christian (Av) maj. dec. Parise, 19-5
Parise pinned Daniel Schweitzer (Alv), 2:37

197
Deon Savage (Muhl) dec. Rich Fronheiser (K), 10-8
Khalil Belk (Gr) dec. Savage, 6-5
Savage pinned Jacob Hachtman (K), 4:32

285
Ben Krauss (Muhl) pinned Joseph Boyle (Spr), 3:40
Krauss maj. dec. Brian Czaus (Alv), 11-1