Morales, Gomes Advance to Day Two of Northeast Regionals

GORHAM, Maine -- A pair of Bridgewater State University grapplers advanced to day two of the 2023 NCAA Division III Northeast Regional Wrestling Championships on Saturday at the Costello Sports Complex on the campus of the University of Southern Maine.

Senior Edwin Morales (Philadelphia, Pa.) went 2-0 out of the 184-pound weight class to advance to Sunday's semifinal round. Seeded third in the 184 bracket, Morales pinned Aris Dashiell of Wesleyan University to open the meet and followed that up with a 3-1 decision over #6 Sampson Wilkins of Castleton University. He will take on #7 William Smith of Williams College in the semifinals.

Morales, who is looking to qualify for the NCAA Division III Championships for the third straight season, improved to 16-1 on the season and 65-11 in a Bears' uniform. He tied BSU Hall of Famer Brett Murray (1995-1999) for ninth place on the Bears' all-time list for wins by fall with his 24th career pin.

Senior 133-pounder Wilson Gomes (Fogo, Cape Verde) also went 2-0 on the day to advance to the semifinal round. Gomes, the #4 seed in the bracket, edged Austin Monteiro of Western New England University, 7-5, in his opening bout. He then pinned Shailen Savur of Wesleyan University in the quarterfinals. Gomes will take on #8 Adam Schaeublub of Trinity College in Sunday's semifinal match.

Gomes improved his record to 30-6 on the season with 18 pins. He moved into third place on the Bears' all-time list for wins by fall with his 41st career pin. Gomes also tied Brian Bartlett (2000-2004) for 11th place on the Bears' all-time wins list with his 82nd career victory.

Bridgewater State is currently in 16th place in the teams standings with 23 points.

Second day action continues Sunday morning at 11:00 AM. Eight wrestlers remain in each weight class, four in the winner's bracket and four in the consolation bracket. With the top three in each weight class headed to the Nationals in two weeks in Roanoke, Virginia, several paths exist for qualification. For those in the winner's bracket, a win in the semifinal match will punch their ticket while a loss will require two wins later in the day to qualify. The four starting in the consolation bracket will need to win three bouts Sunday to secure a spot in Roanoke.