New York has become the place to be for wrestling fans in November. Jointly, the Journeymen/Asics Sprawl & Brawl Duals and Northeast Duals kick off the college wrestling season with the first collision of ranked teams and individuals in dual meet competition.

Binghamton, the reigning Colonial Athletic Association champions, will host nine schools on November 21 with four rounds of wrestling action.

Headlining the Sprawl & Brawl Duals will be sixth-ranked Penn State and 23rd-ranked Rutgers. The two squared off last year in a down-to-the-wire finish and as the two tangle again this year, it should provide wrestling fans some great excitement to end the afternoon.

Among the field of individuals are 18 nationally-ranked wrestlers, including Binghamton’s four-ranked 157-pounder and returning All-American Justin Lister. Penn State brings a pair of third-ranked wrestlers in the form of All-Americans Frank Molinaro (149) and Quentin Wright (184).

The host Bearcats enter the season with four wrestlers nationally ranked. In addition to Lister, 141-pounder Anwar Goeres, 149-pounder Donnie Vinson and 184-pounder Nate Schiedel are situated in wrestling's national rankings.

Rutgers brings a strong team back to Binghamton. Head coach Scott Goodale has been aggressive in recruiting and bringing a sense of pride to New Jersey about Scarlet Knights wrestling. 

Five nationally-ranked Scarlet Knights will invade Binghamton, including sophomore Scott Winston, ranked seventh at 165 pounds. Rutgers heavyweight D.J. Russo is one of the most dangerous pinners in the country and enters the event ranked sixth in the country. Transfer Mario Mason will man the spot at 149 pounds. The former Blair Academy star was the 12-seed at last year’s NCAA Division I Championships while wrestling for Minnesota. 

Making a return to the mats after two injury-prone seasons will be West Virginia All-American Brandon Rader. The Parkersburg, W.Va., native moves up to 149 pounds this season and was granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA. The return of Rader to the lineup bolsters Craig Turnbull’s Mountaineer squad. 

When looking around the mats in Binghamton, fans should pay close attention to the 149-pound weight class, which features six wrestlers ranked in the Top 15. 

Here’s a cheat sheet for wrestling fans to follow with the Sprawl & Brawl Duals. 

Team Rankings by NWCA/USA Today Division I Coaches Poll
Individual Rankings by InterMat

Ranked Duals
Round 4: #6 Penn State vs. #23 Rutgers

Ranked Individual Matches
Round 2
West Virginia vs. Rutgers
149: #8 Brandon Rader (West Virginia) vs. #14 Mario Mason (Rutgers)
Penn State vs. Harvard
149: #3 Frank Molinaro (Penn State) vs. #12 Corey Jantzen (Harvard)

Round 3
Harvard vs. Michigan State
149: #12 Corey Jantzen (Harvard) vs. #15 David Cheza (Michigan State)
Penn State vs. West Virginia
149: #3 Frank Molinaro (Penn State) vs. #8 Brandon Rader (West Virginia)

Round 4
Binghamton vs. Michigan State
149: #13 Donnie Vinson (Binghamton) vs. #15 David Cheza (Michigan State)
Penn State vs. Rutgers
149: #3 Frank Molinaro (Penn State) vs. #14 Mario Mason (Rutgers)
157: #6 David Taylor (Penn State) vs. #13 Daryl Cocozzo (Rutgers)
174: #13 Ed Ruth (Penn State) vs. #19 Alex Caruso (Rutgers)
285: #6 D.J. Russo (Rutgers) vs. #9 Cameron Wade (Penn State)

All-Americans
Frank Molinaro, 149 (Penn State)
Brandon Rader, 149 (West Virginia)
Justin Lister, 157 (Binghamton)
Quentin Wright, 184 (Penn State)