Conner Harer and Nate Blanchette earned top finishes for the No. 13 Rutgers wrestling team at the Patriot Open held in Fairfax, Virginia, on Sunday. Harer, competing unattached in the 157-pound weight class, secured a runner-up finish after three straight victories. His run included a win in second tiebreakers over Kal Miller of Maryland, a three-time NCAA qualifier. Harer was defeated by No. 17 DJ McGee from George Mason with an 8-6 decision in the final.
Blanchette competed attached at 174 pounds and finished fifth after winning three matches on the consolation side of the bracket. He recorded two pins during the tournament and improved his season total to three pins. Blanchette’s fifth-place match ended with an 8-4 decision over Elliott Humphries from PRTC.
Other notable performances for Rutgers included Mason Gibson (141), who won three matches while competing attached, including both a major decision and a technical fall. Brandan Chletsos (141), wrestling unattached, also picked up three wins.
The Scarlet Knights are scheduled to host No. 19 Oklahoma on Saturday, December 13 at Jersey Mike’s Arena, followed by Drexel on Sunday, December 14. The dual meet against Oklahoma will be broadcast nationally on Big Ten Network.
