Upcoming Event: Wrestling at Gardner-Webb on December 3, 2025 at 6 p.m.
/
6 p.m.
Wrestling
at Gardner-Webb
Sunday, November 21
West Lafayette, Ind.
9 A.M.
Duke University
vs
Bellarmine
Photo by: Andy McLean
Blue Devils Open Duals Season at Boilermaker Duals
11/20/2021 11:54:00 AM | Wrestling
DURHAM – The Duke wrestling program is set to compete in a full season of dual matches for the first time since 2019-20, traveling to West Lafayette, Ind., for the Boilermaker Duals on Sunday.
The Blue Devils will compete in a non-conference dual for the first time since February 9, 2020, opening the slate against Bellarmine at 9 a.m., Northern Illinois at 11 a.m., and No. 20 Purdue at 1 p.m. The dual against Purdue will be broadcast on Big Ten Network Plus.
LAST TIME OUT
Redshirt senior No. 7 Matt Finesilver won his second straight title this fall, taking the top-spot in the 174-pound bracket at the Mountaineer Invitational, in Boone, N.C.
Finesilver opened the day with a 6-2 decision over Indiana's Nick South and would advance to the final behind a medical forfeit. For the second straight time, Finesilver didn't drop a point in a final, controlling his bout with Kent State's Michael Ferre, winning a 6-0 decision.
Junior Jonah Niesenbaum was the other Blue Devil wrestler to reach a final, improving to 6-2 on the young season. Niesenbaum won a major decision over Gardner-Webb's Peyton McComas and took down Indiana's Jacob Bullock to reach 10 collegiate victories, before ultimately falling to the No. 4 wrestler in the nation in the 285-pound final.
No. 13 Josh Finesilver made his presence known at 149 pounds, earning the first ranked win by a Blue Devil this season. Finesilver took down 30th-ranked Graham Rooks in a 5-3 decision to secure third place in his bracket.
Redshirt sophomore Brandon LaRue (165 pounds) also added a third-place finish in the 165-open event, while junior Wade Unger (157 pounds) placed fourth.
OPPONENT HISTORY
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The Blue Devils will compete in a non-conference dual for the first time since February 9, 2020, opening the slate against Bellarmine at 9 a.m., Northern Illinois at 11 a.m., and No. 20 Purdue at 1 p.m. The dual against Purdue will be broadcast on Big Ten Network Plus.
LAST TIME OUT
Redshirt senior No. 7 Matt Finesilver won his second straight title this fall, taking the top-spot in the 174-pound bracket at the Mountaineer Invitational, in Boone, N.C.
Finesilver opened the day with a 6-2 decision over Indiana's Nick South and would advance to the final behind a medical forfeit. For the second straight time, Finesilver didn't drop a point in a final, controlling his bout with Kent State's Michael Ferre, winning a 6-0 decision.
Junior Jonah Niesenbaum was the other Blue Devil wrestler to reach a final, improving to 6-2 on the young season. Niesenbaum won a major decision over Gardner-Webb's Peyton McComas and took down Indiana's Jacob Bullock to reach 10 collegiate victories, before ultimately falling to the No. 4 wrestler in the nation in the 285-pound final.
No. 13 Josh Finesilver made his presence known at 149 pounds, earning the first ranked win by a Blue Devil this season. Finesilver took down 30th-ranked Graham Rooks in a 5-3 decision to secure third place in his bracket.
Redshirt sophomore Brandon LaRue (165 pounds) also added a third-place finish in the 165-open event, while junior Wade Unger (157 pounds) placed fourth.
OPPONENT HISTORY
- The Blue Devils will meet Bellarmine for the first time in program history. The Knights reclassified to Division I in 2020.
- Duke and Northern Illinois will meet for the second time in program history. The Huskies took the lone meeting on Jan. 4, 2003, in Columbus, Ohio.
- The Blue Devils will face off against the Boilermakers for the fourth time, with Duke trailing 1-2 in the all-time series. The Blue Devils won the most recent meeting, 28-18, in West Lafayette on Feb. 21, 2016.
- Both Finesilver brothers carry national rankings via InterMat, with Matt checking in at No. 7 in the nation at 174 pounds and Josh at No. 13 in the 149-pound weight class.
- Matt Finesilver has started his season 7-0, with back-to-back titles at the Battle at The Citadel and Mountaineer Invitational. Finesilver will see his first dual action since Feb. 22, 2019.
- Both Finesilver brothers are closing in on their 60th collegiate victories. Josh needs three more wins, while Matt needs four more. Redshirt senior Kaden Russell is one win away from his 30th collegiate victory.
- Head Coach Glen Lanham and Assistant Coach Tom Erikson make their return to Purdue, where they each spent time as Assistant Coaches. Lanham spent three seasons as an assistant coach from 2008-10, while Erikson spent 13 years (1999-2012) as an assistant coach.
- The Blue Devils begin a seven-game road dual swing, covering two states and Washington, D.C., before the home opener on Dec. 19.
| Duke Probable Lineup | Â | Â | Â | Â |
| Weight | Rank | Name | Year | Record |
| 125 | -- | Logan Agin | Sophomore | 4-2 |
| 133 | -- | Drake Doolittle | R-Sophomore | 0-4 |
| 141 | -- | Patrick Rowland | R-Sophomore | 3-4 |
| 149 | 13 | Josh Finesilver | R-Senior | 6-1 |
| 157 | -- | Wade Unger | Junior | 4-4 |
| 165 | -- | Bryson Neace | Junior | 1-4 |
| Â | -- | Brandon LaRue | R-Sophomore | 4-3 |
| 174 | 7 | Matt Finesilver | R-Senior | 7-0 |
| Â | -- | Conor Becker | Sophomore | 1-2 |
| 184 | -- | Vincent Baker | Junior | 4-3 |
| 197 | -- | Kaden Russell | R-Senior | 4-3 |
| 285 | -- | Jonah Niesenbaum | Junior | 6-2 |
| Bellarmine Probable Lineup | Â | Â | Â | Â |
| Weight | Rank | Name | Year | Record |
| 125 | -- | Jack Parker | Freshman | 1-4 |
| Â | -- | Brandon Lucas | Senior | 0-0 |
| 133 | -- | Max Dansereau | Junior | 1-4 |
| 141 | -- | Logan Hoskins | Sophomore | 0-5 |
| 149 | -- | Mitch Collica | Junior | 1-3 |
| Â | -- | Chase Yost | Sophomore | 0-1 |
| 157 | -- | Cole Nance | Freshman | 3-2 |
| Â | -- | Alex Rivera | Junior | 0-1 |
| 165 | -- | Devan Hendricks | Junior | 2-2 |
| 174 | -- | Eric Beck | Senior | 3-2 |
| 184 | -- | Sam Woolf | Senior | 0-0 |
| Â | -- | Sam Schroeder | Sophomore | 1-4 |
| 197/285 | -- | Bryant Wilkinson | Freshman | 0-4 |
| Â | -- | Charlie Cadell | Senior | 0-5 |
| NIU Probable Lineup | Â | Â | Â | Â |
| Weight | Rank | Name | Year | Record |
| 125 | -- | Bryce West | R-Senior | 2-2 |
| 133 | -- | Mikey Kaminski | Sophomore | 1-2 |
| 141 | -- | Javion Jones | Junior | 2-3 |
| Â | -- | Nathan Young | Sophomore | 1-2 |
| 149 | -- | Anthony Cheloni | Senior | 3-3 |
| 157 | -- | Anthony Gibson | R-Junior | 4-2 |
| Â | -- | Alec Rees | Junior | 0-2 |
| 165 | 18 | Izzak Olejnik | R-Senior | 4-1 |
| 174 | 28 | Mason Kauffman | R-Senior | 3-2 |
| 184 | 8 | Brit Wilson | R-Senior | 4-0 |
| 197 | -- | Tristan Guaman | Senior | 1-3 |
| 285 | -- | Terrese Aaron | R-Junior | 0-3 |
| Purdue Probable Lineup | Â | Â | Â | Â |
| Weight | Rank | Name | Year | Record |
| 125 | 11 | Devin Schroder | R-Senior | 3-0 |
| Â | -- | Nate Cummings | R-Junior | 0-0 |
| 133 | 26 | Matt Ramos | R-Freshman | 3-0 |
| 141 | 16 | Parker Filius | R-Senior | 3-0 |
| Â | -- | Michael Leveille | R-Sophomore | 0-0 |
| 149 | -- | Trey Kruse | R-Sophomore | 1-1 |
| Â | -- | Ethan Smiley | R-Junior | 0-0 |
| 157 | 11 | Kendall Coleman | R-Junior | 1-1 |
| Â | -- | Brennan Doyle | Junior | 1-2 |
| 165 | -- | Emil Soehnlen | R-Sophomore | 1-2 |
| Â | -- | Hayden Lohrey | R-Sophomore | 0-1 |
| 174 | 20 | Gerrit Nijenhuis | Sophomore | 2-1 |
| 184 | 23 | Max Lyon | R-Senior | 2-1 |
| Â | -- | Mitch Hutmacher | Sophomore | 2-2 |
| Â | -- | Macartney Parkinson | Sophomore | 0-1 |
| 197 | 14 | Thomas Penola | R-Junior | 3-0 |
| 285 | -- | Michael Woulfe | R-Senior | 3-0 |
| Â | -- | Tristan Ruhlman | Freshman | 4-0 |
To stay up to date with Blue Devils wrestling, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWRES".
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#GoDuke
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Players Mentioned
125
/ Wrestling
197
/ Wrestling
184
/ Wrestling
133
/ Wrestling
149
/ Wrestling
174
/ Wrestling
157
/ Wrestling
157
/ Wrestling
HWT
/ Wrestling
141
/ Wrestling
197
/ Wrestling
157
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