Williamsport, Pa. – Defending tournament champion Ithaca opened competition at Lycoming’s Budd Whitehill National Duals with a loss to Springfield. The 24th-ranked Bombers and the 16th-ranked Pride are two of the 11 nationally ranked teams at the 20-team event.

Ithaca will face Case Western Reserve in a consolation match at 2 p.m. Friday.

The Bombers rallied from a 17-0 deficit, taking an 18-17 lead when junior Nick Calandrino (Emerson/Emerson, N.J.) posted a 4-3 win at 197 pounds. Springfield clinched the match with a major decision at heavyweight. Both of Ithaca’s nationally ranked wrestlers posted wins – fourth-ranked Matthias Keib (G. Ray Bodley/Fulton) was a winner by major decision at 174 pounds and fifth-ranked Robert Stubbs (Levittown/MacArthur) won by technical fall at 184.

Ithaca’s other winners were senior Jad Duca (South Brunswick/Monmouth Junction, N.J.) at 157 pounds and senior Brian Lockard (Upper Dublin/Dresher, Pa.) at 165 pounds. Duca's win was the 75th of his career, tying him for 20th on Ithaca's career list.

# 16 Springfield 21, #24 ITHACA 18
125: Derek McNerny (S) dec. Macario Alvarez (Grapevine/Grapevine, Texas), 10-3
133: Peter Marques (S) major dec. Tim Gammons (Natick/Natick, Mass.), 10-2
141: #3 Michael Gaeita (S) won by forfeit
149: Mark DiCiccio (S) major dec. Scott Aronowitz (Clarkstown North/New City), 11-0
157: Jad Duca (I) dec. Erik Delehanty, 8-1
165: Brian Lockard (I) dec. Bill Koch, 4-3
174: #4 Matthias Keib (I) major dec. Greg Dussol, 10-2
184: #5 Robert Stubbs (I) TF Andre Lee, 17-1
197: Nick Calandrino (I) dec. Jason Leckey, 4-3
HWT: Phil McGeough (S) major dec. Jake Mender (Glens Falls/Warrensburg), 11-2