WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The No. 19 ranked Ithaca College men's wrestling team is one of 16 teams competing in the two-day 36th Annual Budd Whitehill National Duals hosted by Lycoming College. The tournament features four groups of four competing in a round robin on Friday, with the winners of the groups being reseeded into a championship bracket on Saturday, January 11.
 
In its first matchup, Ithaca easily defeated the Milwaukee School of Engineering by a score of 37-6. The Bombers then earned a 33-11 win over Messiah University, setting up a highly anticipated showdown with another nationally ranked power, No. 20 Ohio Northern University. Ithaca punched its ticket to the championship rounds on Saturday by defeating ONU, 30-15.
 
Next up, the Bombers will take on No. 5 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire at 9 a.m.
 
#19 ITHACA COLLEGE 37, MILWAUKEE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING 6
125 LBS: Tomah Gummow (Ithaca) over Jesse Johnson (MSOE) Dec 14-9
133 LBS: Isaias Torres (Ithaca) over Liam Anderson (MSOE) Dec 12-6
141 LBS: Will Bentrim (Ithaca) over Max Sanderfoot (MSOE) Fall 1:30
149 LBS: Wenchard Pierre-Louis (Ithaca) over Connor Nagela (MSOE) Maj 10-2
157 LBS: Brian Bienus (Ithaca) over Michael Smith (MSOE) Dec 8-4
165 LBS: Toren Vandenbush (MSOE) over Max Casiano (Ithaca) Fall 1:37
174 LBS: Jackson Gray (Ithaca) over Jackson Hughes (MSOE) Dec 9-6
184 LBS: Xavier Pommells (Ithaca) over Gavin Graham (MSOE) Fall 2:53
197 LBS: Ryan Galka (Ithaca) over Jake Schmitt (MSOE) Dec 4-1
285 LBS: Charlie Turner (Ithaca) over Unknown (Unattached) Forfeit

The Bombers opened the 2025 Budd Whitehill National Duals against Milwaukee School of Engineering, remaining undefeated on the season with a 37-6 win, moving their record to 6-0. Ithaca scored two straight decision victories with Tomah Gummow (14-9) and Isaias Torres (12-6) coming out on top. Will Bentrim scored a pin over Max Sanderfoot in 1:30, and at 184 lbs., Xavier Pommells earned the fall over Gavin Graham in 2:53.
 
Wenchard Pierre-Louis scored four additional team points for the Bombers with his major decision over MSOE's Connor Nagela at 10-2. Also earning victories for Ithaca were Ryan Galka, who defeated Jake Schmitt via a 4-1 decision, and Jackson Gray, who went back and forth with Jackson Hughes before defeating him 9-6. Charlie Turner also picked up a forfeit win in the 285 lbs. weight class.
 
#19 ITHACA COLLEGE 33, MESSIAH UNIVERSITY 11
125 LBS: Tomah Gummow (Ithaca) over Austin Jeffrey (Messiah) Fall 0:36
133 LBS: Isaias Torres (Ithaca) over Caiden Heller (Messiah) TF 17-2
141 LBS: Matt Haycook (Ithaca) over Asa Brunk (Messiah) Dec 10-7
149 LBS: Wenchard Pierre-Louis (Ithaca) over Levi Snyder (Messiah) Maj 14-1
157 LBS: Noah Rice (Messiah) over Brian Bienus (Ithaca) Dec 2-0
165 LBS: Keegan Demarest (Messiah) over Akio Sanders (Ithaca) TF 18-3
174 LBS: Jackson Gray (Ithaca) over Austin Brass (Messiah) Dec 5-1
184 LBS: Ryder Slayton (Messiah) over Xavier Pommells (Ithaca) Dec 2-0
197 LBS: Ryan Galka (Ithaca) over Micah Kunkle (Messiah) Fall 5:28
285 LBS: Charlie Turner (Ithaca) over Micah Martinez (Messiah) Fall 5:25
 
The Bombers took on Messiah for the second time this season and earned another decisive team victory. Ithaca got off to an explosive start, with Tomah Gummow pinning Austin Jeffrey in just 36 seconds. Next, Isaias Torres showed off his prowess on the mat, defeating Caiden Heller by a 17-2 tech fall. Matt Haycook then saw a 10-7 decision go his way, displaying a couple of good takedowns within the bout, and Wenchard Pierre-Louis earned a 14-1 major decision over Levi Snyder.
 
Jackson Gray earned his second win of the afternoon, defeating the Falcons' Austin Brass in a 5-1 decision. It was a tight battle between Xavier Pommells and Messiah's Ryder Slayton, with just two total points scored as Pommells came out on the losing end. However, the dual was capped off on a high note with Ryan Galka earning a pin over Micah Kunkle in 5:28, followed by Charlie Turner earning his fall three seconds faster over Micah Martinez at 5:25.
 
#19 ITHACA COLLEGE 30, #20 OHIO NORTHERN UNIVERSITY 15
125 LBS: Tomah Gummow (Ithaca) over Colin Mellott (Ohio Northern) TF 17-2
133 LBS: Isaias Torres (Ithaca) over Chase Vanderhorst (Ohio Northern) Inj 0:51
141 LBS: Jacob Reed (Ohio Northern) over Will Bentrim (Ithaca) TF 18-3
149 LBS: Wenchard Pierre-Louis (Ithaca) over Cael Vanderhorst (Ohio Northern) TF 17-1
157 LBS: Brian Bienus (Ithaca) over Jayden Jones (Ohio Northern) Dec 6-3
165 LBS: Teagan Hendricks (Ohio Northern) over Akio Sanders (Ithaca) Maj 16-2
174 LBS: Jackson Gray (Ithaca) over Adam Myers (Ohio Northern) Maj 15-4
184 LBS: Xavier Pommells (Ithaca) over Ajay Locke (Ohio Northern) Maj 19-7
197 LBS: Ryan Galka (Ithaca) over Gavin Layman (Ohio Northern) Dec 6-2
285 LBS: Myles Johnson (Ohio Northern) over Charlie Turner (Ithaca) Fall 2:59
 
In a matchup between two nationally ranked institutions, the Bombers got off to a great start, winning the opening two bouts at 125 lbs. and 133 lbs. Tomah Gummow scored back-to-back takedowns and easily defeated Colin Mellott in a 17-2 technical fall, while Isaias Torres defeated his opponent in 51 seconds after he was unable to continue following an injury. Wenchard Pierre-Louis also scored a convincing win for Ithaca, essentially scoring at will on the way to a 17-1 technical fall over Cael Vanderhorst. It was a tight back-and-forth affair between Brian Bienus and Jayden Jones, with Bienus having the last laugh as he defeated the Ohio Northern opponent by a 6-3 decision.

The final three wins for IC came at 174 lbs., 184 lbs., and 197 lbs., with both Jackson Gray and Xavier Pommells scoring major decision wins. Ryan Galka pushed the Bombers' team total to 30 points with his 6-2 decision over Gavin Layman.