Middletown, CT --- Tanner Thatcher (Blairstown, NJ) won a pair of matches Saturday to highlight WPI's performance on the opening day of the 2025 NCAA Division III Northeast Region Wrestling Championships at Wesleyan.  The senior 125-pounder advances to Sunday's semifinals beginning at 11am back at Wesleyan.

After day one, the Engineers sit in 14th place with 21.5 points.  Johnson & Wales (99.5) holds a slight two-point edge over Castleton in the 18-team event while Coast Guard is third with 81.5 points.
 
Thatcher, seeded fourth, started his tournament with a first period pin against an opponent from Bridgewater State at 2:39.  In his quarterfinal bout, the 125-pounder delivered a 14-2 major decision versus a Springfield grappler.  Thatcher will meet top seed and defending national champion Joziah Fry of Johnson & Wales in the semifinal.  A victory in the semis secures a trip to the national in two weeks while a defeat would force the loser to win twice in the consolation bracket to secure the third and final spot at the national in Providence in mid-March.
 
Five others from WPI claimed victories on Saturday.  Seventh seeded Joseph Tully (Carver, MA) won his first-round match with a first period fall at 2:46 at 174 pounds while Charlie Pavis (Bethlehem, PA) posted a 16-0 tech fall at 2:31 at 133 in the consolation first round.  Second round consolation winners for the Crimson and Gray included Mason Basara (Bethleham, PA), who registered a 9-2 win at 149, seventh-seeded Nicolas LeSieur (Walnut Creek, CA), who recorded a pin at 39 seconds in his match at 197 and Joseph Bernard (Stratham, NH), a winner by fall at 2:06 at heavyweight.
 
Others competing on Saturday for WPI included Mason Medina (Orlando, FL) at 141 pounds, Joey Baisley (Charlotte, NC) at 157, 165-pounder Theo Sawyers (Boston, MA) and  Ryan Hsu (Norwood, MA) at 184.

Results