Wrestling | 2/28/2026 5:51:00 PM

ITHACA, N.Y. – Junior Paul Lichter secured an automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships with a second-place finish at 157 pounds in the Mideast Regional Championships at Ithaca College. 

Lichter joins Alex Samson as the second St. John Fisher wrestler to qualify for nationals since the recommencement of the program in 2022-23. This year's NCAA DIII Wrestling Tournament will be held March 13-14 at the Alliant Energy Power House in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

Lichter punched his ticket to nationals with a 4-1 victory over SUNY Cortland's Colton Havens in Saturday's semifinal round. He lost to Ryan Smith by major decision in the 157-pound championship bout. 

On Friday, Lichter had to win three matches to seal his trip to the semifinals. He earned bonus points for the Cardinals with all three of those wins, beating Centenary's Colin Neale 10-0 by major decision, Pitt-Bradford's Ray Worsen 21-4 by technical fall and SUNY Oswego's Steven Ventricilli 12-0 by major decision.

Fisher had six other wrestlers place in the tournament to earn All-Region II honors, including Carl Santariello (8th place, 125 pounds), Derek Bernardino (7th place, 133 pounds), Trevor Bishop (6th place, 149 pounds), Trevor Sheehan (6th place, 165 pounds), Dylan Devine (6th place, 174 pounds) and Braydon Vandenberg (7th place, 197 pounds). Bishop began Saturday in the 149-pound semifinal after winning both of his matches Friday. 

The Cardinals claimed seventh place as a team with 85.5 team points, their best finish in the regional tournament. Their seven total placers also mark a program record. 

Final Match-By-Match Results (All Rounds)

Carl Santariello (125, 8th place)

Evan Whiteside (Penn State Behrend) def. Santariello by fall

Santariello def. Muhamadu (Hunter) 15-5 by major decision 

Santariello def. Mason Drew (Alfred State) by forfeit 

Gus Smith (Wilkes) def. Santariello 9-4 by decision 

Seventh-place match: Charles Piccione (Stevens) def. Santariello by fall

Derek Bernardino (133, 7th place)

Botensky Bauzile (Hunter) def. Bernardino by fall

Bernardino def. Tanner Pringle (Keystone) by fall in 14 seconds

Bernardino def Ben Burkhardt (Oswego) by fall in 2:13

Rocco Futia (Cortland) def. Bernardino 16-5 by major decision 

Seventh-place match: Bernardino def. Bontensky Bauzile (Hunter) 8-0 by major decision 

Luke Yorke (141)

Yorke def. Jaden Friel (SUNY Brockport 4-0 by default 

Nate Diaz (Stevens) def. Yorke 19-4 by technical fall 

Richard Morales (Alfred State) def. Yorke 11-9 by decision 

Trevor Bishop (149, 6th place)

Bishop def. Mason Mangialino (SUNY Brockport) 8-1 by decision 

Bishop def. Avery Leonard (Oneonta) 8-5 by decision in sudden victory

Semifinals: Cole Handlovic (Stevens) def. Bishop 11-4 by decision 

Consolation semifinals: Rudy Brown (Penn-State Behrend) def. Bishop 10-6 by decision 

Fifth-place match: Ryan Santiago def. Bishop by fall in 4:37

Paul Lichter (157, 2nd place)

Lichter def. Colin Neal (Centenary) 10-0 by major decision 

Lichter def. Ray Worsen (Pitt-Bradford) 21-4 by technical fall

Lichter def. Steven Ventricelli (Oswego) 12-0 by major decision 

Semifinals: Lichter def. Colton Havens (Cortland) 4-1 by decision 

Championship: Ryan Smith (Stevens) def. Lichter 10-1 by major decision 

Trevor Sheehan (165, 6th place)

Sheehan def. Zahier Chiles (New Jersey City University) 9-7 by decision 

Sheehan def. Brandon DellaPia (Alfred State) 9-3 by decision 

Kaiden Wagner (Lycoming) def. Sheehan by fall 

Sheehan def. Max Morrison (Brockport) by default 

Sheehan def. Donavan Smith (Elmira) 5-4 by decision 

Consolation semifinals: Tyler Roe (Stevens) def. Sheehan by fall in 2:52

Fifth-place match: Hunter Cleaver (Centenary) def. Sheehan by fall in 4:47

Dylan Devine (174, 6th place)

Devine def. George Travinsky (Keane) 19-3 by technical fall 

Jack Lamson (RIT) def. Devine 5-4 by decision 

Devine def. Dennis Slovick (Pitt-Bradford) 12-4 by major decision 

Devine def. Ayden DeForest (Oneonta) 9-6 by decision 

Consolation semifinals: Ian Flanagan (Stevens) def. Devine 11-5 by decision 

Fifth-place match: Reece Smith (Centenary) def. Devine 5-4 by decision 

Charlie Rossner (184)

Rossner def. Mariano Monacelli (Keystone) by fall in 3:31

Nicholas Smith (RIT) def. Rossner by major decision

Koran Hinton (Keane) def. Rossner by medical forfeit

Braydon Vandenberg (197, 7th place)

Elon Martin (RIT) def. Vandenberg 12-4 by major decision

Vandenberg def. Simeon Hunte (New Jersey City University) by fall in 6:35

Vandenberg def. Alimkhan Guseinov (Hunt) 9-3 by decision 

Vandenberg def. Angelo Piazza (Centenary) 14-3 by major decision 

Ivan Neal (Lycoming) def. Vandenberg 9-4 by decision

Seventh-place match: Vandenberg def. Simon Lingle 9-0 by major decision 

Nathan Coon (285)

Mike Welch (Brockport) def. Coon 17-2 by technical fall

Trevor Gitski def. Coon 8-3 by decision 

Up Next

Lichter will prepare for the 2026 NCAA DIII Wrestling Championships.