The wrestling team achieved one of its best finishes in recent memory when it placed first with 131 points this weekend at the six-team Kutztown Invitational in Kutztown, Pa.
Fifteen Duke wrestlers placed among the top three in their respective weight classes, and the Blue Devils grabbed five first-place finishes.
Duke earned more first-, second-and third-place spots than any other team at the weekend tourney.
"The team is coming along as well as we expected," head coach Bill Harvey said. "We thought we could do pretty well in this tournament, and we did."
Duke clobbered its opponents, outscoring its closest competitor, host Kutztown State, by 32 points. Last year, the Blue Devils won the Kutztown tournament by a narrow margin, so they were surprised to win with such ease this season.
"I was really impressed by some of the upperclassmen," 177-pounder Dion Santo said.
"Also, the freshmen impressed me with the improvements they have made since the beginning of the season."
The Blue Devils dominated at all levels of the tournament, from lightweights to heavyweights. Chris Heckel won the 134-lb division, while Jeremy Godwin defeated teammate Matt Eckerman to win the heavyweight championship.
In the 142-lb class, Dan Covatta pummeled Kutztown State's Chris Leese 11-3 for the title. Scott Frinzi knocked off teammate Keith Pavlick for the crown at the 150-lb level, and Jesse Raia finished first in the 167-lb division.
"It was a good win," Raia said. "I'm happy with my performance. I'm doing better than I thought I would do."
Numerous other Duke grapplers reached the finals but fell in their title matches. At the 190-lb class, Drew Muzslay seemed to have opponent Chris Ray beaten when he took Ray down, but Ray reversed Muzslay and pinned him.
Also, Indra Sulijoadikusumo placed second in the 118-lb division, as did Jacob Hart in the 158-lb level and Santo at the 177-lb class.
Next week the Blue Devils will face a much stiffer challenge when they travel to the Sheridan Invitational. They will square off with non-conference powers Lehigh, Bucknell, Rutgers, Morgan State and Bloomsburg, as well as with Atlantic Coast Conference rival North Carolina State. The team will use next week's meet to gauge how far it has come.
"We were the best-conditioned team there this week, but next week will be a tougher tournament," Harvey said.
"It's going to be a real test," Santo said.
In addition to learning how well it can compete with top-notch teams nationally, Duke will find out how it rates among ACC teams. The Blue Devils will not meet another conference foe until January, so potential matches against N.C. State offer a valuable measuring stick.
"Seeing N.C. State will definitely give us a good idea of where we stand against the rest of the ACC," Harvey said.
For now, the Blue Devils can savor this weekend's victories and build upon their experience.
"It always helps to get a few wins under your belt," Harvey said.
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