ADA, Ohio – The Washington & Jefferson men's wrestling team (6-12, 4-1) concluded the first day of the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament hosted by Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio.  Three Presidents made it through to day two of the event.
 
Vitali Daniels (Scenery Hill, Pa./Bentworth) showed why the sophomore is the No. 1 regionally ranked wrestler in the 184-pound bracket. Daniels finished the day with two main draw major decisions. In the second round, Daniels secured a 9-1 major decision against a wrestler from Greensboro. Daniels got a second major decision in the quarterfinals with an 8-0 win over the No. 8 seed regionally. The top seed will take on the No. 5 regionally ranked wrestler from Roanoke in the semifinals.
 
Juniors Brandon Dami (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) and Jaden Fields (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) both stay alive in the consolation quarterfinals of their weight classes. Dami, the No. 8 regionally ranked wrestler, picked up a pin in the second round of main draw action before falling to the second seed of the 125-pound bracket in the quarterfinals. Dami's qualification hopes stay alive by picking up a second pin against a Bearcat of his own. Dami will face the No. 7 regionally ranked wrestler from Hiram in the consolation quarterfinals.
 
Fields, the No. 7 regionally ranked wrestler, opened his campaign in the 197-pound bracket with a 15-0 tech fall just over three and a half minutes into the bout. Fields fell to the No. 13 nationally ranked wrestler from the tournament hosts in the quarterfinals. Fields picked up a 15-4 major decision against a wrestler from Otterbein to keep his qualification hopes alive in the consolation draw.
 
Senior Bryce Rodriguez-Uram (Carnegie, Pa./Carlynton) and junior John Starusko (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) both picked up wins on day one of the regional event. Rodriguez-Uram fell to an 11-4 decision in the second round of the main draw. The senior picked up a 17-2 tech fall in just over one minute before falling out in the fourth round of the consolation draw.
 
Starusko got a tough first opponent and fell out of the main draw in the second round to the No. 3 ranked wrestler in the region. The junior picked up one win in the consolation draw third round.
 
Other wrestlers who qualified for the regional tournament were senior Holden DuBois (Silver Spring, Md./Montgomery Blair), sophomore Jackson Sandor (Apollo, Pa./The Kiski School), and junior captain Jiovanni DeChicchis (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township).
 
The Presidents will push for the three National Qualifier spots on the final day of Regionals. Daniels, Fields, and Dami will return to the mats beginning at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow (Feb. 28).