Rider Live Video | Drexel Live Video
DURHAM, N.C.—Coming off of a commanding win over VMI, the Duke University wrestling team looks to continue its winning ways with a trip north to Rider and Drexel Feb. 1. The Blue Devils face the Broncs at 1 p.m. and travel to Drexel for a 7 p.m. dual.
Duke improved to 5-8 overall in duals this season with a 38-9 win over visiting VMI Wednesday night. Six of the Blue Devils' eight losses have come against top 25 foes this season.
Both Rider and Drexel will be relatively new opponents for the Blue Devils. Duke last faced a Drexel squad in 2000 and is 0-3 all-time against the Dragons. The Rider dual will be a first for the two programs. Both matches will be streamed live with Rider match being free to Blue Devil Network+ subscribers and the Drexel dual being free for all viewers.
Rider enters the match with a 10-5 overall record and most recently suffered a narrow 17-16 loss to Boson University. The Blue Devils and Broncs share one common opponent in Virginia Tech as both program suffered defeats at the hand of the Hokies.
Following the dual with Rider, Duke will make the trip to Philadelphia to take on Drexel. The Dragons are 4-13 overall and coming off a 20-19 setback to Army. Both Duke and Drexel share a win over VMI and losses to Indiana and Eastern Michigan.
The Blue Devils feature three wrestlers with double digit wins as redshirt junior Immanuel Kerr-Brown and redshirt sophomores Conner Hartmann and Trey Adamson head into the weekend looking to add to their totals.
Kerr-Brown, wrestling at 157 pounds, is tops on the squad with a 17-7 overall mark and 10-3 record in duals. The Rome, Ga., native is on a three-match win streak and has won four of his past five bouts, including posting consecutive major decisions.
Both Hartmann and Adamson own 13 wins apiece at 197 and 174 pounds, respectively. Adamson is 5-2 in non-conference duals this season and leads the Blue Devils with seven major decisions, while Hartmann is 7-3 in non-conference bouts after his pin against VMI Wednesday.
Overall, the Duke lineup is a young group featuring five true or redshirt freshmen and just one senior. Freshman Jacob Kasper leads all freshmen with a 10-10 record at 184 pounds, while 149-pounders Connor Bass and Jake Faust have traded places in the starting lineups with 3-5 and 3-1 dual records, respectively.
Rider's 125-pounder Robert Deutsch is ranked 15th nationally and headlines the Broncs lineup with a 21-4 overall record and 15-1 mark in duals. Curt Delia is also ranked, coming in at 20th at 149 pounds with a 15-9 mark.
Drexel is led by Brandon Palik at 197 pounds. Ranked 14th, the senior is 13-4 overall and on a two-match win streak. Palik will be the seventh ranked wrestler Hartmann has faced this season and the second highest overall.
Duke's busy schedule continues at home Wednesday, Feb. 5 against Gardner-Webb at 7 p.m. The Blue Devils resume ACC action Feb. 8 at Maryland.
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