BRIDGEWATER, Massachusetts - The American International College wrestling team closed out the 2024-25 regular season with a performance for the ages, sweeping the Bridgewater Quad by downing Trinity College 32-21, Bridgewater State University 27-17, and Rhode Island College 25-18 on Friday, February 14.

Click here to view the individual dual and bout results.

The Yellow Jackets found themselves down 21-0 early to the Bantams, but Tommy Nichols pulled his team off the mat with an impressive 19-6 major decision against Andrew Pratt. Teghan McConnell and Markys Lissaint closed the gap further, pinning Alexander Hurly at 4:52 and Austin Edwards at 2:45 respectively, and then Jack MacKiernan and Darby McLaughlin won by technical fall against Nicholas Crotty 19-3 and Booker Lester Jr. 18-2 respectively.

That set up a final bout with AIC ahead 26-21; Trinity could win the dual with a pin, and natural heavyweight Emre Sensoy faced off against Tommy Caracciolo, a 184-pound wrestler. The odds were stacked against the graduate student, but he pulled off a stunning last-second move to flip Sensoy and pin him at 4:48, winning the bout and with it the dual for AIC.

With the energy from the first win, AIC faced off against the hosts at Bridgewater State. Joseph Aldrich started AIC's scoring with a 17-4 major decision against Christopher Dube, and Cqari Bacote scored a 15-8 decision against James Calabrese. Nichols pinned Jack Janes at 1:35, and McConnell teched Nathan Quinones at 5:26, 20-4. MacKiernan pinned James Grover at 3:38 to seal another AIC win, and McLaughlin put it out of reach with a 10-3 decision agianst Christian Curley.

Looking for the sweep, Aaron Morocho gutted out a 22-7 technical fall, using the riding time point for the bonus team point. Bacote shut down Michael Pestana and won a 6-1 decision, with Nichols following with another pin, taking down Cooper Lavigne at 2:00. Lissaint then won the tightest battle of the night, a 3-2 decision against Aidan Faria. 

AIC had the victory in sight, and the big men made it happen. MacKiernan scored a 5-1 decision over Anthony Fernandez, and McLaughlin tossed Christian Sewell around for a 17-2 technical fall, needing just 2:45 to secure the victory for the Yellow Jackets.

With the sweep, AIC has plenty of momentum to carry into the NCAA Division II Super Regionals, which begin Sunday, March 2.