Stanford wrestling dominates Cal Poly in lopsided win

No. 16 Stanford wrestling (5-6, 2-2 ACC) delivered a statement performance on Friday at Burnham Pavillion, outscoring former Pac-12 foe Cal Poly (3-4, 1-1 Pac-12) 43–3 and winning nine of 10 bouts in the lopsided duel.

The decisive victory followed a split road trip last weekend where the Cardinal fell 22-14 to No. 8 Virginia Tech before posting a strong 31-9 win over Virginia. Cal Poly, coming off a 24-12 loss at No. 25 Oregon State on the road, struggled to keep pace with Stanford’s depth and bonus-point scoring, as the Cardinal posted its most dominant duel score since 2023.

No. 33 redshirt sophomore Abraham Wojkiewicz got Stanford rolling at 184 pounds, controlling Ryan Clink from the outset in a 14-2 major decision to give the Cardinal an early 4-0 lead. 

At 197 pounds, No. 12 freshman Angelo Posada kept the momentum surging, cruising past Wesley Wilson with a 17-2 technical fall at 6:14 to extend the team lead to 9-0. Posada, who is on a six-match win streak, pushed a relentless pace, piling on takedowns while never allowing Wilson to settle into offense. 

“I was just excited to go out there and score points, wrestle free, open the guy up and get as many takedowns as I could,” Posada said. 

Reflecting on his recent run of form, Posada added, “I’ve just been focusing on myself and wrestling my best, not worrying about the outcome. That’s helped me a lot.”

Heavyweight redshirt junior Luke Duthie followed with one of the most dominant performances of the duel, overwhelming Cole Jackson in a 22-6 technical fall in just 3:49. Duthie reeled off seven straight takedowns in a burst that broke the match wide open and pushed Stanford ahead 14-0.

No. 10 redshirt junior Nico Provo kept the run intact at 125 pounds with a composed 11-7 decision over Koda Holeman. Provo answered every escape with offense of his own and scored key takedowns early and late to extend the advantage to 17-0. 

At 133 pounds, No. 8 redshirt sophomore Tyler Knox wasted no time, taking Anthony Lucio to the mat and securing a fall at 1:52 of the first period. The quick pin stretched the margin to 23-0 and shifted the duel into rout territory.

The most dramatic moment came at 141 pounds, where freshman Adam Mattin trailed Alek VanBebber entering the final period but flipped the bout instantly, finding a fall at 5:32 to cap a comeback and give Stanford a commanding 29-0 lead and Mattin his first collegiate win. VanBebber was unfortunately injured during the sequence. 

“I could see him getting tired,” Mattin said. “My coaches and teammates were in the corner telling me to get after him, and once I saw he was weak, I just took it from him.”

No. 9 redshirt freshman Aden Valencia kept the bonus-point train rolling at 149 pounds, methodically building a lead before surging late for a 19-4 technical fall at 6:56. Valencia scored repeatedly in the closing seconds to secure the tech and push the team score to 34-0. 

“Ten seconds is enough for me to get two or three takedowns. I’ve seen that in this sport multiple times,” Valencia said. “As long as there’s time on the clock, I’m trying to score points. Coach said he wanted 40 on the team, so I had to do my part and get that extra tack-on.”

No. 8 redshirt junior Daniel Cardenas added to the onslaught at 157 pounds, overwhelming Anthony Berg in a 21-6 technical fall at 4:36. Cardenas poured on offense from neutral, stacking takedowns to extend Stanford’s lead to 39-0 and keep the perfect duel firmly in sight.

In the penultimate match, redshirt freshman EJ Parco at 165 pounds earned an 11-1 major decision over Luke Gayer, adding another four team points to stretch the margin to 43-0. Parco’s steady pressure kept Gayer from generating any real momentum on offense.

Stanford’s only loss of the afternoon came during the final bout at 174 pounds, when redshirt freshman Colin Guffey suffered a 6-2 decision defeat to Cash Stewart. Guffey stayed within reach and scored late, but Stewart’s third-period takedown proved decisive, breaking up Stanford’s hopes for a shutout as the final team score settled at 43-3.

The emphatic win offered a needed reset as the postseason nears. After an uneven stretch of results, the Cardinal showed sharper execution, taking control of nearly every match. Now, the team faces the challenge of sustaining this level of performance to win consistently. 

Next up, the Cardinal take on Pitt on Sunday, Feb. 15 at Maples Pavilion.

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