Five Lycoming Wrestlers Reach Ithaca Quarterfinals
Lycoming College's Teli Bobotas, Luke Magnani, Nolen Zeigler, Ivan Neal and Cole Yonkin advanced to the quarterfinals on the Ithaca Invitational's opening day.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Wrestling
Five Lycoming College wrestlers reached the quarterfinals at the Ithaca Invitational in Ithaca, N.Y., on Friday evening. Seven more Lycoming wrestlers remain alive in their brackets when competition resumes Saturday at 9:30 a.m.
Why it matters
Reaching the quarterfinals on the first day keeps several Lycoming wrestlers in contention for placement at the New York tournament. The strong opening round gives the team momentum as it heads into the second day of bracket action.
Bobotas, seeded seventh at 125 pounds, pinned Harris Keares in 2:45 after tech falls over Matthew Frueh and Andrew Aparo. Zeigler, the top seed at 174 pounds, won major decisions 13-0 over Anthony Marino and 12-0 over Braeden Gray, while the quarterfinal outcomes remain undetermined.
The players
Lycoming College
Lycoming College is a private liberal arts college in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, whose wrestling program fields the athletes competing at this tournament.
Ithaca Invitational
The Ithaca Invitational is a collegiate wrestling tournament hosted in Ithaca, New York, bringing together teams from across the Northeast.
The details
Teli Bobotas, a first-year 125-pounder and Montoursville graduate, will face Castleton's Gavin Bradley in the quarterfinals. Luke Magnani, a sophomore at 141 pounds seeded eighth, will meet top seed Kaden Ware of Penn College, while senior Nolen Zeigler faces Norwich's Jordan Sonon-Hale. Senior Ivan Neal at 197 pounds faces Cortland's Chris Ayala, and junior heavyweight Cole Yonkin, also a Montoursville graduate, meets Johnson & Wales' Michael Mauro.
Timeline
Friday evening: Lycoming wrestlers reached the quarterfinals on the tournament's first day.
Saturday at 9:30 a.m.: Remaining Lycoming wrestlers resume competition at the Ithaca Invitational.
Season Trajectory
Early quarterfinal placements at a multi-team invitational like Ithaca give Lycoming wrestlers standing that feeds into the broader season and postseason seeding. The depth shown across five quarterfinalists and seven still-alive wrestlers signals a roster capable of contesting several weight classes at once.
Fantasy and bracket followers tracking Lycoming wrestlers should watch Saturday's 9:30 a.m. session, when seven remaining athletes compete for placement. Those following the quarterfinal pairings can track Bobotas, Magnani, Zeigler, Neal and Yonkin against their named opponents.
The takeaway
Lycoming's first-day showing at Ithaca gives coaches and fans a clear read on which weight classes are carrying the team into Saturday's bracket rounds. Tracking how the five quarterfinalists perform will reveal how deep the squad's postseason contention really runs.
What happens next
Remaining Lycoming wrestlers resume competition Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at the Ithaca Invitational.
Further reading
For more on the sport, explore our Wrestling coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Williamsport Sun-Gazette.
