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Thunderwolves post four champions, Cicco records 50th career win at Whizzer Open
Posted: Feb 01, 2026

Thunderwolves post four champions, Cicco records 50th career win at Whizzer Open

 

SUNY Niagara had a banner day as it sent four to the winner’s circle at the eighth annual Whizzer Open Sunday at Henry Ford College in Dearborn, Michigan. The Thunderwolves were the only program from New York and seven of the 11 teams were from the host state of Michigan. 

 

For a fifth time this season, freshman Jaron Barrientos won the 125-pound weight class. Classmates Aidan Gillings and Jacob Stephenson won at 149 and 197, respectively, and sophomore Aiden Poe won at 174.

 

The four champions of Barrientos, Poe, Stephenson and Gillings were the most for SUNY Niagara at an event this season since it had five at the Defend the Lake Open on Nov. 8 in Garrett College. Barrientos (125), Gillings (149) and Poe (184) were joined by Vinny Falsetti (133) and Trevor Copes (141).

 

After a first-round bye, Barrientos pinned Adrian College’s Jordan Ovalle in the second period. He then defeated Henry Ford’s Zaid Alowadi in a 15-0 tech fall to win the championship. 

 

Gillings finished the day with a perfect 4-0 record at 149. Gillings pinned Harper College’s Michael Hodge and Henry Ford’s Zion Armstead and defeated HACO’s Chase McCluskey in a 16-0 tech fall on his way to the final. Gillings then pinned Triton College’s Fabian Salazar to win the bracket.

 

Poe recorded back-to-back technical falls before a 1-0 decision against Harper College’s Tyson Poyer to advance to the final, where he faced teammate Joe Cicco. Cicco recorded two major decisions and a pin on his way to the final, including his 50th career win with the Thunderwolves. Poe then pinned Cicco and won the 174-pound title. 

 

Stephenson received a first-round bye at 197 and moved past OLIV’s Riel Flores and Joseph Stachalek with back-to-back pins to advance to the championship. Stephenson finished the day with a pin against Triton College’s Everett McClelland.

 

Ethan Fletcher placed runner-up and had a 2-2 record at 133. Fletcher lost to Henry Ford College’s Vicente Navarro in a 3-1 decision.

 

Hamza Merrick placed fourth at 285 and had a 3-2 record. Merrick lost to Rochester Christian’s Sawyer Kuenzer in the third-place match with a 15-2 major decision. 




NOTES:

 

 

  • With his win against Harper College’s Steven Carrol in the opening round, Cicco became the 32nd member of SUNY Niagara’s 50-win club and the first to do so since Freddy Eckles during the 2018-2019 season (67-12). After his 3-1 finish at the Whizzer Open, Cicco has won 13 of his last 17 matches, dating back to a victory against Garrett College at the Thunderwolves Open on Dec. 5. Selected as the NJCAA Region III Athlete of the Week in wrestling for Dec. 10, Cicco, a Niagara Wheatfield graduate, is now 28-10 this season and 52-23 in his two-year career and 29th all-time in wins.

 

  • Barrientos won his fifth tournament of the season at 125 and previously won at the Ben McMullen Open on Nov. 1, Defend the Lake Open on Nov. 8, the state collegiate championships on Nov. 22 and the Jayhawk Open on Jan. 25. This surpasses last year’s total of four tournament wins for any SUNY Niagara wrestler, which was set by Te’Shaun Mathews (149) and Poe (184). Previously a two-time state qualifier at Lewiston-Porter High School in Youngstown, Barrientos is now 26-4 in his freshman campaign at SUNY Niagara and is third on the team in pins (10).

 

  • Gillings went a perfect 4-0 at the Whizzer Open at 149, the third time he went unbeaten at an event this season (Defend the Lake Open Nov. 8, NJCAA Div. III National Duals Jan. Previously a five-time state qualifier at Newfane High School, Gillings is now 19-2 this season with the Thunderwolves and has a team-high 13 pins.

 

  • The win at 174 marked Poe’s fifth career victory and 10th time on the podium at an event in his SUNY Niagara. Earlier this season, Poe was the only SUNY Niagara wrestler to go unbeaten (5-0) during the NJCAA Div. III national duals on Jan. 10 and later received NJCAA Region III athlete of the week honors on Jan. 13. The sophomore is now 22-7 this season and 46-11 in his two-year career.  

 

  • Sunday was Stephenson’s very first first-place finish of his SUNY Niagara career. Stephenson first reached the podium with a third-place finish at 197 at the Jayhawk Open at Jamestown CC on Jan. 25. Previously a state runner-up in each of his last two years at 160 at Wilson High School, Stephenson improved to 9-1 on the season with seven pins.

 

  • At 133, Fletcher reached the podium for the third time this season with his runner-up finish at the Whizzer Open. Fletcher previously finished second-place at Defend the Lake Nov. 8 and sixth at the Nassau Open Dec. 13. Fletcher is now 12-18 at 133 in his first year with the Thunderwolves.

 

  • With a 2-2 performance at 157, Nick Pawlak became the 10th SUNY Niagara wrestler with at least 10 wins this season. Pawlak stands at 10-20 this season.

 

  • As he did at the Jayhawk Open on Jan. 25, Merrick finished with a 3-2 record and posted two wins (now eight on season). The fourth-place finish was also his first time on the podium since he placed second at the state collegiate championships on Nov. 22. The first-ever state champion at Wilson High School one year ago, Merrick has won nine of his last 12 with the Thunderwolves and is 14-14.



SUNY Niagara continues its season at the 39th John Summa Invitational Feb. 7 at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio. Last season, the Thunderwolves scored 48 points and placed 11th out of 15 teams, primarily against NCAA Div. II and III programs. Host Baldwin Wallace won the event with 197 points.