BALTIMORE, MD – The Johns Hopkins wrestling team will return to action this weekend (February 26-27) at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships at Elizabethtown College.  Action both days will begin at 11 am.
 
When Last We Saw Them
Johns Hopkins is back in action for the first time since earning a second-place finish at the 2022 Centennial Conference Championships.  The Blue Jays crowned three champions (Brent Lorin-133, Dominick Reyes-165, Joe Paul-174) and had three runners-up (Justin Valdoria-149, Chris Roybal-157, Hank Behaeghel-285).
 
Who Will Be There
Johns Hopkins is one of 20 teams that will compete at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships.  The other 19 include:
 
Alfred State • Brockport • Centenary • Elizabethtown • Elmira
Ithaca • Keystone • McDaniel • Muhlenberg • New Jersey City
Oneonta State • Oswego State • Penn Tech • Pitt-Bradford • RIT
SUNY Cortland • Scranton • TCNJ • Ursinus
 
In the Rankings
 
Intermat Team Rankings (Feb. 22):  RIT (16^th)
 
Intermat Individual Rankings (Feb 22):
125 – Matt Caccamise (Brockport) - 9^th, Terry Adams (Ursinus)-15^th
133 – Jake Giordano (TCNJ) - 11^th
141 - Domenic Difrancescantonio (TCNJ) – 15th
149 – Chandler Merwin (SUNY-Cortland) – 11^th
157 – Kaidon Winters (RIT) – 1^st
165 – Dominick Reyes (Johns Hopkins) – 3^rd, Austin Lamb (RIT) – 14^th
174 – Demtrius Henry (SUNY-Cortland) – 7^th, Joe Paul (Johns Hopkins) – 13^th
184 – Chibueze Chukwuezi (Ithaca) – 5^th, Daniel Surich (TCNJ) – 13^th
197 – Jordan Wallace (Ithaca) – 7^th, Quinn Haddad (TCNJ) – 9^th
285 – Richard Knapp (Brockport) – 9^th, Thomas Marreta (TCNJ) – 15^th
 
Where They Go from Here
The top three finishers in each weight class automatically qualify for the 2022 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships.  The NCAA Championships will take place on March 11-12 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
 
Johns Hopkins' Returning Place-Winners
With the 2020-21 season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Johns Hopkins last competed at the regional championships at the end of the 2019-20 season.   The Blue Jays return three individuals who placed in the top eight at the 2020 Southeast Regional Championships:
 
Dominick Reyes (1^st / 165)
Joe Paul (7^th / 174)
Hank Behaeghel (7^th / 285)
 
Reyes On a Roll
Senior Dominick Reyes enters the NCAA Regional Championships ranked third in the nation at 165.  He is 19-0 on the year and has won a school-record 43 consecutive matches dating back to 2019-20.  Reyes ranks second in school history in career wins (105) and is JHU's career leader in wins by fall (37) and technical fall (15) and ranks third in wins by major decision (17).
 
Paul Closing on School Record
Senior Joe Paul will carry a 32-7 record into this weekend's NCAA Regional Championships.  His 32 wins are tied for the sixth-most in a single season in school history and he is just four wins away from tying the JHU single-season record for victories (36 / Isaac Morales (2017-18), Paul Bewak (2013-14)).  Paul's eight wins by technical fall this season are also tied for the JHU single-season record (Ricky Cavallo (2017-18)).
 
Regional History (Since 2013)
Since the NCAA added regional championships to its structure in 2013, the Blue Jays have consistently fared well at this event.  Johns Hopkins has placed in the top seven at the regional championships four times since 2013, including each of the last three years.  JHU's top-seven finishes at the regional have come in 2013 (7^th), 2018 (T3rd), 2019 (5^th), 2020 (6^th).
 
Seven's Our Lucky Number
Johns Hopkins has produced seven regional champions since 2013:
 
2013:  Paul Bewak (125), Paul Marcello (141)
2014:  Paul Bewak (125), Henry Stauber (141)
2018:  Ricky Cavallo (133), Isaac Morales (184)
2020:  Dominick Reyes (165)
 
Other Notes of Interest
Senior Hank Behaeghel needs one win for 50 in his career • Almost half of sophomore Chris Roybal's 17 wins this season have been bonus-point wins as he has four wins by major decision and four by fall • Brent Lorin's 23 wins include 13 bonus-point wins (5 majors / 8 pins) • As a team, the Blue Jays have nearly as many wins by fall (65) as they do by decision (78) this season.