The New York University wrestling team finished in second place at the Petrofes Invitational hosted by Messiah University on Saturday, December 6, in Mechanicsburg, PA.

The #13-ranked Violets accumulated 158 team points, trailing only host Messiah (172) in the 15-team competition.

"Our guys responded well after a tough semifinal round to come back and get the next best thing," explained Associate Head Coach Corey Luce. 

One Violet took home a title, as Jacob Venezia won all five of his bouts and captured the 133-pound crown. Along the way, he posted one tech fall, two major decisions, and a 3-2 decision over Messiah's Caiden Heller in the final.

Cristian Gioia was runner-up at 174 pounds, falling in the finals after recording three tech fall victories.

A trio of NYU wrestlers placed third in their respective weight classes: 
Justin Mayes - 184
Nicky Bell - 165
Xavier Diaz - 125

"As a team, I felt we grew a lot during these two days of competition," Luce added. "We had a lot of ups and downs, and in the end we're going to be a better team because of it."

The Violets return to the mat and host the UAA Challenge on Saturday, January 3, at the John A. Paulson Center in Manhattan.