Northwestern University Athletics
Freshmen Ryan Deakin, Sebastian Rivera Impress in First Season
2/23/2017 10:26:00 AM | Wrestling
EVANSTON, Ill. – Talented Northwestern freshmen Sebastian Rivera and Ryan Deakin have found tremendous success while wrestling unattached for the Wildcats in 2016-17 during their redshirt seasons.
In fact, both have done so well that The Open Mat named them the second- and third-best redshirting freshmen in the country. About Rivera, "Don't be too surprised if he is an All-American just over a year from now," the website stated, and Deakin "has let everyone know that he is a force to be reckoned with."
Rivera entered Northwestern as the third ranked recruit in the nation at his weight class, and he has posted a 14-4 record at 125 lbs.
"Sebastian is a special kind of competitor," head coach Matt Storniolo said. "He is at his best when it counts the most. He pushes himself on a daily basis, and it has been a lot of fun watching him grow as a wrestler and a person this year."
The Jackson, New Jersey, native began his career 3-0, winning his first three matches at the Eastern Michigan Open. He went on to win in at least the first three rounds of every tournament he entered, which included EMU, the Michigan State Open, the Midlands Championships and the Duhawk Open.
Rivera made a statement at the Midlands with a fourth-place finish in a crowded field. After wins over Johnny Jimenez of Wisconsin and Travis Piotrowski of Illinois, Rivera beat the 17th-ranked wrestler in the nation, Shakur Laney, from Ohio. That put him in the semifinals, where he lost a tough 8-2 decision to No. 8 Tim Lambert of Nebraska. Rivera bounced back with a 15-3 major decision over Messiah's Lucas Malmberg before withdrawing from the event prior to the third-place match.
His other three losses on the year came by a combined eight points.
Rivera ended his season by winning all four of his matches at the Duhawk Open. One of those wins was a 10-8 sudden victory decision over Missouri's Barlow McGhee, who was a round away from being an All-American last season.
At 149 lbs., Deakin has posted some big victories to earn his way to a 19-4 record. The Broomfield, Colorado, native is currently on an eight-match winning streak and has won 15 of his last 16 dating back to November at the Michigan State Open.
"Ryan's attitude is spot-on when it comes to training and competing," Storniolo said. "Whether he is at practice or in competition, he shows up with a smile on his face and ready to scrap. He gets better every time he steps on the mat."
Deakin won his first college match at the Eastern Michigan Open and finished the tournament with a 4-2 record. After starting the Michigan State Open with a win and a narrow loss, he rattled off four straight wins to finish 5-1 at the tournament.
The freshman announced his arrival on the main stage with a great run through the Midlands that saw him knock off three ranked wrestlers and finish third. He kicked things off with a win over No. 16 Jordan Laster of Princeton and earned another over Harvard's Hunter Ladnier for the right to wrestle No. 2 Brandon Sorensen in the quarterfinals. Sorensen ultimately won 12-4, but Deakin trailed only 4-1 entering the third period.
He bounced back quickly with wins over the No. 12 and No. 18 wrestlers in the country, Alfred Bannister of Maryland and Joey Delgado of Oregon State, respectively. Mixed in were two more wins, including a 6-2 decision over Oklahoma's Davion Jeffries in the third-place match.
Like his classmate, Deakin also went 4-0 at the Duhawk Open in his most recent outing with three wins by fall, two of which came in the first period.
The Wildcats lose only two wrestlers to graduation this season in Jacob Berkowitz and Ben Sullivan, so both Rivera and Deakin will be added to a Northwestern lineup that, in addition to the two seniors, currently features five freshmen, two sophomores and a junior.
In fact, both have done so well that The Open Mat named them the second- and third-best redshirting freshmen in the country. About Rivera, "Don't be too surprised if he is an All-American just over a year from now," the website stated, and Deakin "has let everyone know that he is a force to be reckoned with."
Rivera entered Northwestern as the third ranked recruit in the nation at his weight class, and he has posted a 14-4 record at 125 lbs.
"Sebastian is a special kind of competitor," head coach Matt Storniolo said. "He is at his best when it counts the most. He pushes himself on a daily basis, and it has been a lot of fun watching him grow as a wrestler and a person this year."
The Jackson, New Jersey, native began his career 3-0, winning his first three matches at the Eastern Michigan Open. He went on to win in at least the first three rounds of every tournament he entered, which included EMU, the Michigan State Open, the Midlands Championships and the Duhawk Open.
Rivera made a statement at the Midlands with a fourth-place finish in a crowded field. After wins over Johnny Jimenez of Wisconsin and Travis Piotrowski of Illinois, Rivera beat the 17th-ranked wrestler in the nation, Shakur Laney, from Ohio. That put him in the semifinals, where he lost a tough 8-2 decision to No. 8 Tim Lambert of Nebraska. Rivera bounced back with a 15-3 major decision over Messiah's Lucas Malmberg before withdrawing from the event prior to the third-place match.
His other three losses on the year came by a combined eight points.
Rivera ended his season by winning all four of his matches at the Duhawk Open. One of those wins was a 10-8 sudden victory decision over Missouri's Barlow McGhee, who was a round away from being an All-American last season.
At 149 lbs., Deakin has posted some big victories to earn his way to a 19-4 record. The Broomfield, Colorado, native is currently on an eight-match winning streak and has won 15 of his last 16 dating back to November at the Michigan State Open.
"Ryan's attitude is spot-on when it comes to training and competing," Storniolo said. "Whether he is at practice or in competition, he shows up with a smile on his face and ready to scrap. He gets better every time he steps on the mat."
Deakin won his first college match at the Eastern Michigan Open and finished the tournament with a 4-2 record. After starting the Michigan State Open with a win and a narrow loss, he rattled off four straight wins to finish 5-1 at the tournament.
The freshman announced his arrival on the main stage with a great run through the Midlands that saw him knock off three ranked wrestlers and finish third. He kicked things off with a win over No. 16 Jordan Laster of Princeton and earned another over Harvard's Hunter Ladnier for the right to wrestle No. 2 Brandon Sorensen in the quarterfinals. Sorensen ultimately won 12-4, but Deakin trailed only 4-1 entering the third period.
He bounced back quickly with wins over the No. 12 and No. 18 wrestlers in the country, Alfred Bannister of Maryland and Joey Delgado of Oregon State, respectively. Mixed in were two more wins, including a 6-2 decision over Oklahoma's Davion Jeffries in the third-place match.
Like his classmate, Deakin also went 4-0 at the Duhawk Open in his most recent outing with three wins by fall, two of which came in the first period.
The Wildcats lose only two wrestlers to graduation this season in Jacob Berkowitz and Ben Sullivan, so both Rivera and Deakin will be added to a Northwestern lineup that, in addition to the two seniors, currently features five freshmen, two sophomores and a junior.
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