By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The 2023-24 Bridgewater State University wrestling season was a time of learning and growing for a young roster.

The Bears had just seven returning wrestlers on a team that included 13 freshmen and seven sophomores.

BSU struggled through the process, going 3-13 with a pair of victories over Plymouth State University and another against Hunter College.

The Bears did pick up valuable lessons and plenty of experience as they made their way through the season.

"They had a lot of learned experiences," said BSU coach Frank Cammisa. "I'm not saying they weren't ready for college wrestling, but there's a big transition from high school to college.

"They learned about it and hopefully they took those lessons and are going to implement them this year. We're bringing back some guys who gained experience last year.''

The Bears begin the 2024-25 season on Friday, Nov. 1 when they travel to the University of Southern Maine for a 6 p.m. matchup.

The home opener takes place on Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. when BSU squares off with Western New England in the first Bear Cup. A trophy will be awarded annually to the winner between the Bears and the Golden Bears.

BSU had only two seniors on the team last season -- Derick Guerrero and Sean McCullough -- and there are only three this season -- Amauris Gomez (Lawrence, Mass.), James Grover (Wakefield, Mass.) and Michael Hopkins (Swampscott, Mass.).

The leading returning wrestler is junior Malcolm Chrispin (Hyde Park, Mass.), who transferred to BSU in 2023 after a year at Northern Illinois University.

Chrispin, wrestling at 133 pounds, went 21-10 with two pins and 57 takedowns.

He was Bears top wrestler at the NCAA Division 3 Northeast Regional, going 2-2 while seeded No. 7, and made the New England Wrestling Association all-rookie team.

Chrispin led the team in wins, takedowns and near falls with 79, setting a program record for a rookie.

"He definitely developed throughout the entire season," said Cammisa. "He was a match away from placing at the regionals. He's come a long way.

"I think his style at 133 was beneficial. Now he's at a different weight class (141) and he's up for the challenge."

Grover, at 184 pounds, had a team-high six pins while winning 12 matches and sophomore Adam Distasio (Hopkinton, Mass.), at 125 pounds, was also in double figures with 10 wins.

Hopkins suffered a season-ending injury last year after going 7-3 with six takedowns, and he will return at 184 pounds.

"He definitely would have been a contender to place at the regionals" said Cammisa.

Also back are 133-pounder Sei Dolomengi (Brooklyn Park, Minn.), a junior, sophomore heavyweight Michael Mastroianni (Milford, Mass.) and sophomore 197-pounder Christian Curley (Bridgewater, Mass.).

Among the freshmen looking to make an impact are Christopher Dubey (Lowell, Mass.) and Nathan Quinones (Bergenfield, N.J.), a 174-pounder.

Cammisa said the progress that was made from the start of the season in November 2023 through the middle of last February should pay dividends this year.

"It was nice to watch them (improve)," he said. "At the end of the day, it's a competition and we're always looking to try to win. We didn't have much success with that last year.
But we found the small moments in their development in and out of the classroom, helping out in the community.

"I think there's no ceiling on how much better we can get with this team. As long as they're motivated, our coaching staff is motivated to get in there and show them the proper technique and strategic advantages. But we can only do 50 percent of the work, they have to do the other 50 percent."