RECAP: Barrientos wins fourth 125-pound title of season, headlines #RollWolves efforts at Jayhawk Open Saturday in Jamestown @SUNYNiagara @NJCAAReg3 @NJCAA @GNN_Sports_ @TBNSports @wnywrestlinghttps://t.co/B41IH7KjWd pic.twitter.com/4DjuMLvBjK
— SUNY Niagara Thunderwolves (@NCThunderwolves) January 25, 2026
Freshman Jaron Barrientos won the 125-pound weight class and led SUNY Niagara’s performance at the Jayhawk Open Saturday at Jamestown CC. The event featured wrestlers from 32 different schools from New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Barrientos finished the day with a perfect 4-0 record. After he received a first-round bye, Barrientos pinned Penn State Behrend’s Angelo Lomonte and Gannon’s Parker Brenon for a spot in the 125 semifinal, where he defeated John Carroll’s Brett Stanley in a 10-3 decision.
Barrientos then won the first-place match in an 8-2 decision over Gannon’s Kenny Schmitz. Formerly a two-time state finalist at Lewiston-Porter High School, Barrientos has taken home first place for the Thunderwolves in four different events at 125 this season, including the Ben McMullen Open on Nov. 1, Defend the Lake Open on Nov. 8 and the NYS Collegiate Championships on Nov. 22 and is 24-4 on the year.
Fellow freshmen Matthew Leehan and Jacob Stephenson placed third in the 157 and 197 divisions, respectively.
In his fourth outing of the season, Leehan finished with a 5-1 record and posted a pin and two major decisions on his way to the semifinal. After a loss to Gannon’s Holden Huhn in the semifinal snapped what was an 11-match winning streak, Leehan pinned Gannon’s James Rogler in the consolation semifinal in 32 seconds.
Leehan then won the third-place match with an 8-1 decision versus Penn State Behrend’s Lucas Kurelowech. Leehan is now 13-1 this season.
Stephenson finished 4-1 at the Jayhawk Open for his first-ever finish on the podium with the Thunderwolves. Stephenson recorded back-to-back pins but lost to Gannon’s Gaetano Savelli in a 14-13 decision in the 197 semifinal.
With 26 seconds left in the second period, Stephenson pinned John Carroll’s Bear Hogan in the 197 consolation semifinal and later won by forfeit over Edinboro’s James Mahon for third place. Previously a state runner-up at 160 in each of his last two years at Wilson High School, Stephenson is 6-1 with SUNY Niagara.
J.J. Lucinski recorded three pins and added another win with a decision as part of a 4-2 performance at 125. A former two-time state finalist with Newfane High School, Lucinski is now 8-10 this season with the Thunderwolves.
Hamza Merrick went 3-2 at 285 and posted his fifth and sixth pins of the season. The first-ever state champion at Wilson High School one year ago, Merrick has won six of his last 10 matches with the Thunderwolves and is now 13-12.
Amari Libertone-Robinson went 2-2 at 165 and Ayden Downing (125), Ethan Fletcher (133), Nick Pawlak (157), Aiden Poe (174) and Chris Howatt (197) all won one match.
NOTES:
Barrientos is one of only three 20-win grapplers for SUNY Niagara this season along with Trevor Copes and Joe Cicco. Barrientos is 24-4 this season with nine pins, second-best on the team. Barrientos became the program’s sixth all-time champion at the state collegiate championships on Nov. 22 in Syracuse.
Following a 0-2 day at 165, Cicco has won 10 of his 14 matches, dating back to a victory against Garrett College at the Thunderwolves Open on Dec. 5. The NJCAA Region III Athlete of the Week in wrestling for Dec. 10, Cicco is now 25-10 this season and 49-23 in his career.
Poe finished 1-2 at the Jayhawk Open and is now 18-7 this season. Poe previously became the only SUNY Niagara wrestler to go unbeaten during the NJCAA national duals with a 5-0 record and later received NJCAA Region III athlete of the week honors on Jan. 13.
Behind his 13-1 start, Leehan has recorded seven pins. The lone loss came against Huhn in the 157 semifinal.
Fletcher became the ninth SUNY Niagara wrestler with at least 10 wins this season. Fletcher is now 10-17 at 133 in his first year with the Thunderwolves.
SUNY Niagara continues its season at the eighth annual Whizzer Open Sunday (Feb. 1) at Henry Ford College in Michigan Saturday. Last season, Joe Cicco went 3-0 and won the 165-pound title.