ELIZABETHTOWN, PA. – Four Cortland wrestlers have advanced to the semifinals of their weight classes and two others are still alive in the consolation bracket, after the first day of competition at the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Wrestling Championships, hosted by Elizabethtown College. The regional concludes on Sunday, and the top-three placewinners in each weight class will advance to the NCAA Division III Championships. 
 
The Red Dragons who advanced to the semifinals of the championship bracket are Cody Merwin (Walton) at 125 pounds, J.C. Cardenas (Brooklyn/Grand Street Campus) at 133 pounds, Chandler Merwin (Walton) at 149 pounds and Demitreus Henry (Brooklyn/Grand Street Campus) at 174 pounds. Also still alive are Ryan Burgbacher (Medford/Patchogue-Medford) at 141 pounds and Brian Torres (Brooklyn/Grand Street Campus) at 184 pounds. 
 
Cortland is fourth out of 20 schools in the team standings after Day 1 with 65.5 points. The College of New Jersey leads the standings with 87.5 points, followed by Ithaca (83), RIT (72), Cortland and Muhlenberg (56.5) in the top five. 
 
Cody Merwin, ranked third regionally at 125 pounds, won by a 12-4 major decision against Elizabethtown's Ethan Liptzin and won by medical forfeit versus Matt DiGennaro of Scranton. His semifinal opponent Sunday will be regionally fifth-ranked Joey Lamparelli of Muhlenberg. 
 
Cardenas, ranked second regionally, pinned both of his opponents Saturday - Nicolas Jones of McDaniel in 6:31 and Andre Ruiz of New Jersey City in 6:32. The win over Ruiz avenged a loss to him during a dual match earlier this month. Cardenas will face regionally fourth-ranked Jacy Jones of Centenary in the semifinals. 
 
Chandler Merwin, ranked first regionally and 14th nationally, went 3-0 on Saturday. He pinned Dante Monaco of Ursinus in 1:19, won by technical fall in 4:49 (17-1) against Oneonta's Nicholas Vandenburg, and won 4-1 in the first overtime tiebreaker period against Anthony Miraglia of Alfred State. His semifinal opponent Sunday will be Cameron Bruffy of Centenary. 
 
Henry, ranked first regionally and seventh nationally, earned two wins on Saturday. He opened with a technical fall in 5:10 (19-2) against Tyler Bailey of New Jersey City and edged McDaniel's Michael Bromley, 5-3. He will face regionally fourth-ranked Will Laughlin of Scranton in the semifinals. 
 
Two Cortland wrestlers need three straight victories in the consolation bracket on Sunday in order to earn a national berth. 
 
Burgbacher, ranked sixth regionally at 141 pounds, went 3-1 on Saturday. He won by technical fall in 4:15 (16-0) versus Jagger Clapsadle of Ursinus, lost to Noah Hunt of Penn College of Technology, 12-10, won by technical fall in just 1:01 (18-0) versus Pitt Bradford's Farhid Negahban, and pinned Brockport's Eli Sims, who's ranked fourth regionally, in 5:16. Burgbacher begins Sunday's action versus Sean Peterson of Alfred State. 
 
Torres, ranked third regionally, began Saturday with a 5-0 decision over Fletcher Goodman of Muhlenberg and 4-2 decision against Valentino Pryor of McDaniels. After losing to regionally fourth-ranked Colby Giroux of RIT, 3-0, in the quarterfinals, Torres stayed alive with a 4-1 win over Goodman. Torres meets Grant Walnoha of Johns Hopkins to start action on Sunday. 
 
Four Red Dragons were eliminated during Saturday's competition: 
 
Ben Klei (Victor) finished 2-2 at 285 pounds. He pinned Mathew Angelov of Centenary in 5:29 before losing to regionally fourth-ranked Malcolm Hunt of Ursinus by pin in 1:40. Klei came back to post a 10-1 major decision versus McDaniel's Eric Ward, but he was eliminated in an 8-0 major decision versus regionally third-ranked Hank Behaeghel of Johns Hopkins. Klei finished the season with a 22-14 record. 
 
Roman Jellick (Johnson City/Maine-Endwell) posted a 1-2 record at 197 pounds. He lost by pin in 4:03 to New Jersey City's Kyle Hillermeier then defeated Steve Murphy of Scranton, 9-3. Jellick lost by pin in 4:09 to Oneonta's Jhordyn Innocent and he finishes the season with a 4-13 record. 
 
Markel Browne (Brooklyn/Grand Street Campus) was 0-2 at 157 pounds with a loss by pin in 3:00 to Shawn Marchesano of Ursinus and a 7-5 loss to Chris Roybal of Johns Hopkins. Browne closes the season with a 9-14 record. 
 
Steven Gazzillo (New Windsor/Cornwall) went 0-2 at 165 pounds. He lost a tight 8-6 decision to regionally third-ranked Dominick Reyes of Johns Hopkins and lost by pin in 6:56 to Sean Malenfant of Alfred State. Gazzillo finished the season with a 15-13 record.