MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. — The Purdue wrestling team cruised to a 30-12 victory over Air Force on Day 1 of the Throwdown on the Yorktown event.
While wrestling on the top deck of the USS Yorktown (CV-10) aircraft carrier, the Boilermakers (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten) dominated the Falcons (1-1, 0-0 Pac-12) with seven match wins, including five bonus-point victories.
Ashton Jackson got the party started at 125 pounds with his first victory of the season. He beat Bradley Patterson in a 7-3 decision, rallying from an early takedown to go on a seven-point scoring streak with a takedown, two escapes, a penalty point for stalling and a riding time point.
Vincent Paino (133) had the biggest win of the day when he pinned Jacob Jones to give Purdue six team points. Jones got in on Paino's leg midway through the second period, but the Boilermaker continued to rotate and gained leverage to turn his opponent onto his back, securing Purdue's first pin of the season.
PIN-CENT PAINO 📌 Never. Stop. Wrestling. First career fall for the sophomore from New Jersey! https://t.co/FlH8TsoHnG
— Purdue Wrestling (@PurdueWrestling) November 7, 2026
No. 24 Isaiah Schaefer (141) had a hard-fought battle with 2026 All-American Carter Nogle, who is ranked No. 4 in the country, but dropped a close 4-2 decision. Schaefer fell into a 4-1 hole but escaped in the third period and began to apply pressure, nearly winning a scramble at the end of the match to steal a victory.
Gavin Brown (149) picked up the slack and dominated in a 17-2 technical fall over Lincoln Gregersen. Brown secured seven back points and 3:15 of riding time, with the riding time point giving him the 15-point technical fall margin.
Another newcomer in the Boilermaker lineup, Brody Saccoccia (157) earned his first career dual victory aboard the Yorktown. He defeated Arment Waltenbaugh in a 7-1 decision, scoring seven straight points beginning with a takedown in the second period.
No. 3 Joey Blaze (165) finished strong in a 17-4 major decision victory, coming up one takedown short of a technical fall. Purdue's two-time All-American picked up the pace in the third period, scoring three quick takedowns while accumulating 1:53 of riding time. His season takedown total now stands at 12 after just two matches.
No. 22 Brody Baumann (174) sped his way to a 21-6 technical fall in the first period, finishing the match at the 2:58 mark with seven takedowns. Baumann now has two technical falls to start his final year of eligibility, by a combined score of 40-10. It was the third-fastest technical fall of Baumann's career.
James Rowley (184) looked sharp in a 14-6 major decision, picking up four takedowns and 3:10 of riding time. It was the Corvallis, Oregon, native's first bonus-point victory of the season and the ninth major decision of his college career.
Air Force took the final two matches against Noah Weaver (197) and Austin Richens (285), earning a pin and a 5-0 decision, respectively.
The Boilermakers outscored Air Force in total takedowns, 23-5, and scored 30 dual points for the first time since winning 38-4 at Davidson on Nov. 23, 2025.
UP NEXT
Purdue was originally supposed to wrestle The Citadel at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, but the dual has been postponed until Sunday. The Boilermakers are now scheduled to take on the Bulldogs at 10 a.m. ET Sunday, with the live stream available on FloWrestling.