Poe, Ranger to continue careers on mat

PHOTO CREDITS: SUNY Niagara Athletics 

SANBORN — Two members of SUNY Niagara’s first national champion team in wrestling this season announced their next steps earlier this month. Aiden Poe (Philadelphia, N.Y.) will continue at Alfred State and Bobby Ranger (Hornell, N.Y.) is off to Elmira College this upcoming school year.

Poe and Ranger are the latest to continue their careers on the mat after a two-year run in Sanborn. The list of SUNY Niagara wrestlers who moved on includes — but not limited to —  Rashad Evans (NCAA Division I Michigan State), Dale DeBacco (NCAA Division III SUNY Cortland), Shay Shive (NAIA Missouri Valley College), Kris Schimek (NCAA Division III Ithaca College), Eric Velez (NCAA Division III SUNY Brockport) and Troy Keller (NCAA Division I University at Buffalo).

Poe emerged as a top wrestler over the second half of the season for SUNY Niagara while competing at 174 pounds. Poe won 17 of his last 21 matches dating back to his 5-0 performance at the NJCAA Division III National Duals on Jan. 10 in Sanborn and was 29-12 overall this season. 

Poe finished with 12 technical fall victories this season, the second most on SUNY Niagara behind Trevor Copes (Frederica, Del.) total of 13. Poe also recorded only four pins this season, but his final one against Nassau’s Anthony Velazquez in the opening round of the NJCAA Region III/District X championships Feb. 21 gave him his 50th career win. 

The NJCAA Region III Athlete of the Week on Jan. 13, Poe went 3-2 at 174 in his final appearance at the NJCAA National Championships March 6-7 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Poe recorded his 53rd and final win as a Thunderwolf in a 12-5 decision versus Northwest’s Dustin Rhodes in the consolation tournament and is 29th all-time in the program’s career wins list (53-16). 

Ranger finished his sophomore campaign with a 10-16 record and competed at 184. After posting a fourth-place finish at the Thunderwolves Open on Dec. 6, Ranger won his first event as a Thunderwolf during the NJCAA Region III/District X championships Feb. 21 at Jamestown Community College.

In the regional finals, the third-seeded Ranger defeated both top two seeds for the crown at 184. Ranger posted a 5-1 decision against Jamestown’s Brad Smith in the semifinal and an 8-7 decision versus Nassau’s Noah Foster in the championship, redeeming himself after a runner-up finish at 197 last year. 

Ranger then went 1-2 in the 184 bracket at nationals. Ranger recorded his final win as a Thunderwolf behind a 17-5 medical decision over Bryant & Stratton-Wisconsin’s Isaiah Flores in the consolation round of 16 and later finished his career at 17-30.