Vestal, NY – Hofstra senior Michael Hughes captured the 285-pound title and freshman Sage Heller placed fifth at 174-pounds to lead the Pride wrestling team at the season opening Jonathan Kaloust-Bearcat Open at the Binghamton University Events Center Sunday night.

Hughes, who wrestled unattached, posted a 5-0 record with two tech falls, one fall, one decision and one major decision to grab the heavyweight title for the second consecutive year. The 2016 NCAA qualifier recorded a 15-0 tech fall over unattached Jeremy Sweany in the title match.

Heller, who wrestled the most matches of any of the 17 Pride grapplers with eight, posted a 6-2 mark on the day and was 6-1 in the consolations after opening loss in the championship round. Heller, who wrestled unattached, recorded two tech falls, two falls, a win by disqualification and a win by decision on the day. He pinned Maryland's Sam Rowell at the 2:14 mark in the fifth-place match.

Junior Kyle Krasavage posted a 4-2 record at 141-pounds and advanced to the sixth round of the consolations before he was knocked out of the Open. Two Pride grapplers posted 3-2 marks in their respective classes as sophomore Omar Haddad, who wrestled unattached, made his debut at 285 pounds and red-shirt freshman Connor Burkert wrestled at 141 pounds.

Red-shirt sophomore Michael Oxley made his debut at 184 pounds and posted a 2-2 record while classmate Nezar Haddad, a transfer from Drexel, recorded a 2-2 mark at 197 pounds in his Hofstra debut. Both wrestled under the Hofstra banner.

Four Pride wrestlers recorded 1-2 records on the day as freshman Jacob Martin made his debut at 125 pounds, junior Bryan Damon was 1-2 at 133, red-shirt sophomore Connor Muli, who was one of the six in the Hofstra singlet, was 1-2 at 149 pounds and newcomer Ricky Stamm was 1-2 at 157 pounds in his Pride debut.

Six Hofstra grapplers, with five wrestling unattached, posted 0-2 records. Freshmen Vinny Vespa at 133, Charlie Kane at 141 and Anthony Olivieri at 165, sophomore Ryan Burkert at 149 and junior Cory Damiana at 184 and red-shirt freshman Jake Kaminsky at 157, who wrestled in the Hofstra singlet, all were winless in two matches.

Hofstra returns to action on Sunday, November 20 when the Pride compete in the New York State Collegiate Championships at Cornell University.