WILKES-BARRE – Visiting No. 9 Ithaca College secured wins in eight of ten bouts on way to a 32-6 victory over No. 18 Wilkes University Friday night in a dual match at the Marts Center.
 
Wilkes drops to 14-6 overall following the loss, its second consecutive loss to a ranked team. All of the Colonels six losses this season came to ranked opponents. Ithaca improves to 15-5 overall after the win.
 
The opening match featured two ranked wrestlers as No. 6 Michael Fleck (Easton, PA/Wilson Area) wasted little time take a 6-0 advantage with a takedown and near fall of No. 5 James Kaishian. After two Ithaca escapes, the two wrestlers went scoreless until a late escape from Fleck gave the senior the match at 7-2 giving Wilkes a 3-0 lead.
 
Ithaca earned a hard-fought 2-1 decision at 133 as Ferdinand Mase claimed the bout with a takedown late in the second period over Richard Gilson (Thompsontown, PA/Juniata) tying the match at 3-3. At 141, Thomas stokes used a reversal in the second period to take a 2-0 lead before an Ithaca escape cut the advantage in half at the end of the second. Stokes held on to the one-point advantage and added riding time to seal the 3-1 victory as Wilkes went up 6-3 after three bouts.
 
At 149, Ithaca's Daniel Pak escaped early in the second period then rode out Josh Evans (Palmerton, PA/Palmerton) in his first bout back from an injury since early January to take a 2-0 decision win and tie the match at 6-6. In the most entertaining bout of night, Eamonn Gaffney and Nicholas Racanelli (West Creek, NJ/Southern Regional) went 2-2 heading late into the third period with Racanelli on the top position. Gaffney made his move with just five second left and was able to come free for the reversal and two points with 0.5 left to seal the 4-2 decision win putting Ithaca up 9-6 after five bouts.
 
Ithaca cruised to a 16-0 technical fall at 165 to extend the lead to 14-6 heading into the final four bouts. At 174, Ithaca's Jaison White earned a 9-4 decision win upping the Bombers lead to 17-6.
 
In another bout featuring two ranked wrestlers, Ithaca's Carlos Toribio (No. 9) used a takedown in the first and riding time to secure a 3-1 win over No. 4 Kyle Diesel (Westtown, NY/Minisink Valley) to push Ithaca ahead 20-6. Ithaca rounded out scoring in the match with a fall at 197 and 285.
 
Wilkes will conclude its dual match campaign Thursday hosting cross-town rival King's College at 7:00 p.m. at the Marts Center. Wilkes will honor its senior members in a ceremony prior to the match.
 
Ithaca 32, Wilkes 6
125 – M. Fleck (W)  dec. J. Kaishian (I) 7-2
133 – F. Mase (I) dec. R. Gilson (W) 2-1
141 – T. Stokes (W) dec. C. Wymer (I) 3-1
149 – D. Pak (I) dec. J. Evans (W) 2-0
157 – E. Gaffney (I) dec. N. Racanelli (W) 4-2
165 – N. Velez (I) tech. fall A. Gyenizs (W) 16-0 (4:21)
174 – J. White (I)  dec. J. Brook (W) 9-4
184 – C. Toribio (I) dec. K. Diesel (W) 3-1
197 – J. Ashcraft (I) fall N. Dawson (W) 3:51
285 – D. Glinko (I) fall J. Huling (W) 6:21