WESTMINSTER, MD – The Wilkes University wrestling team finished 2-1 at the McDaniel Duals Saturday afternoon. The Colonels posted wins over Southern Virginia 35-16 and host McDaniel 34-8 before falling to Ferrum College in a close match 20-15.
 
Wilkes moved to 6-1 overall on the season in dual matches following the three-match event.
 
In the win against Southern Virginia, Wilkes took the first six bouts and never looked back. Nicholas Bauer (Coplay, PA/Wyoming Seminary) began the match with a forfeit win at 125-pounds before Brock Horton (Towanda, PA/Athens) won 6-1 over Aaron Freidhof at 133. Thomas Stokes (Bensalem, PA/Bensalem) took a 16-6 major decision over Jayson Cody at 141 and Cody Dix (Egg Harbor, NJ/Egg Harbor Township) continued the extra-point wins for Wilkes pinning his opponent in 1:49 at 149-pounds as the Colonels led 19-0 after four bouts. Allen Kokilananda (Annandale, VA/Annandale) added a major decision (16-7) at 157 and Nicholas Racanelli (West Creek, NJ/Southern Regional) finished off the scoring for Wilkes pinning Kyle York in 1:15 at 165.
 
The momentum continued in the Colonels next match of the day as Wilkes scored extra-point wins in five of eight bouts against host McDaniel. Racanelli added his second fall of the day in 4:42 while Moustafa Almeky (Shavertown, PA/Dallas) earned the other Colonel fall in the match at 197-pounds in 4:25. Kyle Medrow (West Chester, PA/West Chester Henderson) and Ashton Gyenizs (Madison, CT/Daniel Hand) both posted major decisions at 149-pounds and 174-pounds respectively. John Ritter (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) rounded out the extra-point winners for Wilkes scoring a 15-0 technical fall over Wade Bishop at 157-pounds. Kyle Trout (Mount Laurel, NJ/Lenape) (125), Stokes (141), and Roger Horton (Towanda, Pa./Athens) (285) all recorded decision wins to finish off the 26-point victory.
 
Ferrum opened the match with a technical fall at 125 followed by a decision win at 133 to take an 8-0 lead. Stokes put Wilkes on the board with a 4-3 win at 141-pounds to cut into the lead at 8-3. After another Ferrum decision at 149, Ritter pinned Austin Smith at 157 as Wilkes trailed 11-9 after five bouts. Cole Walters (Mifflintown, PA/Juniata) gave the Colonels its first lead of the match after a 5-2 decision at 165 as Wilkes led 12-11. Ferrum took back the advantage with back-to-back decisions at 174 and 184 leading 17-12 with two bouts remaining. Almeky kept things close with a huge 5-4 decision over national qualifier Antavian Leary as Wilkes trailed by only two at 17-15 heading into the final bout of the match. There Ferrum closed out the win with a 7-3 decision at heavyweight.
 
Wilkes remains idle until next Saturday when the Colonels travel to Elizabethtown College for a dual match starting at 12:00 p.m.
 
Ferrum 20, Wilkes 15
125: Jalen White (F) tech. fell N. Bauer 16-2 (1:37); (5-0)
133: Levi Englman (F) dec. B. Horton 7-4; (8-0)
141: T. Stokes (W) dec. Javiaughn Basnight 4-3; (8-3)
149: Collin Saunders (F) dec. M. Madden-Edwards 9-4; (11-3)
157: J. Ritter (W) pinned Austin Smith 1:21; (11-9)
165: C. Walters (W) dec. Christian Hite 5-2; (11-12)
174: Blake Rosenbaum (F) dec. A. Gyenizs 9-8; (14-12)
184: Braden Homsey (F) dec. M. Judge 7-3; (17-12)
197: M. Almeky (W) dec. Antavian Leary 5-4; (17-15)
HWT: Alveno Matthews (F) dec. R. Horton 7-3; (20-15)
 
Wilkes 35, Southern Virginia 16
125: N. Bauer (W) won by forfeit; (6-0)
133: B. Horton (W) dec. Aaron Freidhof 6-1; (9-0)
141: T. Stokes (W) maj. dec. Jayson Cody 16-6; (13-0)
149: C. Dix (W) pinned Ethan Workman 1:49; (19-0)
157: A. Kokilananda (W) maj. dec. Brooks Fletcher 16-7; (23-0)
165: N. Racanelli (W) pinned Kyle York 1:15; (29-0)
174: Keaton Gomez (S) maj. dec. J. DeBoard 15-3; (29-4)
184: A. Gyenizs (W) pinned Kage Tomlin 0:26; (35-4)
197: Matthew Speelman (S) pinned A. Cominsky 1:31; (35-10)
HWT: Alexnader Brunner (S) pinned J. Huling 0:30; (35-16)
 
Wilkes 34, McDaniel 8
125: K. Trout (W) dec. Nicholas Malinowski 4-2; (3-0)
133: Ryker Eckenbarger (M) maj. dec. B. Horton 19-7; (3-4)
141: T. Stokes (W) dec. Isaiah Edmond 7-4; (6-4)
149: K. Medrow (W) maj. dec. Skyler Minutelli 9-0; (10-4)
157: J. Ritter (W) tech. fell Wade Bishop 15-0 (7:00); (15-4)
165: N. Racanelli (W) pinned Garrett Vandevalk 4:42; (21-4)
174: A. Gyenizs (W) maj. dec. Neal Rinker 12-1; (25-4)
184: Ronnie Wuest (M) maj. dec. A. Santana-Quintana 13-2; (25-8)
197: M. Almeky (W) pinned Jaime Rodriguez 4:25; (31-8)
HWT: R. Horton (W) dec. Chris Hauffman 7-2. (34-8)