WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University Colonels hosted seven other squads at the Marts Center for the John Reese Duals Sunday morning.  The Colonels started the day wrestling against No. 19 RIT, then PSU-Behrend, and wrapped the day with a dual against Oneonta.
 
The Colonels (8-9) fell 47-0 to No. 19 RIT before winning 51-6 against PSU-Behrend and then emerging with a 24-19 victory against Oneonta.
 
In the first match, the Colonels found themselves down early against the ranked RIT squad, down 18-0 after a forfeit, a fall, and a pair of unfavorable decisions.  A RIT pin at 157-pounds effectively put the match out of reach for the Colonels, and a tech fall with a riding time point at 165-pounds clinched the match for RIT.
 
The Colonels bounced back with a strong showing against PSU-Behrend.  Sophomore Liam Flaherty (Needmore, PA/Southern Fulton) earned a technical fall at 2:41 to put the Colonels up 23-6 after the 157-pound match, then senior Cole Walters (Mifflintown, PA/Juniata) scored a 21-10 major decision at 165-pounds.  Sophomore Xavier Barber (Shavertown, PA/Dallas)s clinched the match for the Colonels with a fall at 174-pounds.  Freshman Brady Mitchell (Bowdoin, ME/Mount Ararat) finished the match with a pin at 0:49.
 
Sophomore Nicholas Bauer (Coplay, PA/Wyoming Seminary) started off the last match of the day against Oneonta at 125-pounds with a fall at 3:33.  The Red Dragons answered with a fall of their own at 133-pounds, but the Colonels struck back with a fall at 141-pounds courtesy of senior Kyle Medrow (West Chester, PA/West Chester Henderson) at the 2:05 mark.  After the Red Dragons closed within three, Flaherty earned a 5-4 decision off of riding time to extend the lead to 15-9.  A major decision cut the lead back down to two before freshman John Devito (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central) earned a fall at the 1:09 mark to extend the lead back to eight after the 174-pound match. 
 
The Red Dragons cut the lead to two heading into the heavyweight bout after a pair of decisions.  Junior Roger Horton (Towanda, Pa./Athens) clinched the match with a 4-2 decision to give the Colonels their second victory of the day.
 
The Colonels return to action Friday, January 31 as they travel to Williamsport, Pa. for a 7:00 p.m. dual with Penn College.  The Colonels are 6-0 in the live stats era versus the Wildcats. 
 
Results are listed below:
 
No. 19 RIT 47, Wilkes 0
125 – C. Dean (R) wins by forfeit 
133 – C. Horton (R) fall J. Bauer (W), 6:27
141 – S. Murphy (R) dec K. Medrow (W), 8-7
149 – J. Ost (R) dec C. Dix (W), 8-3
157 – K. Winters (R) fall L. Flaherty (W), 1:38
165 – D. King (R) tech fall X. Barber (W), 19-4 (7:00) 
174 – B. Dougherty (R) dec J. Devito (W), 4-2 (OT)
184 – C. Giroux (R) fall B. Mitchell, 4:24
197 – J. Donohue (R) dec M. Almeky (W), 3-0
285 – S. Weinger (R) fall J. Leszcynski (W), 1:01
 
Wilkes 51, PSU-Behrend 6 
125 – M. Binni (P) won by forfeit
133 -  J. Bauer (W) won by forfeit
141- K. Medrow (W) won by forfeit
149- C. Dix (W) won by forfeit
157- L. Flaherty (W) tech fall W. Brown (P), 17-1 (2:41)
165- C. Walters (W) major dec T. Speraw (P), 21-10
174- X. Barber (W) fall J. McCall (P), 2:49
184 - B. Mitchell (W) fall B. Himes (P), 0:49
197 - M. Almeky (W) won by forfeit
285 - R. Horton (W) won by forfeit
 
Wilkes 24, Oneonta 19 
125 – N. Bauer (W) fall T. Skala (O), 3:33
133- A. DeSousa (O) fall J. Bauer (W), 4:08
141- K. Medrow (W) fall A. Chu (O), 2:05
149- T. Brazinski (O) dec C. Dix (W), 6-1
157- L. Flaherty (W) dec E. Brach (O), 5-4
165- T. Marrone (O) major dec X. Barber (W), 10-2
174- J. Devito (W) fall K. Jorgensen (O), 1:06
184- S. Bilali (O) dec B. Mitchell (W), 8-2
197- J. Innocent (O) dec M. Almeky (W), 7-4
285- R. Horton (W) dec J. Pine (O), 4-2
 
Exhibitions:
149 - M. Shaffer (W)  major dec C. Murphy (R), 11-0
157 - I. Houck (R) major dec A. Kokilananda (W), 10-1
149 - K. Tino (W) won by medical forfeit
141 - A. Rua (N) dec D. O'Connor (W), 4-1
197 - E. St. Germain (Sp) fall J. Leszcynski (W), 2:34 
184- T. Rathbun (O) fall D. Tallant (W) 2:11
149- M. Shaffer (W) major dec. L. Larame (O) 16-4