ELIZABETHTOWN, PA – The Wilkes University wrestling team dropped a tight dual match 24-22 to host Elizabethtown College Friday night at Thompson Gymnasium.

The Colonels held a 22-13 lead with two matches remaining but the Blue Jays were able to win the final three bouts to overtake Wilkes. Wilkes dropped to 0-2 in dual matches on the season while Elizabethtown improved to 1-1.

The dual match started at 165-pounds as Brian Schneider, ranked fourth in the Mid-East Region by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), picked up a second period fall over first year Jaryn Hartranft (Catasauqua, PA/Catasauqua) in the second period to put Elizabethtown up 6-0.

James Geiger (Dallas, PA/Dallas), ranked second in the Southeast Region by the NWCA, put the Colonels on the board with a 12-7 decision at 174 over Ganon Smith as Wilkes trailed 6-3. Will Davis, ranked sixth in the Mid-East Region, defeated John Devito (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central) by a 6-3 decision at 184 to put the Blue Jays ahead 9-3.

Cameron Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton), ranked 13th nationally by the NWCA and third in the Southeast Region, picked up a 10-2 major decision for Wilkes at 197-pounds. The sophomore defeated Tyler Phenegar who is ranked sixth in the Mid-East Region to make the score 9-7.

Caleb Burkhart (Hughesville, PA/Hughesville) then gave Wilkes the lead in the match at 13-9 with a fall 58 seconds in to his 285-pound bout over Jimmy Yeingst. Burkhart is ranked fifth in the Southeast Region.

Austin Fashouer (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) made three wins in a row for the Colonels. Ranked 10th nationally at 125, the sophomore picked up a technical fall by a 16-1 score over Ethan Liptzin to make the score 18-9 in favor of Wilkes.

Scotty Reagan won a 12-3 major decision at 133-pounds to close the score to 18-13 as he defeated Cadden Kucek (Forty Fort, PA/Wyoming Valley West).

Jack Bauer (Ringoes, NJ/Hunterdon Central) then scored an 8-0 major decision over Zach Rupp in the 141-pound bout as the senior put Wilkes ahead 22-13. Bauer is ranked fifth in the Southeast Region.

Shane Strausser started the Blue Jays late rally with a 15-0 technical fall at 149 over first year Ben Grater (Saddle Brooke, NJ/Saddle Brook) to make the score 22-18. Dorian Gonzalez, ranked fourth at 157 in the Mid-East Region, then completed the comeback for Elizabethtown with a third-period fall at 6:32 over first year Nikko Partsanakis (/Media, PA) to win the match 24-22.

Wilkes is back in action on Sunday for three dual matches at the Dr. Sam Case Duals hosted by McDaniel College in Westminster, Md. The Colonels will face Johns Hopkins and the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford at noon and the host McDaniel at 3:00 p.m.

Elizabethtown 24, WU 22
165 – B. Schneider (E) fall J. Hartranft (W) 4:49
174 – J. Geiger (W) dec. G. Smith (E) 12-7
184 – W. Davis (E) dec. J. Devito (W) 6-3
197 – C. Butka (W) major dec. T. Phenegar (E) 10-2
285 – C. Burkhart (W) fall J. Yeingst (E) 0:58
125 – A. Fashouer (W) tech. fall E. Liptzin (E) 16-1, 7:00
133 – S. Reagan (E) major dec. C. Kucek (W) 12-3
141 – J. Bauer (W) major dec. Z. Rupp (E) 8-0
149 – S. Strausser (E) tech. fall B. Grater (W) 15-0, 5:00
157 – D. Gonzalez (E) fall N. Partsanakis (W) 6:32
 
Exhibition:
133 – O. Heffner (E) dec. S. Kimmel (W) 6-0