WESTMINSTER, MD – The Wilkes University wrestling team went 2-1 overall at the Dr. Sam Case Duals hosted by McDaniel College on Sunday afternoon. The Colonels picked up a 24-23 win against Johns Hopkins University and a 35-15 win against the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. McDaniel defeated Wilkes 23-22, picking up an extra team point for more falls in the match to earn the tiebreak.

Wilkes is now 2-3 overall in dual matches this season.

The Colonels only won four of the 10 bouts against Johns Hopkins but used four pins to edge the Blue Jays by one point, 24-23. Austin Fashouer (Scranton, PA/West Scranton), ranked tenth at 125-pounds by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), picked up a fall at the 2:22 mark over Dhilan Patel to put Wilkes ahead 6-0. Following a decision win for the Blue Jays, Jack Bauer (Ringoes, NJ/Hunterdon Central) won by a fall at 4:02 at 141-pounds over Alex Tinana to make the score 12-3 Wilkes.

A technical fall at 149, decision at 157, decision at 165, decision at 174, and fall at 184 for Johns Hopkins pushed them into the lead 23-12.

Cameron Butka (Scranton, PA/West Scranton), ranked 13th at 197-pounds by the NWCA, pinned John Libby at the 5:42 mark to close the score to 23-18 with one bout remaining. Caleb Burkhart (Hughesville, PA/Hughesville) then completed the Colonel's comeback as he picked up a fall at the 1:35 mark over Will Shiber to earn Wilkes six points and the 24-23 victory.

As the Colonels main lineup was battling with Johns Hopkins the Wilkes reserves were facing off on another mat against Pitt-Bradford. The Colonels would take seven of the 10 bouts in the 35-15 win.

The Panthers went ahead 3-0 with a decision victory at 125-pounds. Cadden Kucek (Forty Fort, PA/Wyoming Valley West) was awarded a forfeit win at 133 to put Wilkes ahead 6-3. Caden Temple (Orangeville, PA/Benton) then won by fall over Darren Christian at 4:35 to make the score 12-3 Colonels following the 141-pound bout. The Colonels fourth first year grappler in a row to start the match was Braden Sitton (Cross Junction, VA/James Wood) and he pinned Raymond Worsen at 149-pounds at the 3:59 mark to make the Wilkes lead 18-3.

Pitt-Bradford won by fall at 157-pounds to make it 18-9 but Wilkes answered back with a fall of its own at 165-pounds as Charles Everdale (Freeland, PA/Hazleton Area) pinned Kyle Keefe in 4:49 to make it 24-9. Another fall by the Panthers at 174 made it 24-15 with three bouts left.

Christopher Nuss (Gore, VA/James Wood) won with a 10-3 decision at 184-pounds over Jayden Lassiter to make the Colonels lead 27-15. Hunter Lowe's (Westminster, MD/Winters Mill) 16-1 technical fall at the 6:01 mark of the 197-pound bout clinched the match for the Colonels and Nevin Rauch (New Columbia, PA/Milton) used a 3-1 decision at 285 over Cameron Carter-Green to end the match with a 35-15 score in favor of Wilkes.

Wilkes finished the day with a dual against the host McDaniel. Each side won five bouts and the two teams tied on points at 22-22 but the Green Terror were awarded an additional team point as it went to the second tiebreaker of most falls. McDaniel had two falls compared to one for Wilkes.

Fashouer started the match with a 10-2 major decision over Alex DuFour at 125-pounds to put Wilkes up 4-0. A decision at 133 by McDaniel made it 4-3. Bauer then made it 8-3 with a major decision at 141 by a 14-5 score over Joe McKneely. A major decision, decision, and fall at 149, 157, and 165 put the Green Terror ahead 16-8.

James Geiger (Dallas, PA/Dallas) picked up a 4-3 decision over Michael Bromley at 174-pounds to make the score 16-11. A fall by Nuss at 184-pounds over Yoann Olympio in 2:03 put Wilkes ahead 17-16. McDaniel answered with a fall at 197 to retake the lead at 22-17. Burkhart then earned a technical fall with a 17-2 score at the 5:32 mark of the 285-pound bout over Eric Ward which tied the match at 22-22.

McDaniel earned the extra team point thanks to pins by Alex LaVeck and Jaedyn Harris.

Wilkes returns to the match to compete at the Blue Jay Classic hosted by Elizabethtown College on Saturday, December 3.

WU 24, Johns Hopkins 23
125 – A. Fashouer (W) fall Dhilan Patel (J) 2:22
133 – B. Lorin (J) dec. S. Kimmel (W) 12-5
141 – J. Bauer (W) fall A. Tinana (J) 4:02
149 – C. Powell (J) tech. fall B. Grater (W) 17-2, 7:00
157 – J. Osborne (J) dec. N. Partsanakis (W) 4-3
165 – J. Hoffman (J) dec. J. Hartranft (W) 10-4
174 – J. Paul (J) dec. J. Geiger (W) 5-3
184 – G. Walnona (J) fall J. Devito (W) 6:11
197 – C. Butka (W) fall J. Libby (J) 5:42
285 – C. Burkhart (W) fall W. Shiber (J) 1:35
 
WU 35, Pitt-Bradford 15
125 – J. Bumpers (P) dec. A. Albino (W) 10-7
133 – C. Kucek (W) won by forfeit
141 – C. Temple (W) fall D. Christian (P) 4:35
149 – B. Sitton (W) fall R. Worsen (P) 3:59
157 – E. Hernandez (P) fall T. DuBoff (W) 3:16
165 – C. Everdale (W) fall K. Keefe (P) 4:49
174 – D. Slovick (P) fall S. Diarra (W)
184 – C. Nuss (W) dec. J. Lassiter (P) 10-3
197 – H. Lowe (W) tech. fall N. Powley (P) 16-1, 6:05
285 – N. Rauch (W) dec. C. Carter-Green (P) 4-1
 
McDaniel 23, WU 22 *
125 – A. Fashouer (W) major dec. A. DuFour (M) 10-2
133 – R. Tsai (M) dec. S. Kimmel (W) 10-3
141 – J. Bauer (W) major dec. J. McKneely (M) 14-5
149 – T. Monn (M) major dec. B. Sitton (W) 15-4
157 – X. Howard (M) dec. N. Partsanakis (W) 7-6
165 – A. LaVeck (M) fall C. Everdale (W) 2:33
174 – J. Geiger (W) dec. M. Bromley (M) 4-3
184 – C. Nuss (W) fall Y. Olympio (M) 2:03
197 – J. Harris (M) fall C. Butka (W) 8:23
285 – C. Burkhart (W) tech. fall E. Ward (M) 17-2, 5:32
* McDaniel gets an additional point and wins based on the second tiebreaker (number of falls – McDaniel 2, Wilkes 1)
 
Exhibitions:
125 – A. Albino (W) dec. Cocca (Lycoming) 9-5
285 – West (Lycoming) fall T. Gitski (W)
125 – M. Martin (W) fall Robinson (M)
174 – Graber (J) dec. S. Diarra (W) 14-12
157 – Allen (M) dec. T. DuBoff (W) 12-6
184 – Kenny (Lycoming) fall A. Perez (W)
174 – Hirtzel (J) fall S. Diarra (W)
197 – Ward (M) fall D. Tallant (W)
197 – H. Lowe (W) major dec. Gayle (M) 14-0
285 – N. Rauch (W dec. West (Lycoming) 9-3