WILKES-BARRE – Leading after six bouts, the Wilkes University men's wrestling team was unable to hold onto the advantage as No. 14 Elizabethtown College posted a 30-15 victory over the Colonels Tuesday night at the Marts Center.
 
Wilkes dropped to 1-2 in dual matches on the season while Elizabethtown earned its first dual match victory standing 1-1 on the year.
 
Elizabethtown took a 3-0 lead when Deven Jackson outlasted Gus Smith (Royersford, PA/Springford) at 125-pounds with a 7-3 decision. The Blue Jays lead grew to 8-0 after a technical fall at 133-pounds when Corey Cope cruised to a 16-0 technical fall over Connor Kerwin (Totowa, NJ/Passaic Valley).
 
At 141-pounds, Ashton Romberger (Chambersburg, PA/Chambersburg) put the Colonels right back into the match when he pinned Braden Scott in 2:19 to cut the advantage to 8-6. Ben Grater (Saddle Brooke, NJ/Saddle Brook) completed the comeback when he earned a hard-fought 9-3 decision over Stephen Bialek at 149-pounds giving Wilkes a 9-8 lead after four bouts.
 
Jaryn Hartranft (Catasauqua, PA/Catasauqua) added to the lead in quick fashion at 157-pounds as he pinned Alex Hart in 1:15 to push the Colonel lead to 15-8. Elizabethtown responded with a major decision victory at 165-pounds as Justice Hockenberry-Folk bested Colton Thorpe (Southington, CT/Southington) 11-0. Elizabethtown trailed 15-12 with four bouts remaining.
 
At 174-pounds Gavin Fehr and Omari Watson (Clayton, NJ/Clayton) showed the best bout of the night with Fehr holding on for a 6-5 decision win tying the match at 15 in the process.
 
Gannon Smith, the top wrestler in the country at 184-pounds, won by technical fall 18-2 in 5:16 over Souleymane Diarra (Philadelphia, PA/Overbrook) before Will Davis secured the match win for the Blue Jays with an 18-1 technical fall in 2:58 over Xaidan Schock at 197-pounds.
 
Elizabethtown's Ksawery Niewadomy finished off the team points for the Blue Jays earning a 21-2 technical fall in 3:14 at heavyweight.
 
Wilkes will remain idle through the Thanksgiving holiday before traveling to Elizabethtown to compete in the Blue Jay Classic on Saturday, December 6 at 9:00 a.m.
 
Elizabethtown 30, Wilkes 15
125 – Deven Jackson (E) dec. G. Smith (W) 7-3
133 – Corey Cope (E) tech. fall C. Kerwin (W) 16-0 (5:29)
141 – A. Romberger (W) fall Braden Scott (E) 2:19
149 – B. Grater (W) dec. Stephen Bialek (E) 9-3
157 – J. Hartranft (W) fall Alex Hart (E) 1:15
165 – Justice Hockenberry-Folk (E) major dec. C. Thorpe (W) 11-0
174 – Gavin Fehr (E) dec. O. Watson (W) 6-5
184 – Gannon Smith (E) tech. fall S. Diarra (W) 18-2 (5:16)
197 – Will Davis (E) tech. fall X. Schock (W) 18-1 (2:58)
285 – Ksawery Niewadomy (E) tech. fall L. Abilio (W) 21-2 (3:14)