Friday Wrestling results
Northern Illinois 19, Kent State 17
Navy 31, Bloomsburg 10
Clarion 30, Gardner-Webb 11
Northern Illinois 20, Ohio 17
Edinboro 26, George Mason 13
Clarion 29, Campbell 12
 

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Recaps courtesy of Athletic Communications Departments

Northern Illinois Wins MAC Battles Against Kent, Ohio
DeKALB, Ill.— A pair of close battles inside NIU's Victor E. Court as the Northern Illinois University Huskies wrestling team defeated Kent State and Ohio in Mid-American Conference duals this evening. The Huskies (7-5, 3-0 MAC) defeated the Golden Flashes of Kent State (5-5, 1-3 MAC), 19-17, before handing the Bobcats of Ohio (4-3, 1-2 MAC) a 20-17 loss.

NIU has won the last seven meetings against Kent State and the last four matches against Ohio.
 
Tommy Bennett had one of the biggest upsets as he defeated Ohio's Garrett Thompson at 174 pounds. Bennett posted a 6-5 decision win over No. 13/10 Thompson.
 
Blake West, Markel Baker, Charles Curtis, Brett Smith, and Devon Dawson all went 2-0 in action this evening.
 
Smith got the first win of the evening for the Huskies against the Golden Flashes as his bout at 165 went into sudden victory. Smith got a takedown in the second overtime period to win 4-1. The Golden Flashes won three matches in a row, including a technical fall and a fall win.
 
Dawson, who is ranked No. 20/24, was the second Huskie to see their match go to sudden victory. Dawson outlasted NR/No. 32 Brentan Simmerman in the only bout to feature a pair of ranked opponents via a 7-4 decision. West, who lands in the rankings at No. 30/22, posted a 5-2 decision in his match against Nico Calello. Baker, No. 29/16, added the third straight victory for NIU, defeating Nick Molchak in a 4-2 decision.
 
Curtis put the Huskies within a win with a major decision over Landen Duncan. In the deciding match, Collin Arch took on Silas Stits. Arch outlasted Stits, claiming the 7-3 decision at 149 pounds.
 
In the second match of the evening, Smith got the first win for the Huskies in a defensive battle against Jack Lledo. Smith posted a 2-0 decision at 165 pounds before Bennett took the mat against No. 13/10 Thompson.
 
Ohio took the next two bouts against the Huskies via technical fall as they took a 14-6 lead over the Huskies. Dawson earned his second technical fall of the season, defeating Wyatt Schmitt 23-6, 5:45. West had his second defensive battle of the night, posting a 10-4 decision at 125 pounds.

Baker added a 10-3 decision at 133 pounds for the Huskies while Curtis had the final win of the evening for NIU, defeating Kolton Barker in a 4-2 decision.


Clarion Sweeps Tri-Matte with Campbell, Gardner-Webb
BUIES CREEK, N.C. -- The Golden Eagles wrestling team traveled to Campbell for their second tri-meet of the season. They completed the sweep first over Gardner-Webb (30-11) and then over Campbell (29-12).

Alejandro Herrera-Rondon was the biggest key in changing the tide of the match in favor of the Golden Eagles, starting the first of 5 consecutive victories for Clarion. A quick takedown followed by four near-fall points for Tucker Cell put the Gardner-Webb wrestler up 7-0 within the first 40 seconds of the match. Cell would gather another four near-fall points shortly after increasing his lead to 11-0 with just over a minute into the match. Herrera-Rondon was able to get a last second escape to put himself on the board to close out the 1st period down 11-1. Cell chose neutral to start the 2nd period and Herrera-Rondon quickly made him pay for that by shooting in on a single leg then went for a cradle before finishing the takedown by switching off to a double leg. He then went to work on top by trying an armbar and eventually got Cell in a half-nelson and secured the fall for the Golden Eagles! The Golden Eagles regained the lead over the Runnin' Bulldogs 16-11 and went on to win the final four matches of the dual meet.

Gabe Lilly was the next man in the chain of victories for the Golden Eagles at 174 pounds. After Isiah Guerrero secured the first points of the match with an early takedown, Lilly bounced back with an escape and a takedown of his own to take a 4-3 lead in the 1st period. Guerrero tied the match with an escape of his own, and the match remained 4-4 at the end of the 1st period. Lilly deferred his choice to the final period, and Guerrero chose the bottom position. Midway through the 2nd period Guerrero earned an escape and Lilly followed it up with another takedown via a snap down and go behind to take the 7-5 lead. A ride out from Lilly kept the score the same entering the final period. Lilly chose the down position to start the period earning a quick escape to increase his lead to 8-5. In the waning seconds of the final period, Lilly earned another takedown via a snap and go behind along with a riding time point to secure his decision victory 12-5. Lilly's victory increased the Golden Eagles lead to 19-11.

At 184 pounds, Adrian Gacek took the mat for the Golden Eagles. The first period started off slow with some superb leg defense from Gacek but ended in fireworks as he secured two takedowns in the last 40 seconds of the first period to take an early 6-1 lead. Gacek chose the bottom position to start the 2nd period, earning an escape midway through the period. Gacek then got back on the offense, getting deep on a single leg shot before switching to a double to finish off another takedown and increasing his lead to 10-1. A late reversal by Hadyn Danals and a ride out cut the lead to 10-3. Danals elected the bottom position to start the final period, earning a reversal on Gacek to cut the lead further to 10-5. Gacek wasn't finished yet; he earned an escape and then a quick takedown to give himself a 14-5 lead. Danals escaped before the end of the match, but Gacek secured the major decision victory 14-6 giving the Golden Eagles a 12-point lead heading into the final two matches.

Ethan Wiant came out for the Golden Eagles at 197 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Wiant deferred his choice to the final period, and Gardner Webb's Josh McCutchen chose the bottom position. McCutchen earned a quick escape on Wiant but midway through the 2nd period, he was hit for stalling. The score remained the same heading into the final period where Wiant chose down and got a quick escape of his own. Wiant, knowing that McCutchen had a stall warning against him, began to push the pace. With 54 seconds McCutchen was hit with his second stall warning of the match, giving Wiant the 2-1 lead. He was able to defend McCutchen's offensive attempts and secure a 2-1 decision victory, increasing the Golden Eagles lead to 26-11.

John Meyers was the final match of the dual meet for the Golden Eagles at 285 pounds. He didn't take his time going to work as a mere 4 seconds into the match he earned his first takedown via a snatch single. Meyers quickly let Eddie Flores up and secured another takedown in the first period, riding a 6-2 lead heading into the 2nd period. Meyers chose the neutral position and went right back to work earning a double leg takedown to start the period and another one midway through the period to increase his lead to 12-2. The final period the score remained the same and John Meyers gained the major decision victory 13-2 after a riding time point was added at the end. The Golden Eagles won the dual 30-11.

Travis Clawson opened the match with a forfeit giving the Golden Eagles the early 6-0 lead over the Runnin' Bulldogs. Joey Fischer was next up for the Golden Eagles and dropped his match against TK Davis losing by a 14-3 major decision, putting Gardner Webb on the board and making it a 6-4 match. Scott Johnson came out next for the Golden Eagles at 141 pounds. After a slow start to the 1st period, Johnson started the scoring first with a takedown inside 40 seconds to go in the 1st period. An escape by Gardner-Webb's Charlie Sly with 18 seconds left rounded out the scoring in the 1st period with Johnson ahead by a score of 3-1. Johnson deferred his choice to the 3rd period and Sly selected the bottom position. Midway through the period Sly escaped cutting Johnson's lead to just one point, but Johnson would fire back in the last 20 seconds with his second takedown of the match to end the 2nd period up 6-2. He then selected down to start the final period earning a quick escape. Johnson added two more takedowns in the final period along with a riding time point to claim the major decision victory 14-4. Clarion increased its lead to 10-4 heading into the 149-pound match.

The next two matches ended in defeat for the Golden Eagles. Oliver Fairchild competed in a hard-fought match against Gardner Webb's Drew Pepin, but ultimately riding time was the difference as Pepin secured the 4-3 decision victory. Wesley Barnes dropped his match at 157 pounds by way of an 11-2 major decision victory for Joey Giordano as Gardner Webb gained the lead 11-10.

The highlight of the second match came way of Gabe Lilly, who looked to continue his offensive output at 174 pounds. He started fast with a single leg takedown on Ryan Bolletino just 30 seconds into the match. Bolletino earned an escape from Lilly, and the score was 3-1 heading into the 2nd period. Lilly chose neutral looking to continue his offensive output from the first period and the previous match. Bolletino earned a point from a stall call on Lilly for fleeing the mat. After the restart back in the center, Lilly got right back to work earning his second takedown of the match to give himself a 6-2 lead. Bolletino fired back with a late reversal to cut Lilly's lead in half, and the score was 6-4 entering the final period. Bolletino selected neutral as a takedown would give him the lead. He went in for a pancake attempt quickly into the start of the final period, but Lilly would end up hitting him with his own pancake and send Bolletino to his back where the match ended in pinfall  victory (5:16)  for Lilly his third as a Golden Eagle and increasing the lead to 26-3.

The second match against Campbell began once again at 125 pounds with a Travis Clawson victory via forfeit to give the Golden Eagles the early 6-0 lead. The Golden Eagles then rattled off three straight victories starting with Joey Fischer at 133 pounds against Campbell's Logan Heil. Fischer got to his offense early scoring two takedowns in the first period and quickly built a 6-2 lead. He then deferred his choice to the 3rd period, and Heil chose the bottom position. Heil earned an escape 30 seconds into the period to make it a takedown match, but Fischer kept his momentum rolling from the first period and hit a beautiful lateral drop at the end of the period to increase his lead to 9-3. He then looked to continue that momentum by choosing neutral to begin the final period, however Heil wouldn't go down without a fight earning a quick takedown to begin the period. Fischer escaped shortly after and added a riding time point to the end of his match to secure an 11-6 decision victory and 3 points for the Golden Eagles to make it a 9-0 lead.

Keagan Oler made his dual meet debut for the Golden Eagles at 141 pounds. He fell behind early in the first period after a takedown by Campbell's Zander Phaturos but earned a quick escape and the score remained 3-1 for the rest of the period. Phaturos selected the bottom position and earned a quick escape to start the 2nd period, increasing his lead to 4-1. Late in the period Oler tied the match on a double leg takedown with 12 seconds to go in the period. Oler then began the final period in the down position, earning a quick escape to take a 5-4 lead. He would continue to work offense and earned another takedown against Phaturos this time with an ankle pick. Phaturos escaped with 20 seconds left in the period, but Oler came out victorious via an 8-5 decision victory. The Golden Eagles increased their lead to 12-0.

The former Fighting Camel, now Golden Eagle Oliver Fairchild, was next up at 149 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Fairchild chose the down position to start the 2nd period and earned a quick reversal to gain a 2-0 lead. A stall call by Jason Kennedy at the end of the 2nd period further increased Fairchild's lead to 3-0. Kennedy chose neutral to start the final period as a takedown from him would even the score at 3. But it was Fairchild who brought the offense with a blast double leg takedown midway through the final period that took Kennedy to his back, adding four near-fall points along with it to take a 10-0 lead. The match closed with a Kennedy escape and a riding time point for Fairchild, who earned the major decision victory 11-1, coming back to his former school. Clarion's lead increased to 16-0.

Cody Hamilton looked to get a win in his dual meet debut for the Golden Eagles, but dropped a tough match to Campbell's Kendrick Hodge 7-4. Hodge put the Fighting Camels on the board, but Clarion still led 16-3.

The Golden Eagles ripped off another run of three straight victories, starting at 165 pounds with Alejandro Herrera-Rondon. Herrera-Rondon started fast with a double leg takedown in the 1st period and rode out Campbell's Talon Maple the rest of the period, accumulating over 2 minutes of riding time. Herrera-Rondon chose the bottom position to begin the 2nd period. Midway through the period, he earned a reversal and again rode Maple to the end of the period and earned another point for a second stall call against Maple, increasing his lead to 6-0. Maple selected the neutral position to begin the 3rd period, and Herrera-Rondon kept the pressure on him, earning another point for a third stall call against Maple. He then secured a takedown and a riding time point to add a second bonus point victory for him tonight. He won the match by an 11-0 major decision and further increased the lead to 20-3.


Edinboro Tops George Mason in MAC Dual
Fairfax, Va. – The Edinboro wrestling team won the final five bouts of the night to rally past host George Mason 26-13 in MAC Dual action Friday night.
 
The Scots trailed 13-5 at the halfway mark in the dual with Ryan Michaels putting up the only team points via an 18-1 tech fall over Anthony Basile in 4:31 at 149 pounds.
 
Ryan Burgos found himself trailing 10-1 after the first period at 165, but rallied with an escape, a take down, and four near fall points to tie Drew Dickinson 10-10 after two. Dickinson escaped to open the third, grabbing an 11-10 advantage. Burgos scored a take down in a late scramble and put Dickinson on his back for the fall, pulling the Scots within 13-11 in the dual.
 
At 174, Tate Geiser and Logan Messer were scoreless after the first period. Messer opened the scoring with an escape at the beginning of the second. Geiser scored the match's first and only takedown, and Messer escaped again to send it to the third with the Scot holding a 3-2 advantage. Geiser chose down and escaped to make it 4-2 and held off a late surge from Messer to claim the decision.
 
Jared McGill kept the ball rolling for the Scots, facing off with Malachi DuVall in a ranked matchup with McGill at No. 16 and DuVall at No. 27. The match lived up to the hype as both wrestlers had shots in a scoreless first. McGill scored a reversal in the second, and DuVall escaped to send it to the third with the Scot ahead 2-1. DuVall scored a reversal of his own to grab a 3-2 lead, and McGill escaped, tying the bout at 3-3. The match moved to sudden victory, and it was McGill that scored the decisive take down to take the 6-3 decision and put the Scots up 17-13 in the team score.
 
Brody Evans notched a take down in the first against Jack Kelly to take a 3-1 lead into the second. An escape and a penalty point tied the score 3-3 before Evans notched another take down. Kelly escaped before the period ended to cut the lead to 6-4. Evans scored an escape in the third and picked up the riding time point to claim an 8-4 decision and clinching the dual for the Scots.
 
Roe closed out the match with a bang for the Scots, scoring a first-period fall over Herbert Billups to set the final at 26-13.

The Scots return to action on Saturday with a 2 p.m. dual at Rider.