Senior Jake Benczo went 3-0 with two pins, including the match-clinching fall against Washington & Jefferson, as the Jackets dominated a trio of opponents during Saturday's quad-match.
WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Jan. 10) – In front of some of the program's greatest alumni, the 2008 Waynesburg University wrestling team demolished a pair of non-conference opponents and also broke a five-season Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) losing streak during a quad-match on Saturday at the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse.
With members of the Murdock/Conklin Men, a loyal group of Yellow Jacket wrestling supporters, in attendance, the host team put together a sound 29-15 victory over Washington & Jefferson, and followed that by dismantling Washington & Lee and Gettysburg.
After not competing since Dec. 13, the Jackets improved their dual match record to 6-1 on the season and won their first PAC match since 2003-2004. They also beat W&J that season.
A pair of former PAC Wrestlers of the Week, Rico Borz of Waynesburg and Zach Cecchetti of W&J kicked things off at 125 pounds. Though Borz lost a 7-2 decision to the President freshman, he did not yield any bonus points, something that the 21-6 Cecchetti has very rarely failed to accomplish.
Down 3-0, sophomore Nick Garber, who is ranked sixth nationally by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), put the Jackets ahead 6-3 by pinning sophomore Brandon Sansom in just 1:32. Following Garber's 11th fall of the year, the Jackets never trailed in any match during the rest of the day.
Sophomore Pat McCabe earned the first win on the day with an 11-3 major decision over Nick Centra at 141 pounds to push Waynesburg ahead 10-3.
First-year Jacket Jesse Byerly showed no ill effects after missing time due to a shoulder injury as he earned an 8-4 decision over talented W&J freshman Dominic Demor at 149. Freshman Jared Roberts followed with a pin at 157 to extend the Jackets' lead to 19-3.
After the Presidents broke Waynesburg' winning streak at 165, senior Jake Benczo, who was arguably the biggest story of the day, not only picked up his first win of the year, but he did it in style, pinning Mike Frank in 1:40 to run the score to 25-6 and seal the team's historic victory.
Though the Presidents won two of the final three bouts of the match, they were sandwiched around an 11-2 major decision victory for first-year 197-pound standout Corbin Semple.
Up next for Waynesburg was Washington & Lee, who lost their first five bouts to the Jackets and fell by the final of 40-7.
After Borz won by forfeit, Garber picked up his second fall of the day, as did Roberts and Benczo. Byerly added a major decision to his impressive day and freshman Charles Thomas picked up his first dual victory of the year by beating the Generals' Richard Knack 5-2.
Semple also added his first fall of the day.
The Jackets wrapped up a very successful day by picking up their most lop-sided triumph of the event, dropping Gettysburg 40-6.
Borz improved to 2-1 on the day with a 3-1 decision over Abe Evans at 125, and Garber followed with his third first-period pin of the day, taking just 2:08 to dispose of Jack Bostrom.
With another flawless performance, Garber, a Waynesburg native, improved to 15-0 on the season with 13 victories coming by fall, all in the first period.
McCabe went to 3-0 on the day with a 17-1 tech fall at 4:55, as did Byerly when he stuck the Bullets' Kent Beers to his back at the 1:21 mark of the first period.
Freshman Alex Evanoff made a very impressive dual match debut at 165 pounds by recording a 17-1 technical fall victory over Anthony Iorio early in the second period.
Benczo put the finishing touches on an undefeated morning and afternoon with a solid 10-4 win over D.J. Neri at 174. Semple also completed a 3-0 day by taking a forfeit at 197 and heavyweight Rich Janicki got his first dual match win of the year by way of forfeit.
All told, every multiple-match starter picked up at least one victory on the day and five different Jackets went 3-0 on the day. With six dual wins on the year, the Jackets have already secured their most victories since at least 2000-2001.
The Jackets also went undefeated in four exhibition matches as Chris Pihiou, Josh Klimko, Tyler Altmeyer and Garrett Johnston all earned pins.
In other action during the day, Washington & Lee won the tightest match of the day, beating fellow Centennial Conference member Gettysburg 22-21. W&J cruised past their two non-conference foes on the day, rolling over Gettysburg 45-9, and thrashing W&L 36-12.
Waynesburg won't have much time to rest on their laurels as they face maybe their toughest dual test of the season on Tuesday, Jan. 13, when they host a pair of Division II opponents in Seton Hill and West Liberty State.
Seton Hill soundly beat perennial PAC powerhouse Thiel earlier this year, and West Liberty is ranked 16th by the NWCA as a team.
The match is scheduled to get underway at 4 p.m.
Waynesburg 29, Washington & Jefferson 15
125 Zach Cecchetti (W&J) dec. 7-2 (RT) Rico Borz (WAY) 0-3
133 Nick Garber (WAY) fall 1:32 Brandon Sansom (W&J) 6-3
141 Pat McCabe (WAY) maj. dec. 11-3 (RT) Nick Centra (W&J) 10-3
149 Jesse Byerly (WAY) dec. 8-4 (RT) Dominick Demor (W&J) 13-3
157 Jared Roberts (WAY) fall :49 Brandon Roshon (W&J) 19-3
165 John Sabatelli (W&J) dec. 11-5 (RT) Matt Zimmerman (WAY) 19-6
174 Jake Benczo (WAY) fall 1:40 Mike Frank (W&J) 25-6
184 Andy Rose (W&J) fall :31 Charles Thomas (WAY) 25-12
197 Corbin Semple (WAY) maj. dec. 11-2 (RT) Alex Cressley (W&J) 29-12
285 Taylor Potts (W&J) dec. 6-3 (RT) Rich Janicki (WAY) 29-15
Washington & Lee 22, Gettysburg 21
125 Ben Ersing (W&L) dec. 3-1 Abe Evans (GBG) 3-0
133 Sam Campbell (W&L) maj. dec. 18-6 Jack Bostrom (GBG) 7-0
141 Sam Brusca (W&L) dec. 5-2 Mike Slabinski (GBG) 10-0
149 Dave Dennis (W&L) fall 1:49 Kent Beers (GBG) 16-0
157 Andrew Goldstein (GBG) fall 1:11 Marshall Olzewski (W&L) 16-6
165 Pat Doherty (GBG) dec. 8-3 (RT) Rob Terrin (W&L) 16-9
174 D.J. Neri (GBG) dec. 8-6 Jon Brown (W&L) 16-12
184 Luke Mitchell (GBG) dec. 4-0 (RT) Richard Knack (W&L) 16-15
197 Jim Stevenson (GBG) fall 3:27 Zak Colangelo (W&L) 16-21
285 John Christopher (W&L) won by forfeit
Post-match Exhibitions:
149 Chris Pihou (WAY) fall 2:24 J.P. Welch (W&L)
125 Josh Klimko (WAY) fall :35 Connor Taylor (GBG)
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Waynesburg 40, Washington & Lee 7
125 Borz won by forfeit 6-0
133 Garber (WAY) fall :50 Campbell (W&L) 12-0
141 McCabe (WAY) dec. 10-4 (RT) Brusca (W&L) 15-0
149 Byerly (WAY) maj. dec. 13-5 (RT) Dennis (W&L) 19-0
157 Roberts (WAY) fall 3:17 Jaworksi (W&L) 25-0
165 Terrin (W&L) dec. 2-0 (RT) Zimmerman (WAY) 25-3
174 Benczo (WAY) fall 2:25 Eric Veres (W&L) 31-3
184 Thomas (WAY) dec. 5-2 (RT) Knack (W&L) 34-3
197 Semple (WAY) fall 1:27 Russ Weems (W&L) 40-3
285 Christopher (W&L) maj. dec. 11-3 (RT) Janicki (WAY) 40-7
Washington & Jefferson 45, Gettysburg 9
125 Cecchetti (W&J) fall :28 Evans (GBG) 6-0
133 Sansom (W&J) fall :41 Bostrom (GBG) 12-0
141 Centra (W&J) dec. 11-6 Slabinski (GBG) 15-0
149 Demor (W&J) fall 2:41 Beers (GBG) 21-0
157 Goldstein (GBG) dec. 8-4 Roshon (W&J) 21-3
165 Anthony Iorio (GBG) fall 3:40 Sabatelli (W&J) 21-9
174 Frank (W&J) fall :39 Mitchell (GBG) 27-9
184 Rose (W&J) fall :31 Stevenson (GBG) 33-9
197 Cressley (W&J) won by forfeit 39-9
285 Potts (W&J) won by forfeit 45-9
Post-match Exhibitions:
133 Tyler Altmeyer (WAY) fall 1:36 Taylor (GBG)
149 Garett Johnston (WAY) fall 1:35 Ben Oddo (W&L)
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Waynesburg 40, Gettysburg 6
125 Borz (WAY) dec. 3-1 Evans (GBG) 3-0
133 Garber (WAY) fall 2:08 Bostrom (GBG) 9-0
141 McCabe (WAY) t. fall 17-1 (4:55) (RT) Slabinski (GBG) 14-0
149 Byerly (WAY) fall 1:21 Beers (GBG) 20-0
157 Doherty (GBG) dec. 4-3 Johnston (WAY) 20-3
165 Evanoff (WAY) t. fall 17-1 (3:43) (RT) Iorio (GBG) 25-3
174 Benczo (WAY) dec. 10-4 Neri (GBG) 28-3
184 Stevenson (GBG) dec. 9-6 (RT) Thomas WAY 28-6
197 Semple (WAY) won by forfeit 34-6
285 Janicki (WAY) won by forfeit 40-6
Washington & Jefferson 36, Washington & Lee 12
125 Cecchetti (W&J) fall 1:39 Ersing (W&L) 6-0
133 Sansom (W&J) dec. 9-3 Campbell (W&L) 9-0
141 Brusca (W&L) dec. 8-7 Centra (W&J) 9-3
149 Demor (W&J) fall 6:28 dennis (W&L) 15-3
157 Roshon (W&J) t. fall 17-2 (5:59) (RT) Jawowrki (W&L) 20-3
165 Terrin (W&L) fall 2:14 Sabatelli (W&J) 20-9
174 Frank (W&J) maj. dec. 14-4 (RT) Veres (W&L) 24-9
184 Rose (W&J) fall :45 Knack (W&L) 30-9
197 Cressley (W&J) fall 1:22 Weems (W&L) 36-9
285 Christopher (W&L) dec. 4-3 Potts (W&J) 36-12
