Match Results
GREENVILLE, Pa. (Dec. 11) – Not being able to win the close matches ultimately cost the Waynesburg University wrestling team on Friday night as they dropped a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) match to Thiel by the final of 17-16.
The loss dropped the Yellow Jackets to 2-3 on the season and 0-1 in PAC action, while the Tomcats improved to 3-2 on the season and 1-0 in conference competition.
Thing started well for the Jackets as freshman 125-pounder Alex Crown upset two-time national qualifier Rob Miller by 5-4 decision thanks to riding time.
After Thiel rebounded with a major decision win at 133 to take a 4-3 lead, junior 141-pounder Nick Garber got a measure of revenge on Thiel sophomore Corey Brown. Brown beat Garber twice last season, both times by one point, but it was Garber who won a close match between the two national qualifiers, picking up a 7-5 decision.
Sophomore 149-pounder Jesse Byerly kept the winning going by dominating Jeff Marianettie to the tune of an 11-3 major decision. With the win, the Jackets held a 10-4 advantage and looked prime for a victory.
Unfortunately, Thiel was able to win the next four matches, a stretch that included one-point decisions for the Tomcats at 174 and 184 pounds, to give the Tomcats a 17-10 advantage. Head coach Ron Headlee shuffled his lineup at those two weights, putting Matt Zimmerman at 174, and moving Jared Roberts up to 184.
Junior Corbin Semple moved up to 197 pounds and beat Todd Miller by 6-1 decision, trimming the deficit to 17-13. Senior heavyweight Melvin Warrick did everything he could to steal the win for Waynesburg and actually beat sophomore Kraig Smith 6-2, avenging a loss from the R.I.T. Invitational.
Unfortunately, the win wasn't enough as Thiel held on for the one-point win.
Waynesburg will try to rebound on Tuesday, when they travel to New Concord, Ohio to face Muskingum.
