Match Results (.pdf)
GRANTHAM, Pa. (Jan. 25) – For the sixth time this season, the Waynesburg University wrestling team squared off with an opponent that is currently ranked in either the NCAA Division II or Division III national top 25. Unfortunately, Friday night's match ended in the same way as the previous five, with Waynesburg staying in contention throughout most of the contest before coming up short of a victory.
The Yellow Jackets won the first two bouts of the evening against #15 Messiah, but the home-standing Falcons took seven of the final eight matchups and scored a 25-9 win. The loss dropped the Jackets to 3-9 for the year, while Messiah improved to 10-4 overall.
As previously mentioned, Waynesburg struck first with wins at 125 and 133 pounds. Freshman
Gordan Bieber got things going with a 3-0 shutout of Daniel Rodriguez, before senior
Alex Crown squared off with another wrestler listed as an honorable mention honoree the D3wrestle.com national rankings, junior Kyle Coblentz. The turning point in the bout came in the second period when Coblentz took down and was promptly turned to his back for a three near-fall points, which proved to be the deciding factor in a 6-4 win for the Waynesburg veteran. The victory was Crown's 102
nd for his collegiate career.
Unfortunately, that win was Waynesburg's last until 174 pounds, where juniors
Anthony Bonaventura and Ben Kramer faced off in another tussle between competitors listed in the “honorable mention” category on D3wrestle.com. Bonaventura put together an impressive effort against Kramer and controlled the bout from start to finish as he scored a 9-3 triumph.
Leading 11-9 going into the 184-pound bout, Messiah claimed the final three contests of the match to seal up the victory. Waynesburg could take some solace in the performance of senior newcomer
Travis Kuhn, who, despite wrestling in just his 11
th collegiate match, was able to stay right with another nationally recognized Falcon in senior Travis Ebersole. Kuhn actually outscored Ebersole 3-2 in the third period of a 7-4 setback.
With another tough loss in the books, Waynesburg will look to salvage a weekend split tomorrow, when the Jackets face off with Elizabethtown for an early 10 a.m. match.
