Match Results (.pdf)
WASHINGTON, Pa. (Jan. 11) – Heading into Wednesday night's Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) match, the Waynesburg University wrestling team knew it had a steep hill to climb against Washington & Jefferson. A combination of injuries and illness had sidelined an astounding five starters for the match, resulting in a situation that would no doubt test the team's depth and character.
Despite the odds being stacked against the Yellow Jackets, the visiting team was able to pull out a memorable 24-22 victory in Washington. The triumph not only featured a pair of dramatic pins, but several gritty performances by those backups who were called upon to shoulder the load on the night.
"I was very happy with the effort we got from our team tonight," said Waynesburg head wrestling coach Ron Headlee. "Having five wrestlers in our lineup that are not normal starters and still finding a way to win shows a lot about the amount of work that every member of the team puts into being ready when they are called upon."
The Jackets (7-3, 1-0) picked up forfeits at 125 and 133 pounds to start the night. Ironically, those weights featured everyday starters in their usual spots in the lineup. Senior Tristan Buxton (125 pounds) and freshman Josh Kuslock (133), took the forfeits.
Even as W&J (3-4, 0-2) picked up wins in the next six weight classes, Waynesburg still pieced together performances that were crucial to the overall team victory. Freshman Tony Mastrangelo (141) just avoided giving up bonus points in a 9-2 decision loss, while freshman R.J. Hall nearly upset President senior Sam Florentino in a 3-2 setback.
After the host team picked up a pin at 157 pounds, another Jacket backup, sophomore Dillion Charlton yielded just a decision at 165 pounds against Hunter Neely, who has been a regular in the D3Wrestle.com national rankings. Senior Derek Hull faced perhaps the sternest test of the night against Jared Walker, a recent Division I transfer at 174 pounds. Though Hull didn't pull the upset, he limited Walker to just a 5-0 decision.
The Presidents' win streak came to a close at 184 pounds with a major decision and heading into the 197-pound weight class, they held a 22-12 lead, meaning Waynesburg would need bonus points in both of the final two bouts to pull out the improbable victory. With sophomore Ken Burrs, the team's usual starter, sidelined with the flu, junior Joshua Sneeringer stepped up in his place.
Sneeringer was more than up to the challenge as he chained a single-leg takedown into a cradle to stick Dalton Wildman to his back in 51 seconds for the pin that made the score 22-18. That victory set up junior heavyweight Jake Evans with a chance to complete the comeback. Evans, who is one of the top pinners in Division III, came up with the decisive six points by sticking Derek Allen in 1:14.
After one of its most emotional wins in recent program history, Waynesburg will look to heal up before hitting the road for a trip to the Budd Whitehill National Duals, which are hosted by Lycoming College. The two-day event gets underway at 9 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 12.
