This is the third consecutive year the two squads have faced one another as the Monarchs now move to 2-1 all-time in the series as ODU dropped the 18th-ranked Cyclones in Norfolk last season, 21-16.
“We are proud of the way our guys are competing right now,” said head coach Steve Martin. “Our goal was to wrestle hard the entire match and to put points on the board. We beat a Big Ten team last week in Wisconsin and a Big 12 team this week in Iowa State. You have to be ready to go when you are competing with a program that has won NCAA titles.”
Sunday started off with an upset for the Monarchs as redshirt junior Billy Curling upended ISU’s No. 17 Mikey England at 174 pounds, 7-3. The Cyclones (0-1) were then able to reel off three straight wins in the upper weights behind three nationally ranked wrestlers. No. 15 Boaz Beard at 184 pounds and No. 15 Kyven Gadson at 197 pounds both came out victorious, as did heavyweight No. 17 Matt Gibson after redshirt sophomore Matt Tourdot pushed the reigning Big 12 champion to the brink before falling in a tight one, 4-3.
With the line-up turning over, 125 pounds was one of two matches where both wrestlers entered the day ranked nationally as No. 17 Jerome Robinson used a first period takedown and a second period reversal to defeat 15th-ranked Ryak Finch. The Monarchs would then take the lead for good at 133 pounds when 19th-ranked Scott Festejo battled back to double up John Meeks, 6-3.
In the other battle featured two nationally ranked foes, Old Dominion (2-2) again come out victorious this time at 141 pounds as No. 16 Justin LaValle won a thriller in sudden victory overtime, 5-3. The redshirt junior was down 3-0 after the first two periods but escaped and earned a takedown with 15 seconds left in regulation to force overtime where he earned a takedown of No. 18 Luke Goettl for the win.
Freshman Alexander Richardson and No. 19 John Nicholson earned bonus team points for the Monarchs in the next two matches as Richardson pinned Iowa State’s Matt White at the 1:15 mark in the 149-pound bout. Wrestling for the first time collegiately in his home state of Iowa, Nicholson had no problems handling Logan Molina at 157 pounds as he earned the 12-3 major decision behind five takedowns. The Cyclones ended the day scoring a 7-2 win at 165 pounds behind Michael Moreno over redshirt sophomore Adrin Taylor.
#25 Old Dominion 22, Iowa State 13
174: Billy Curling (ODU) dec. No. 17 Mikey England (ISU), 7-3
184: #15 Boaz Beard (ISU) major dec. Austin Coburn (ODU), 10-2
197: #15 Kyven Gadson (ISU) dec. Jacob Henderson (ODU), 4-2
HWT: #17 Matt Gibson (ISU) dec. Matt Tourdot (ODU), 4-3
125: #17 Jerome Robinson (ODU) dec. #15 Ryak Finch (ISU), 5-4
133: #19 Scott Festejo (ODU) dec. John Meeks (ISU), 7-3
141: #16 Justin LaValle (ODU) dec. #18 Luke Goettl (ISU), 5-3
149: Alexander Richardson (ODU) fall Matt White (ISU), 1:15
157: #19 John Nicholson (ODU) major dec. Logan Molina (ISU), 12-3
165: Michael Moreno (ISU) dec. Adrin Taylor (ODU), 7-2
Old Dominion returns to action next weekend at the Nittany Lion Open in State College, Pa. The next dual for the Monarchs takes place on Friday, Dec. 21 at 5 p.m. at the Ted Constant Convocation Center when American University comes to town.
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