There were ten matches on the night, wrestle-offs for the 125-pound through 197-pound weight classes in addition to an opening round match between Sophomore Nick Avery and redshirt Freshman Eric Cameron.
The aforementioned opening match between Avery and Cameron was tight, extending to sudden victory. A stalling penalty on Avery late in the third period evened the score at 3-3. Cameron then capitalized on the opportunity by recording a takedown for the 5-3 victory.
The 125-pound match showcased four-time New Mexico state champion, Freshman Matt Ortega versus redshirt Sophomore Wesley Fike. Ortega jumped out to a 4-1 lead with a pair of takedowns before pinning Fike in 2:23.
Redshirt Junior Andrae Hernandez dominated the 133-pound match over Freshman Reece Freeman. The 2007 All-American earned a takedown early in the first period and tallied nine points worth of near falls for an 11-0 lead. Hernandez was then able to finish the match with another takedown and two-point near fall for the 15-0 tech fall in the second period.
Freshman Jeff Pelton and Junior Scott Kelly were then paired up at the 141-pound weight class. Kelly held a 2-1 lead after the first period before choosing the down position to begin period two. No points were scored in that period as Pelton did a great job of riding Kelly. Starting in the down position for period three, Pelton made a quick escape to tie the score before getting a takedown for the 4-2 edge. In the end, Pelton earned a 5-2 win with a riding advantage of over three minutes.
Redshirt Freshman Kurt Kinser and Sophomore Nick Walpole proved to be one of the most-tightly contested bouts of the night. An escape by each 149-pound Hoosier were the only points scored in regulation. Walpole then seized a 3-1 win with a takedown 34 seconds into sudden victory.
Next up was the 157-pound showdown between two-time All-American Brandon Becker and redshirt Freshman Paul Young. The first period ended in a 0-0 stalemate. Young then chose the neutral position in period two. It was the correct call by Young as he tallied a takedown with just seconds remaining for the 2-0 advantage. Becker immediately escaped in period three and took the lead with a takedown of his own. The tables were turned once again, however, when Young put Becker on his back for the pin at the 6:29 mark.
The 165-pound match featured 2007 All-American Matt Coughlin and Junior Kyle Samuels. It was a rematch of the Indiana State High School Championship finals in 2004. Coughlin won Monday's dual just as he had in '04, thanks in large part to a perfectly-executed granby roll in the third period for the 3-1 lead. He added one point in riding time for the 4-1 triumph.
A pair of redshirt sophomores squared off in the 174-pound match. Trevor Perry just got by Seth Parker in the 3-2 win. Perry grabbed a takedown in the first period, but Parker notched two escapes to even the score at 2-2 entering the third period. Perry chose the down position in the final period, and escaped the grasp of Parker for the go-ahead point.
In the night's largest age discrepancy, fifth-year Senior Marc Bennett faced true Freshman Matt Powless in the 184-pound match. Bennett immediately landed a throw and sunk it in for the pin fall at the 0:46 mark of the first period.
Arguably, the most action of the night came in the final match of the night, a clash between Freshman Joe Fagiano and redshirt Freshman Jantzen Minton at 197 pounds. Fagiano built a 7-2 lead in the first two periods, but Minton made a run in the third and final round. In the end, however, Fagiano held on for a 9-6 win.
Indiana's official start to the season is set for Nov. 9th when the Hoosiers travel to Crawfordsville, Indiana for a dual with Wabash at 7 p.m.
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now