Ranked 15th in the latest NWCA poll at 125 pounds, Martinez notched an 8-0 major victory over Matthew Benedetti to improve to 18-1 this season, including a flawless 6-0 mark in dual meet competition.
It was one of three major decisions captured by Army (4-2, 3-0 EIWA) on the evening as a pair of freshmen also scored bonus points for the Black Knights. Casey Thome defeated Alex Bimes, 10-1, at 149, while Dean Gaier picked up a 17-9 win over Shane Mallory in the 174-pound bout. Thome's upped his season record to 14-5, while Gaier improved to 9-8.
"I was especially impressed with the way Dean competed tonight," said Army head coach Chuck Barbee. "He wrestled with a lot of poise and determination and took it to a pretty tough kid in the third period to earn the victory."
Junior Whitt Dunning ran his record to 14-7 this season with a 7-4 decision over Matt Swallow at 133, while sophomore Chris Grill also picked up a decision with a 10-6 victory over Kyle Heselpoth at 157.
Junior John Drew took down Joe Schick in overtime to pick up a 4-2 victory at 165, while Scott Ferguson defeated Dave Williams, 8-3, at 184 to seal the Black Knight victory in their final competition of 2007. Drew's record stands at 2-7, while Ferguson improved to 8-2.
The only two Army setbacks on the evening were sophomore Matt Kyler, who lost to Sean Carr, 7-4, at 141 pounds, and senior heavyweight Nathan Thobaban, who dropped a 5-3 decision. Kyler's season record is 18-5, while Thobaben is the owner of a 16-8 mark this year.
"Overall, I thought it was a good ending to a solid first semester for us," continued Barbee. "Wednesday night meets on the road are always a bit tougher, especially after a long weekend of competition like we had on Sunday at Penn State. Throw school work and being on the road again into the mix and it makes things even a little more challenging. I thought the guys responded well and took care of business."
After a month break for final exams and the holidays, Army will return to action on Sunday, January 6, at the Sun Devil Duals in Tempe, Ariz.
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