The Cowboys finished the team race in second with 158 points, trailing Penn State by 25 points.
“I think we can take a lot out of this tournament overall,†coach John Smith said. “It's pretty good to finish with three champs and several guys placing in the top-seven. The one thing we're going to have to do is get more aggressive. Our mentality on the mat is not exactly where I want it but that's where we need to get it in the next month.â€
Heil became the first champion for the Pokes, defeating three-seed Joey McKenna of Stanford. The two wrestled cautiously, tying the match 1-1 at the end of regulation. With no points scored in sudden victory, the bout went to a tiebreaker. Heil went down first and was not able to escape, but McKenna was hit with two stalling calls, resulting in a point for Heil. The Cowboy was able to ride out McKenna for the second part of the tiebreaker and won the title, 2-1.
In the 165-pound final, top-seeded Dieringer won his third title, making it look easy against No. 10 Logan Massa of Michigan. Dieringer scored a takedown halfway through the first period and kept the lead. He opened the second period with an escape and notched another takedown. The Cowboy sealed the win with a third takedown with seven seconds to go, defeating Massa, 8-2. Dieringer now has a 63-match win streak and sits fifth all-time, tied with Dwayne Keller.
“I'm happy that I had five bonus-point matches. That's always good for the team,†Dieringer said. “I only beat a true freshman in finals 8-2 so there's room to make improvements. When it comes to the team race, it's all about bonus points. That's why Penn State won NCAAs four years in a row. That's the biggest thing moving forward.â€
Austin Marsden was the final champ for the Pokes with his win at heavyweight over No. 3-seed Denzel Dejournette of Appalachian State. Marsden opened scoring with a takedown late in the first period to carry a 2-0 lead into the second period. His escape in the second was the last point scored, but riding time advantage gave Marsden a 4-0 win.
“It feels good to win a second Southern Scuffle title,†Marsden said. “It's a tough tournament. I still think I have a lot of work to do. I'm not where I want to be so I have to work really hard for that national title.â€
In the 125-pound finals, Eddie Klimara took on top-seeded Nico Megaludis of Penn State. The Cowboy was outwrestled as Megaludis picked up three takedowns for an 8-1 win. Earning his best finish at the event, Klimara went 5-1. He now holds 93 career wins.
True freshman Joe Smith finished second in his Southern Scuffle debut, wrestling unattached. He faced No. 1-seed Jason Nolf of Penn State. Nolf controlled most of the match, picking up two takedowns. Smith earned a takedown in the third, but it was not enough as he fell 7-3.
Seven other Cowboys finished in the top-eight.
Chandler Rogers fell to tenth-seed Casey Kent of Penn in a 10-0 major decision to finish fourth at 165 pounds.
Kyle Crutchmer and Nolan Boyd finished fifth at 174 pounds and 184 pounds, respectively. Crutchmer knocked off No. 1-seed Brian Realbuto with a last-second takedown to win 4-3, while Boyd defeated teammate Jordan Rogers with a dominant 12-2 major decision.
Three Cowboys finished sixth, including Kaid Brock (133), Anthony Collica (149) and Jordan Rogers (184). Brock, a true freshman, medical forfeited out of the tournament to earn a sixth-place finish, and Collica fell in a 10-8 heartbreaker to Mitch Finesilver of Duke.
Finally, Eli Hale was awarded seventh place with a medical forfeit over after Connor Schram of Stanford.
The Cowboys will be back in action on Jan. 15 and 17 as they travel to West Virginia and Pittsburgh for a pair of duals.
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