“This was a short week and I am very happy with the way these guys responded to the adversity this can cause,†said fourth-year Navy head coach Joel Sharratt, whose Mids wrestled at the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga on Monday and Tuesday. “When you get forced out of your comfort zone and still respond with a positive performance, that's a sign of strength.â€
The Mids never trailed in the match as a pair of freshmen gave them a 6-0 lead to open the dual. Aslan Kilic (Marietta, Ga.) built a 3-1 advantage after two periods before sealing his 6-3 victory over fellow rookie Geo Barzona at 125 pounds with 1:16 in riding time. Meanwhile, 133-pound Cody Trybus (Elkton, Md.) recorded a pair of takedowns in the opening period en route to a 6-2 victory over Bison frosh David Campbell.
“It's a great way to start a dual meet winning the first two bouts,†added Sharratt. “Kilic and Trybus wrestled hard and gave us a nice lead going into the most contentious match of the day.â€
The headline match of the day featured 13th-ranked 141-pound Tyler Smith against Navy's Nicholas Gil (Jr / Crystal Lake, Ill.) who was seeking his 20th win of the season. Smith was awarded a takedown two minutes into the match and while Gil was able to trim the deficit to one by the end of the first period, he could get no closer as Smith scored a 4-1 victory.
“Gil has so many tools and once he lets himself open up, he will close the gap on guys like Smith and other at this weight.â€
Navy held a 6-3 advantage when team captain Corey Wilding (Sr / Pittsburgh, Pa.) took the mat. The veteran 149-pounder schooled Bucknell sophomore Seth Hogue in a game of cat and mouse. Wilding held a 2-1 lead after the first period and pushed it to 6-2 after two. The third period featured three takedowns and a four-point nearfall by Wilding, who allowed Hogue the escape so he could quickly score the takedown. Wilding was awarded a reversal at the final buzzer and paired with his near-two minutes of riding time he captured a 21-6 tech fall and brought the fans to their feet.
“Wilding was very impressive earning the final two points for the tech fall right at whistle,†said Sharratt. “He has a motor and his consistent effort makes him such a Hammer in competition.â€
Less than a minute into the 157-pound match, Navy senior Zack Davis (Granger, Ind.) had a 2-0 lead and before the first period expired he would record his 93rd career victory. Davis posted the win by fall over Bucknell junior Christian Bassolino at the 2:31 mark to take sole possession of 17th on the Mids' all-time wins list. The fall also provided Navy with a 17-3 advantage in the match.
“Davis retains the Hammer of Thor for his dominance in today's bout,†said Sharratt. “He tied as the team's pin leader as a freshman and he is one of our top guys who can add big bonus points in dual meet competition.â€
Navy senior 165-pound Drew Daniels (Overland Park, Kan.) gave up only a second period escape en route to a 4-1 victory over junior D.J. Hollingshead, while second-year 174-pound AJ Alford (Beech Island, S.C.) picked up a 3-1 win against Bucknell's Nick Stephani thanks to a late escape in the final period. The win by Alford, meanwhile, put the match out of reach for the Bison as the Mids led 23-3 with three remaining matches.
“Next man up could certainly be the mantra for today's dual,†Sharratt pointed out. “We lost a couple guys to injuries and there were guys ready for the opportunity and stepped in and took it. AJ Alford is a very talented wrestler who stepped in the line up today and found a way to win.â€
Navy had three starters sit out Sunday's dual, including 184-pound Michael Coleman (Sr / Hudson, Ohio) and 197-pound Steban Cervantes (Sr / Poway, Calif.) (174-pound Jadaen Bernstein {Sr. / Glen Gardner, N.J.} also sat out). Bucknell sophomore Drew Phipps defeated Connor Doyle (Jr / Melissa, Texas), who wrestled in place of Coleman, by major decision (14-2), while Garrett Hoffman scored a 3-0 win over Navy's Joshua Roetman (So / Kotzebue, Alaska) at 197 pounds.
The Mids closed out the match with an exciting third period between senior heayvweight Austin Faunce (Lake Oswego, Ore.) and Bucknell sophomore Brandon Stokes. The two wrestlers combined for nine points over the final 37 seconds as Faunce beat the buzzer with an escape to pull out a 6-5 win.
Navy returns to action on Friday when it plays host to Maryland at Alumni Hall (7:00 pm) before traveling to Bethlehem, Pa. to battle nationally-ranked Lehigh on Sunday at 2:00 pm.
Results:
125 | Aslan Kilic (NAVY) dec over Geo Barzona, 6-3
133 | Cody Trybus (NAVY) dec over David Campbell, 6-2
141 | #13 Tyler Smith dec over Nicholas Gil (NAVY), 4-1
149 | Corey Wilding (NAVY) tech fall over Seth Hogue, 21-6
157 | Zack Davis (NAVY) fall over Christian Bassolino, 2:31
165 | Drew Daniels (NAVY) dec over D.J. Hollingshead, 4-1
174 | AJ Alford (NAVY) dec over Nick Stephani, 3-1
184 | Drew Phipps major dec over Connor Doyle (NAVY), 14-2
197 | Garrett Hoffman dec over Joshua Roetman (NAVY), 3-0
285 | Austin Faunce (NAVY) dec over Brandon Stokes, 6-5
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