After winning seven matches, the Cardinals (5-1) started the morning with a 28-9 victory over NAIA Warner Pacific. In the second morning session, heavyweight Maxwell Lacey's third-period takedown propelled him to a 7-3 win and sealed WJU's upset 22-17 win over Cal Baptist.
Building a 21-6 advantage, WJU was unable to hold it as DIII's No. 1 Wartburg won the final four bouts for a 21-21 tie and win on criteria. The Cardinals took out their third-match frustrations against the Dragons, 34-6, in an eight-win dual.
"Today was a big step for our program. To go 3-1, beat a top 10 team, a top 25 team in the country and lose on criteria to a powerhouse Wartburg program, it says a lot about our guys," said WJU head coach Sean Doyle. "We planned this trip to thank our seniors for the commitment to start this program and it's incredible to see how far we've come. Our guys were behind each other all day and battled extremely hard in every position. Wartburg ran a fantastic event. We were happy to be part of it."
One of the Cardinals seniors, 149-pounder Dominick Nania could not be stopped. He posted an impressive day with three tech falls and one fall in his four matches. The senior won his opening matches 15-0 and 16-1, before he pinned the No. 6-ranked DIII wrestler Cross Cannone in 1:15. Nania finished his day with an 18-0 shutout tech fall.
Dustin Warner (133) won a decision and added a fall (5:37) in his two matches, while both Greg Brusco (157) and Daniel Romero (141) recorded 3-1 days. After a first match forfeit, Brusco registered a tech fall (16-0) versus Cal Baptist and wrapped up the day with a fall in 3:58 over Minn. State Moorhead. The freshman battled hard, but fell to the top 157-pounder in DIII Logan Thomsen by a 12-5 decision.
T.J. Smith (165), Nate Starkey (184) and Terrance Fanning (197) were all 2-2 in four bouts. Starkey had a fall in 3:48 and Fanning a 17-1 tech fall against their Moorhead foes.
WJU now had off until Jan. 5-6 when it takes part in the National Duals in Indianapolis.
No. 20 Wheeling Jesuit 28, Warner Pacific 9
125: Joshua Johnson (WP) dec. Jake Donahue (WJU), 8-2 -- WP 3-0
133: Dustin Warner (WJU) dec. Alex Ursua (WP), 4-3 -- Tied 3-3
141: Daniel Romero (WJU) dec. Baylen Cooper (WP), 11-6 -- WJU 6-3
149: Dominick Nania (WJU) tech fall Eric Luna (WP), 15-0 (5:32) -- WJU 11-3
157: Greg Brusco (WJU) forfeit -- WJU 17-3
165: Blake Cooper (WP) dec. T.J. Smith (WJU), 6-3 -- WJU 17-6
174: Reyse Wallbrown (WJU) dec. Miguel Simon (WP), 4-1 -- WJU 20-6
184: Nate Starkey (WJU) maj. dec. Alex Cruz (WP), 13-5 -- WJU 24-6
197: Terrance Fanning (WJU) maj. dec. Brandon Morgan (WP), 12-4 -- WJU 28-6
285: Stephen Wilbert (WP) dec. Logan Bowman (WJU), 3-2 -- WJU 28-9
No. 20 Wheeling Jesuit 22, No. 8 Cal Baptist 17
125: Jake Donahue (WJU) forfeit -- WJU 6-0
133: Nolan Whitely (WJU) dec. Trent Smith (CB), 10-7 -- WJU 9-0
141: Peter Cunningham (CB) dec. Daniel Romero (WJU), 7-0 -- WJU 9-3
149: Dominick Nania (WJU) tech fall Daxton Gordon (CB), 16-1 -- WJU 14-3
157: Greg Brusco (WJU) tech. fall Jacob Cooper (CB), 16-0 (4:44) -- WJU 19-3
165: Dominic Kincaid (CB) dec. T.J. Smith (WJU), 5-1 -- WJU 19-6
174: Austin Klient (CB) dec. Reyse Wallbrown (WJU), 3-1 -- WJU 19-9
184: Nick Fiegener (CB) tech. fall Nate Starkey (WJU), 17-1 -- WJU 19-14
197: Jake Waste (CB) dec. Terrance Fanning (WJU), 7-1 -- WJU 19-17
285: Maxwell Lacey (WJU) dec. Paul Head (CB), 7-3 -- WJU 22-17
No. 1 DIII Wartburg 22, No. 20 Wheeling Jesuit 21 -- 22-21 on criteria
125: Arnulfo Olea (WB) dec. Jacob Donahue (WJU), 6-1 -- WB 3-0
133: Dustin Warner (WJU) fall Dusten Reed (WB), 5:37 -- WJU 6-3
141: Daniel Romero (WJU) tech fall Tanner Terry (WB), 23-6 (7:00) -- WJU 11-3
149: Dominick Nania (WJU) fall Cross Cannone (WB), 1:15 -- WJU 17-3
157: Logan Thomsen (WB) dec Greg Brusco (WJU), 12-5 -- WJU 17-6
165: Anthony Smith (WJU) maj. dec. Brady Meyer (WB), 16-5 -- WJU 21-6
174: Eric DeVos (WB) maj dec Keegan Driscoll (WJU), 21-8 -- WJU 21-10
184: Bryan Levsen (WB) tech fall Nate Starkey (WJU), 18-2 -- WJU 21-15
197: Kyle Fank (WB) dec Terrance Fanning (WJU), 4-2 -- WJU 21-18
285: Kaleb Staack (WB) dec Maxwell Lacy (WJU), 3-1 -- Tied 21-21
*WB wins on criteria 22-21
No. 20 Wheeling Jesuit 34, RV Minnesota State Moorhead 6
125: Jake Donahue (WJU) dec. Jared Goldsmith (MSM), 5-1 -- WJU 3-0
133: Blake Bosch (MSM) dec. Nolan Whitely (WJU), 6-3 -- Tied 3-3
141: Daniel Romero (WJU) dec. Kristian Vazquez (MSM), 7-5 -- WJU 6-3
149: Dominick Nania (WJU) tech. fall Dylan Connell (MSM), 18-0 -- WJU 11-3
157: Greg Brusco (WJU) fall Isaac Novacek (MSM), 3:58 -- WJU 17-3
165: T.J. Smith (WJU) dec. Brayden Kuntz (MSM), 12-5 -- WJU 20-3
174: Reyse Wallbrown (WJU) dec. Adam Blees (MSM), 11-6 -- WJU 23-3
184: Nate Starkey (WJU) fall Logan Rhode (MSM), 3:48 -- WJU 29-3
197: Terrance Fanning (WJU) tech fall Cody Anderson (MSM), 17-1 -- WJU 34-3
285: Nader Abdullatif (MSM) dec. Corey Siegfried (WJU), 3-0 -- WJU 34-6
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