From Case Western Reserve University Athletics
The Case Western Reserve University wrestling team won three of its four dual matches at the Claude Sharer Duals on Saturday at the Veale Center in Cleveland. CWRU defeated Muskingum 39-10, Wilmington 47-8, and Washington & Jefferson 40-9, but lost to Otterbein 22-17.
With the 3-1 effort, the Spartans improved to 7-2 this season. The Fighting Muskies, who went 1-2, dropped to 4-3, the Quakers fell to 0-6, the Presidents, who split four duals, are 3-5 overall, and the Cardinals, who swept all three matches, improved to 5-3. Hiram also competed at the duals, going 1-2 to fall to 3-7 on the season.
First-years E.J. Alizio, wrestling at 125 pounds, and Calvin Rowan, wrestling at 149 pounds, won all three of their competitive matches, with Alizio winning one by technical fall. First-years Jacob Gregg (133 lbs.), Art Martinez (141 lbs.), and Thomas Wagner (157 lbs.) and sophomore Calvin Cai (174 lbs.) all added two wins.
CWRU 39, Muskingum 10
The Spartans won the first seven matches against the Fighting Muskies to open the day, including two forfeits at 141 and 157 pounds. Alizio started with a 10-3 decision, and he was followed by a 10-1 major decision from Gregg. Rowan added a 7-1 decision, and Cai picked up his second technical fall of the season with a 22-4 win.
Senior Mitchell Arch and first-year Keith Heineman both recorded first period falls. Arch, competing at 165 pounds, pinned Dylan Davis in 2:10, his team-leading 10th fall of the season and the 52nd of his career. Heineman registered a pin of Jacob Baca in 2:37 in the 285 pound match, his fourth of the 2022-23 campaign.
CWRU 47, Wilmington 8
Aided by five forfeits in the 125, 133, 141, 149, and 184 pound matches, CWRU secured the win against Wilmington.
Wagner earned his first of two pins on the day, defeating Garrett Simmons in 31 seconds. First-year John Conover added six points with his fifth fall of the season, besting Alexander Ruth at 174 pounds in 2:21.
In the 165 pound match, first-year Marty Landes earned his team-leading fourth technical fall of the campaign, winning 17-1 over Adrian Salomone.
Otterbein 22, CWRU 17
The Spartans opened a 17-0 lead over the Cardinals by winning the first four matches of the dual. Alizio opened with an 18-0 technical fall, his second of the season, to pick up five points. Gregg made the lead 8-0 with a 7-1 decision, and Martinez followed with a pin over Andrew Sas in 2:41 to give CWRU a 14-0 advantage.
After Rowan won a hard-fought 6-5 decision at 149 pounds to make the score 17-0, Otterbein needed wins in at least four of the final six matches to mount a successful comeback. The Cardinals defeated the Spartans by decision in the following four matches, including a 2-1 decision at 174 pounds and a 6-4 decision at 184 pounds. A pin in the 197 pound match gave Otterbein an 18-17 lead and set up a winner-take-all final match at 285 pounds.
The Cardinals' Zac Stray won the match by major decision, 9-0, to hand CWRU its first loss of the day and second of the season.
CWRU 40, Washington & Jefferson 9
However, the team rebounded with a strong performance to close out the duals, winning eight matches against the Presidents.
After the teams traded decisions to start the dual, including Alizio's third victory of the day, Martinez started a seven-match winning streak for the hosts with a 17-1 technical fall. It was his second technical fall this season in his team-leading 22nd win. Major decisions by Rowan and Cai, pins by Wagner and senior Stephen Andryc, and two forfeits increased Case Western Reserve's lead to 40-3. Wagner pinned Joshua Searle in 3:26 to tie Arch for the team lead at 10 pins, while Andryc picked up his fourth pin of the season at 197 pounds in 4:30 over Robert Sheeler.