WILKES-BARRE (Pa.) – The Delaware Valley University men's wrestling team travelled to Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) foe Wilkes University for a Friday night dual and came home with a 23-15 win in a tightly contested bout.

The Aggies earned their first dual win of the season and the program's first over the Colonels since 2009.

"Tonight was a great show of resolve and toughness, as we went on the road and competed in the first dual meet of the season against a well-coached conference opponent and responded well," said head coach Andrew Taylor. "We knew we needed to win some matches that, on paper, we weren't supposed to win, and we did that. Jacob Blair started us off the right way and we were capped off by senior captain Austin Williams. We will enjoy this and then move on to two more tough conference teams tomorrow."

The match began at 125 with DelVal first-year Jacob Blair facing returning national qualifier and regional runner-up Austin Fashouer. The Aggie rookie wrestled smart and scored four points in the third period including an acrobatic takedown to earn an important decision and give DelVal a 3-0 lead.

At 133, Ryan Arndt scored early and often against Sam Kimmel and cruised to a 15-0 tech. fall to extend the Aggie lead to 8-0 after two.

Wilkes got on the board with three points in each of the next two bouts to cut its deficit to 8-6. At 141 sophomore Jack Bauer took an 8-3 decision over first-year Taylor Weaver and at 149 DelVal sophomore Malachi Harvey dropped an 8-3 decision to Kyle Tino.

The Aggies bounced back at 157 pounds with sophomore Greg Croce earning a 6-2 decision to get three points back for the team and make it an 11-6 match. Croce scored early with a takedown and took a 2-1 lead into the second. Dix tied the match with an escape, but Croce got back to his opponents ankle and drove him back to the mat for another takedown and a 4-2 lead. In the third, Croce fought from the bottom position for an escape, and riding time earned him the 6-2 win.

The Colonels refused to go away as sophomore Charles Everdale caught sophomore Cooper Kidd for a quick first period pin to get Wilkes back within one, 12-11, with four bouts to go.

At 174 pounds it was a battle of first-year student-athletes as the Aggies called on Luke Moore and the Colonels sent out Souleymane Diarra. Moore scored first with a takedown in the first period and controlled the match through the second as he scored another takedown and added four back points. Late in the second, Moore rolled Diarra to his back and finished the pin to put DelVal up by five, 17-12.

Jaden Roberts, another DelVal rookie, followed Moore's win by fall with a hard fought 3-2 decision over sophomore Christopher Nuss, but Wilkes answered with a 3-2 decision of its own at 197 pounds. That set up a big bout at heavyweight with the Aggies holding a 20-15 advantage.

DelVal called upon senior team captain Austin Williams to close out the victory and he delivered with a 7-3 decision over sophomore Caleb Burkhart. Williams built his lead early and fought hard to stave off a late push by Burkhart to secure the decision and the 23-15 victory for the Aggies.

DelVal gets right back at it tomorrow with a tri-match against a pair of MAC opponents in nationally-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology and host Messiah.

 

 

125 – Jacob Blair (DVU) by 6-2 dec. over Austin Fashouer, 3-0 DVU

133 – Ryan Arndt (DVU) by 15-0 tech. fall over Sam Kimmel, 8-0 DVU

141 – Jack Bauer (WIL) by 8-3 dec. over Taylor Weaver, 8-3 DVU

149 – Kyle Tino (WIL) by 8-3 dec. over Malachi Harvey, 8-6 DVU

157 – Greg Croce (DVU) by 6-2 dec. over C. Dix, 11-6 DVU

165 – Charles Everdale (WIL) by fall over Cooper Kidd (:32), 12-11 WIL

174 – Luke Moore (DVU) by fall over S. Diarra (3:45), 17-12 DVU

184 – Jaden Roberts (DVU) by 3-2 dec. over Christopher Nuss, 20-12 DVU

197 – Cameron Butka (WIL) by 3-2 dec. over Isaiah Johnson, 20-15 DVU

HWT – Austin Williams (DVU) by 7-3 dec. over Caleb Burkhart, 23-15 DVU