Appalachian State 23, Carson-Newman 15
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn.?Appalachian State earned its third-straight win in dramatic fashion on Thursday night, coming back from down 11-0 to defeat Carson-Newman, 23-15. Appalachian improves to 7-15 on the season.
The Mountaineers found themselves behind early with lost decisions at 125 and 133 pounds and a technical fall at 141.
Finding themselves suddenly trailing 11-0, the Mountaineers were counting on redshirt junior Scott Ervin to help them climb back into the match. Things looked even worse when Ervin fell behind Mike Rogers 3-2 heading into the third period, and a Rogers reversal extended the score to 5-2. However, Ervin came back to earn a takedown and a reversal in the final minutes and score a 6-5 decision to earn ASU’s first points of the match.
The momentum began to turn with Ervin’s victory. Following his decision, Eddie Hutchinson earned his third pin of the season at 157 pounds, taking down Cody Humphrey 3:13 into the match to erase what was a 4-1 Humphrey lead. The Mountaineers trailed at that point by just two at 11-9, Carson-Newman’s advantage.
Tommy Hutchinson put the Mountaineers ahead for the first time, and for good, when he scored a major decision over Sherman White, 11-0. Appalachian took a 13-11 lead with the four-point score.
Neal Martin continued the ASU streak and his own personal winning streak by taking his seventh straight match, jumping out to a 5-0 lead and eventually scoring an 11-2 major decision over Justin Ransom. The win gave ASU a six-point lead with three weight classes remaining.
The Eagles’ Nate Jones scored a major decision over Dan Carrasco at 184 pounds, but in the next two weight classes seniors secured the win for Appalachian. Aaron Barnette improved his season record to 2-0 with a 4-2 overtime decision over John Trevor, and needing only to avoid getting pinned to secure a victory, Dave Hazell defeated Chuck Robinson by a 3-0 decision to wrap it up for ASU.
The Mountaineers will finish the regular season on Tuesday, Feb. 20, when they host the Campbell Camels in Boone. The teams hit the mats at 7 p.m.
Appalachian 23, Carson-Newman 15
125 Kody Pierson (CN) def. Dustin Smith (ASU), D 9-4 (0-3)
133 Jake Brumbelow (CN) def. Frank Celorrio (ASU), D 4-3 (0-6)
141 Kent Pierson (CN) def. Clinton Swango (ASU), TF 19-4 (0-11)
149 Scott Ervin (ASU) def. Mike Rogers (CN), D 6-5 (3-11)
157 Eddie Hutchinson (ASU) pinned Cody Humphrey (CN), F 3:13 (9-11)
165 Tommy Hutchinson (ASU) def. Sherman White (CN), MD 11-0 (13-11)
174 Neal Martin (ASU) def. Justin Ransom (CN), MD 11-2 (17-11)
184 Nate Jones (CN) def. Dan Carrasco (ASU), MD 13-3 (17-15)
197 Aaron Barnette (ASU) def. John Trevor (CN), D 4-2 OT (20-15)
HWT Dave Hazell (ASU) def. Chuck Robinson (CN), D 3-0 (23-15)
NC State 21, UNCG 18
GREENSBORO, NC ? With the match tied at 18 and one bout remaining, North Carolina State’s Janior Palma recorded the 3-2 decision to lift the Wolfpack over the UNC Greensboro wrestling team, 21-18, on Thursday evening at Fleming Gymnasium.
Junior Jeff Hedges opened up the match with a 9-0 major decision over NC State’s Taylor Cummings at 125 lbs. to give UNCG (8-4) the early 4-0 lead.
The Pack answered back when Garrett Cummings recorded the 10-7 decision over Mitchell Johnson at 133 lbs.
Chris Bencivenga earned the hard fought 15-12 decision at 141 lbs. over Darrion Caldwell. After fighting out of a near fall in the second period, Bencivenga earned three points on an escape and takedown to close Caldwell’s lead to two points in the third. In the final minute, Bencivenga took the lead after the junior recorded a 3-point near fall. The Davie, FL native held on for the win and improved his dual record to a perfect 12-0.
NC State (11-7) responded with a 5-point technical fall at 149 lbs. and a 12-1 major decision at 157 lbs. to take the 12-7 lead. At 165 lbs., junior Mark Ring tallied the tough 8-5 decision to make the score 12-10 in favor of the NC State. Senior Joe Lowe gave the Spartans the 15-12 lead after recording the 20-5 technical fall over Randy Goodman at 174 lbs. The Lakeland, FL product is now 12-0 in dual matches.
UNCG’s Kane Smith extended the Spartan lead after the sophomore tallied the
4-1 decision at 184 lbs. However, the Pack’s Ryan Goodman, who is ranked No. 16 in the nation, recorded the fall victory over Nick Clark in 1:15 at 197 lbs. to tie it up at 18.
It all came down to the final bout at 285 lbs. Junior Joe Sheffield and ninth-ranked Palma battled to a scoreless tie in the first period. In the second, Palma recorded an escape to hold a 1-0 lead going into the third.
Sheffield tied the match up at one apiece after earning an escape but Palma, however, regained the lead in the final minute with a takedown to top Sheffield 3-2 and gave the Wolfpack the 21-18 victory.
UNCG travels to Durham, NC to take on the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday.
Match begins at 7 pm.
UNCG ? 18, NC State - 21
125 ? Jeff Hedges (UNCG) def. Taylor Cummings (NCST) by major decision; 9-0
133 ? Garrett Cummings (NCST) def. Mitchell Johnson (UNCG) by decision;
10-7
141 ? Chris Bencivenga (UNCG) def. Darrion Caldwell (NCST) by decision;
15-12
149 ? Joe Caramanica (NCST) def. Marcus Hannah (UNCG) by tech. fall; 18-2
157 ? Kody Hamrah (NCST) def. Nathan Berryman (UNCG) by major decision;
12-1
165 ? Mark Ring (UNCG) def. Obie Simpson (NCST) by decision; 8-5
174 ? Joe Lowe (UNCG) def. Randy Goodman (NCST) by tech. fall; 20-5
184 ? Kane Smith (UNCG) def. Jeremy Colby (NCST) decision; 4-1
197 ? Ryan Goodman (NCST) def. Nick Clark (UNCG) by fall; 1:15
285 ? Janior Palma (NCST) def. Joe Sheffield (UNCG) by decision; 3-2
Liberty 30, VMI 13
LYNCHBURG, Va. ? In another milestone for Liberty during its return season to the mats,
the Flames capped off their 2006-07 home schedule with a 30-13 victory over VMI, Thursday
evening, in the Vines Center to finish the year undefeated at home with a 5-0 record on the
Mountain.
With the victory, the Flames raise their dual match record to 16-7 in their first season back in
action since 1994 as the program was reinstated after a 12-year hiatus. The loss drops the
Keydets dual record to 5-7 on the year.
The night was a special evening for all as the Founders’ Circle was honored before the
match. The group played an instrumental part in the return of wrestling to Liberty and several
donors to the cause were recognized for their financial support in helping bring back a program
which excelled for 20 seasons.
From 1974-94, the wrestling program was one of the premier athletics programs at Liberty
as the Flames’ grapplers excelled at all levels. Liberty won five-straight NCCAA national
championships (1977-81) and was one of the first athletics teams to compete at the NCAA
Division I level.
In total, the Flames finished a 20-year span of wrestling with a cumulative 180-101-6 record
and had 42 athletes earn All-America honors at various levels, including 22 NCCAA All-
Americans, four NAIA All-Americans and 16 NCAA Division II All-Americans.
Following the pre-match presentation, the excitement continued for the Flames on the mats
as well as Christian Smith opened up with a 13-8 decision over Jonathan Page at 125 pounds.
Sam Walters kept things going for Liberty with the first of two-consecutive first-period pins
as Walters pinned Lance Long (1:35) at 133 pounds. Tim Harner tied for team-high honors on
the year by picking up his 12th win by fall at 2:05 over Brandon Franklin at 141 pounds, giving
Liberty a 15-0 lead.
VMI finally found its way onto the scoreboard as Sam Alvarenga scored four of his seven
points in the first and took advantage of some riding time to pick up a 7-4 decision over Aaron
Kelley at 149 pounds.
Shaun Smith gained control of the match at 157 pounds early, leading 4-1 after the first and
then ended the match in the second, picking up Liberty third and final win by fall (5:26) over
Vince Cole.
The Keydets were unable to field a competitor at 165 pounds, giving Liberty’s Chad Porter
the win by forfeit and the Flames a sizeable 27-3 edge.
VMI attempted to get back into the match by winning the next three weight classes, starting
with a 12-9 decision win in favor of John Burton over Joseph Son at 174 pounds.
Corry Murrary kept things going for the Keydets at 184 pounds, picking up an 11-2 major
decision win over Chris Daggett, while Kyle Elgert used three points late in the match to hold off
Rory Bosek at 197 pounds for a 6-2 decision, narrowing the margin to 14, 27-13.
However, Patrick Walker closed out the night by thrilling the crowd of 892 as a two-point
takedown with 50 second left in the match, enabled him to gain a hard-fought 3-1 decision over
Leon Barrow at heavyweight and end the evening’s match.
Three Flames extended personal winning streaks on the evening as Harner’s fall gave him
his 11th-straight win. Walker’s 3-1 decision pushed his personal winning streak to nine straight,
while Smith’s match-opening 13-8 victory gave the junior his seventh-consecutive victory.
The Flames will close out their regular-season schedule next Wednesday when they travel
to Greensboro, N.C., to squad off against the Spartans of UNC Greensboro. Match time is set
for 7 p.m.
Liberty 30, VMI 13
125 ? Christian Smith (LU) dec. Jonathan Pope (VMI), 13-8 ? LU 3-0
133 ? Sam Walters (LU) fall Lance Long (VMI), 1:35 ? LU 9-0
141 ? Tim Harner (LU) fall Brandon Franklin (VMI), 2:05 ? LU 15-0
149 ? Sam Alvarenga (VMI) dec. Aaron Kelley (LU), 7-4 ? LU 15-3
157 ? Shaun Smith (LU) fall Vince Cole (VMI), 5:26 ? LU 21-3
165 ? Chad Porter (LU) wins by forfeit ? LU 27-3
174 ? John Burton (VMI) dec. Joseph Son (LU), 12-9 ? LU, 27-6
184 ? Corry Murray (VMI) major dec. Chris Daggett (LU), 11-2 ? LU 27-10
197 ? Kyle Elgert (VMI) dec. Rory Bosek (LU), 6-2 ? LU 27-13
HWT ? Patrick Walker (LU) dec. Leon Barrow (VMI), 1-0 ? LU 30-13