SIUE splits with Campbell, Gardner-Webb
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – SIUE split the opening matches of its five-day road trip with a 23-10 victory over Gardner-Webb and a 20-18 loss to host Campbell on Wednesday.
SIUE is now 2-2 in Southern Conference matches and 5-15 overall. Campbell moved to 5-2 overall and 5-1 in the SoCon, while GWU dropped to 6-15 overall and 2-5 in the league.
In the first match of the evening, Gardner-Webb’s Cortez Starkes kicked off the night with a 6-3 decision against SIUE’s Dakota Leach at 125 pounds, before Patrick Meyers answered for the Cougars with a narrow 3-1 decision against Robbie Golde at 133 pounds.
SIUE’s John Petrov gave the Cougars their first lead of the night with a 5-3 decision at 141 pounds against Gardner-Webb’s Ryan Mosley before Tyler Ziegler responded with a hard-fought 8-6 decision over Karsten Van Velsor at 149 pounds to even the match at 6-6.
Graves then reclaimed the lead for the Runnin’ Bulldogs at 157 pounds, outclassing SIUE’s Logun Taylor en route to a 15-6 major decision and a 10-6 Gardner-Webb advantage. SIUE’s Matt Lester earned a 5-0 decision against No. 20 Austin Trott at 165 pounds before Jake Residori posted an 11-1 major decision against Aaron Rabin at 174 pounds to give the Cougars a 14-10 lead.
Deshoun White recorded a 7-2 decision against Zach Bennett at 184 pounds, and Josh Wood earned a 7-4 decision over Boyce Cornwell at 197 pounds to put the Cougars ahead, 19-10. A 9-1 major decision for David Devine against Justin Kozera capped the night.
Gardner-Webb is back in action on Sunday at Ohio University. The Runnin’ Bulldogs will face Cleveland State at 12 p.m., followed by Ohio at 1:30 p.m.
In the evening’s second match, redshirt senior Eloheim Palma secured the Fighting Camel win with an 8-6 decision in the heavyweight bout to give Campbell the 20-18 win over SIUE.
Palma and classmate Brent Jorge each notched crucial wins to lead CU to victory in their final regular-season home match as Camels.
The Walker twins put Campbell in front 9-0 to begin the match against the Cougars. At 125, Tyler Walker remained perfect in the SoCon at 5-0, taking the 11-5 decision over Leach before Myers had to medically forfeit at 133 pounds, giving Drew Walker a six-point win.
Petrov notched the first Cougar win of the night, earning a 3-1 decision over Michael Dahlstrom at 141 pounds.
Jorge came away with his third technical fall of the season, handing Van Velsor an 18-3 loss at 149 pounds, moving CU ahead 14-3.
Grant Blumenthal followed with a slim 5-4 decision over Taylor at 157 pounds, giving the Camels their largest lead of the night, 17-3.
SIUE stormed back to win four bouts in a row, including sudden-victory wins by Lester and White, a decision by Residori and Wood’s pin over Garrison Matthews in 2 minutes, 43 seconds, to take the 18-17 lead going into the final match.
Palma used an 8-6 decision at the heavyweight spot to take the Camels' final three team points and clinch the 20-18 victory.
The Camels will round out the regular season Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C. CU will take on Pittsburgh at 2 p.m. in Carmichael Arena before meeting The Citadel at 3:30 p.m., making up Thursday's canceled match.
SIUE 23, Gardner-Webb 10
125 - Cortez Starkes (GWU) dec. Dakota Leach (SIUE) 6-3
133 - Patrick Myers (SIUE) dec. Robbie Golde (GWU) 3-1
141 - John Petrov (SIUE) dec. Ryan Mosley (GWU) 5-3
149 - Tyler Ziegler (GWU) dec. Karsten Van Velsor (SIUE) 8-6
157 - Cole Graves (GWU) MD Logun Taylor (SIUE) 15-6
165 - Matt Lester (SIUE) dec. Austin Trott (GWU) 5-0
174 - Jake Residori (SIUE) MD Aaron Rabin (GWU) 11-1
184 - Deshoun White (SIUE) dec. Zach Bennett (GWU) 7-2
197 - Josh Wood (SIUE) dec. Boyce Cornwell (GWU) 7-4
285 - David Devine (SIUE) MD Justin Kozera (GWU) 9-1
Campbell 20, SIUE 18
125 - Tyler Walker (Campbell) dec. Dakota Leach (SIUE) 11-5
133 - Drew Walker (Campbell) won by medical forfeit over Patrick Myers (SIUE)
141 - John Petrov (SIUE) dec. Michael Dahlstrom (Campbell) 3-1
149 - Brent Jorge (Campbell) won by TF over Karsten Van Velsor (SIUE) 2:50 18-3
157 - Grant Blumenthal (Campbell) dec. Logun Taylor (SIUE) 5-4
165 - Matthew Lester (SIUE) won in SV 2 over Paul Duggan (Campbell) 4-3
174 - Jake Residori (SIUE) dec. Cody Ryba (Campbell) 6-0
184 - Deshoun White (SIUE) won in SV 1 over Ville Heino (Campbell) 5-3
197 - Josh Wood (SIUE) pinned Garrison Matthews (Campbell) 2:43
285 - Eloheim Palma (Campbell) dec. David Devine (SIUE) 8-6