Gardner-Webb Drops Season-Opening Match At Liberty
November 11, 2008 | Wrestling
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Head coach Scott Shipman's wrestling team, which is one of the youngest in the school's Division I history, dropped the season-opening match at Liberty Tuesday evening by a score of 43-6.
The Bulldogs are now 0-1 on the season while the Flames improve to 1-0.
Redshirt-junior Dustin Porter picked up the Bulldogs' first win of the season. The two-time NCAA Qualifier got on the board with two points in the second period before capping off a fine display with three points in the final stanza. Porter, who grappled at 197 a season ago, moved up to the heavyweight division for another run at becoming an NCAA All-American.
In the final match of the night, redshirt-junior Rob Tate looked to start off his shot at a second berth to the NCAA Tournament in solid style. Tate, who moved up from 133 lbs. a season ago, took on Frankie Gayeski in the 141 lb. division. Gayeski was able to put a move on Tate in the first period, earning the Liberty grappler a 2-0 lead.
Starting in the down position, Tate was able to get on the board in the second frame with an escape, pulling within one at 2-1. However, the score remained the same heading into the final period. Tate was able to get the evening point in the third frame, forcing the overtime session.
Tate then garnered the Bulldogs' second victory of the night by notching a two-point score in the overtime frame for the 4-2 win.
Things got going in the 149 lb. division. There, Tim Harner squared off with sophomore Austin Reece. Reece, who picked up 10 wins during his rookie campaign, was able to keep things close in the early going. However, Harner pulled away and finished it off with a technical fall in the third period, 19-4.
Newcomer Justin Guthrie, a native of nearby Asheville, N.C., was unable to get GWU on the board in the second match of the night. Guthrie, competing at 157 lbs., was pinned at the 2:35 mark by Julian Colon, giving the home team an 11-0 advantage.
Redshirt-freshman Dave Sweeney took the mat next at 165 lbs. Sweeney, a first-team all-state honoree from Cleveland, Ohio, could not muster any points in the 15-0 technical fall defeat to Brad Clark.
Jonathan Velazquez, a redshirt-sophomore, was up next at 174 lbs. Velazquez lost by a 16-0 count just 2:42 into the first time he took the mat in a Bulldog uniform. The loss put GWU behind 21-0.
Rookie Blake Salyer, who compiled 155 wins at Alexander H.S., in Taylorsville, N.C., could not get his first collegiate win against a strong Liberty foe. Salyer went against Chris Daggett, who was able to pin the newcomer in 1:34.
Matthias Piasecki was unable to get things going in the right direction for Shipman's squad as he was pinned by Jacobi Johnson at the 4:59 mark, resulting in a 33-0 lead by the home team.
Redshirt-junior Cortney Roberts, who missed last year due to an injury, looked to regain his form from his sophomore campaign as he squared off against Joe Pantaleo at the 125 lb. division. In the second stanza, Pantaleo got Roberts in a difficult position before pinning him at the 4:31 mark, which led to a 39-3 advantage for the Flames.
At 133 lbs., Christian Smith got on the board first with an early 2-0 lead entering the second period against Kyle Baird. Smith tacked on four points in the middle period before finishing with three points in the final time frame, earning him a major decision with the 9-0 win.
GWU returns to action Sunday at Appalachian State at 12 p.m.
125 – Joe Pantaleo fall Cortney Roberts, 4:31
133 – Christian Smith maj. decision Kyle Baird, 9-0
141 – Rob Tate dec. Frankie Gayeski, 4-2 (OT)
* 149 – Tim Harner tech. fall Austin Reece, 19-4 (6:22)
157 – Julian Colon fall Justin Guthrie, 2:35
165 – Brad Clark tech. fall Dave Sweeney, 15-0 (6:51
174 – Aaron Kelley tech. fall Jonathan Velazquez, 16-0
(2:42)
184 – Chris Daggett fall Blake Salyer, 1:34
197 – Jacobi Johnson fall Matthias Piasecki, 4:59
285 - Dustin Porter decision Josh Pelletier, 5-0
* Starting weight class.
