NORFOLK, Va. – The 18th-ranked Old Dominion Monarchs return to the Ted Constant Center for the third match of their four-match home stand, as they are set to take on Mid-American Conference rival, Ohio, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
Live stats for both events will be available through trackwrestling. Fans can also watch the live stream through Monarch Media, with a subscription, and follow along on Twitter (@ODUWrestling) or the ODU Wrestling Cover It Live blog.
The Big Blue room in the Ted Constant Center will be open 90 minutes before the match for all fans of ODU Wrestling and there will be a cash bar and concession items available. Make sure you stay after the completion of the match to get an ODU wrestling poster autographed!
The Monarchs enter the match against the Bobcats with a 2-1 MAC record after taking down Buffalo and Kent state last weekend. ODU showed no signs of stress, earning a combined 58 points over the weekend. Against Buffalo, the Monarchs claimed eight bouts en route to a 33-12 victory, while they won seven against Kent State for a 25-10 victory.
This is just the third meeting between the two programs, as the series is tied 1-1. The matchup with the Bobcats will feature 13 ranked wrestlers, including four weight classes with two ranked grapplers. At 149 pounds, No. 10 Lenny Richardson will take on No. 7 Tywan Claxton, No. 32 TC Warner will battle No. 29 Spartak Chino at 157 pounds, No. 12 Tristan Warner and No. 23 Harrison Hightower will go at it at 165 pounds, while No. 21 Kevin Beazley and No. 18 Phil Wellington will duke it out at 197 pounds.
Overall Old Dominion is 9-3 on the season and has taken down five ranked opponents. The Monarchs have defeated then No. 10 Edinboro, No. 21 Kent State, No. 22 Purdue, No. 23 Bucknell and No. 25 Chattanooga. ODU’s three losses have come to schools that are ranked in the NWCA top-20, as the Monarchs dropped matches to No. 3 Missouri, No. 9 Virginia Tech and No. 18 Wyoming. Since the loss to Virginia Tech at the Virginia Duals, the Wrestling Monarchs have gone on a four-match winning streak.
Several wrestlers have surpassed the 20 wins mark for the season, led by freshman TC Warner who has claimed a 25-12 overall record. Beazley is 22-10 overall, while Tristan Warner is just behind with a 21-2 overall record. Austin Coburn and Jack Dechow have each reached 20 wins, recording a 20-12 and 20-1 overall record, respectively. Dechow leads the team with a 16-match winning streak that started in November. Tristan Warner is the next closest wrestler with an eight-match streak.
Including the dual against Ohio on Friday, the Wrestling Monarchs have just two home duals left this season. Mark your calendars for this Friday and Friday, Feb. 6, when ODU takes on NC State, so you don’t miss any of the action!
For an in depth look to everything Monarchs Wrestling, make sure to follow the team on Facebook, Twitter (@ODUWrestling) and YouTube and on ODUsports.com. Fans can join in on the conversation by using the hashtag #ODUWREST.
ODU Probables:
125 - No. 17 Brandon Jeske (7-7, 1-1 MAC) / Josh Markham (5-6, 0-1 MAC)
133 - Michael Hayes (11-17, 0-3 MAC)
141 - No. 9 Chris Mecate (14-7, 2-1 MAC) / Jacob Kingett (7-7, 0-0 MAC)
149 - No. 10 Lenny Richardson (18-6, 2-1 MAC)
157 - No. 32 TC Warner (25-12, 1-1 MAC) / Devin Geoghegan (8-8, 0-1 MAC)
165 - No. 12 Tristan Warner (21-2, 3-0 MAC)
174 - Austin Coburn (20-12, 2-1 MAC)
184 - No. 2 Jack Dechow (20-1, 2-1 MAC)
197 - No. 17 Kevin Beazley (22-10, 2-1 MAC)
285 - No. 27 Jake Henderson (17-10, 2-1 MAC)
Ohio Probables:
125 - Zak Hassan (9-13, 1-5 MAC) / Sebastian Pique (0-0, 0-0 MAC)
133 - Kagan Squire (10-8, 2-1 MAC) / Joshua Parrett (12-7, 0-4 MAC) / KeVon Powell (10-6, 0-0 MAC)
141 - Joel Shump (11-12, 1-5 MAC)
149 - No. 7 Tywan Claxton (23-2, 4-2 MAC) / Cullen Cummings (9-6)
157 - No. 29 Spartak Chino (13-9, 2-4 MAC)
165 - No. 23 Harrison Hightower (20-7, 5-1 MAC)
174 - No. 8 Cody Walters (24-1, 6-0 MAC)
184 - Andrew Romanchik (22-9, 4-2 MAC)
197 - No. 16 Phil Wellington (18-5, 6-0 MAC)
HWT - Zach Parker (9-10, 1-2 MAC) / Jesse Webb (9-12, 2-1 MAC)
ODU vs. Ohio (Friday, 7:30 p.m.)
Record: 1-1
First Meeting: 2004
Streak: ODU +1
Last Ohio Win: 2004
Last ODU Win: 2013
2004 – Ohio 20 Old Dominion 18
2013 – Old Dominion 22 Ohio 15