NORFOLK, Va. – The 16th-ranked Old Dominion wrestling team suffered a heartbreaking loss at No. 24 Northern Iowa, as the Monarchs fell by an 18-16 score. The Monarchs fell to 12-5 on the season and 5-2 in the conference, while the Panthers improved to 8-8 overall and 5-4 in the Mid-American Conference.
“Our kids wrestled hard tonight in a crazy environment and atmosphere,” said Head Coach Steve Martin. “We definitely had our chances, but I give UNI credit as they used that atmosphere to their advantage. Tristan Warner beat a higher nationally ranked opponent and continues to stay unbeaten in dual competition. Austin Coburn and Jack Dechow both wrestled tough and competed the whole seven minutes, while Chris Mecate and Lenny Richardson dominated their opponents. We had our chances in the other bouts, but could not quite seal the deal. Wrestling on the road is tough, especially in hostile environments. This dual will definitely help us get mentally prepared for the NCAA’s. We close out our season Sunday against Northern Illinois and we look forward to that dual.”
No. 13 Tristan Warner (165) started the night on the right note, winning his 16th-consecutive dual and his seventh MAC win of the season. He took down No. 14 Cooper Moore by a 7-4 decision. After trailing 1-0 at the start of the second period, Warner flipped the script and recorded a takedown and a three-point nearfall to take a 5-1 lead going into the final period. Cooper recorded a takedown and earned a penalty point in the third period, but Warner notched two escapes to reach the final margin.
Austin Coburn gave ODU its second win of the night after defeating Curt Maas in the 174-pound bout. Coburn notched an escape after choosing the down position in the second period and a third-period takedown to earn the 3-1 decision over Maas. ODU led 6-0 after the first two bouts.
Second-ranked Jack Dechow (184) continued to put points on the board for ODU, as he recorded a 3-2 decision over Kyle Lux. Much like Coburn, Dechow tallied and escape in the second period and a takedown in the third, while Lux notched two escapes.
No. 26 Basil Minto recorded the Panthers first win, as he defeated No. 23 Kevin Beazley at 197 pounds. Minto notched an escape in the second period to go up 1-0, but Beazley answered with an escape of his own in the third. Minto secured the win over Beazley with a late takedown in the final period. The Panthers brought the ODU lead back to 9-3 going into the heavyweight match.
Matt Tourdot took on the 10th-ranked heavyweight wrestler in the country in Blaize Cabell. The senior fell by an 11-4 decision, as the Monarchs went into the intermission with a 9-6 lead.
No. 6 Dylan Peters provided a spark for UNI, as he defeated No. 25 Brandon Jeske by an 8-3 decision at 125 pounds. After the win, the Panthers knotted the score up a nine points apiece with four matches left. UNI took the lead for the first time (12-9), as Leighton Gaul defeated Michael Hayes by a 12-6 decision in the 133-pound bout.
At 141 pounds, No. 9 Chris Mecate tied the match up once again (12-12) by taking down Tyler Willers by a 9-2 decision. Including riding time, Mecate notched a takedown, a reversal and two two-point nearfalls. Lenny Richardson, ranked 10th in the nation at 149 pounds, gave ODU its lead back (16-12) after he defeated Tyler Patten by a 13-2 major decision. Richardson notched two takedowns, one reversal and two three-point nearfalls during the match.
The Panthers won the match in the 157 bout, which was the final bout of the night, after Jarrett Jensen pinned TC Warner in 2:14, earning six team points for UNI and the final 18-16 victory.
Old Dominion will be back in action on Sunday when they travel to DeKalb, Ill. to take on Northern Illinois in the team’s last dual of the season.
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.
Results:
165 - Tristan Warner (Old Dominion) over Cooper Moore (Northern Iowa) (Dec 7-4)
174 - Austin Coburn (Old Dominion) over Curt Maas (Northern Iowa) (Dec 3-1)
184 - Jack Dechow (Old Dominion) over Kyle Lux (Northern Iowa) (Dec 3-2)
197 - Basil Minto (Northern Iowa) over Kevin Beazley (Old Dominion) (Dec 3-1)
285 - Blaize Cabell (Northern Iowa) over Matt Tourdot (Old Dominion) (Dec 11-4)
125 - Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa) over Brandon Jeske (Old Dominion) (Dec 8-3)
133 - Leighton Gaul (Northern Iowa) over Michael Hayes (Old Dominion) (Dec 12-6)
141 - Chris Mecate (Old Dominion) over Tyler Willers (Northern Iowa) (Dec 9-2)
149 - Alexander Richardson (Old Dominion) over Tyler Patten (Northern Iowa) (MD 13-2)
157 - Jarrett Jensen (Northern Iowa) over TC Warner (Old Dominion) (Fall 2:14)