BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. ? Junior heavyweight Dustin Porter scored a 5-3 decision in the last match of the night to give Gardner-Webb a 20-17 dual win over VMI in non-conference wrestling action on Thursday evening at the Bost Gymnasium on the campus of GWU.
In a tight match that was tied on three separate occasions, the Keydets (0-1) got extra-point wins from a pair of freshmen wrestling their first collegiate dual matches. Following a 7-6 decision by junior John Pope at 125 to open the match, Michael Bowman gave the Keydets an 8-0 advantage in the match with his 15-0 technical fall at 133.
“We got off to a good start at 125, Pope had a nice win right at the end,” said VMI head wrestling coach John Trudgeon. “John was losing the whole match, then got pulled one out there at the end. We had them outmanned at 133, Bowman did a nice job to get us a five-pointer there.”
The Bulldogs (2-2) countered to take an 11-8 lead with three consecutive wins, highlighted by a technical fall at 141 by Chas Franz.
“We had two guys not make weight in those next two matches, which hurt us,” said Trudgeon. “We let them right back in the match there. We felt like we could have taken those two matches, but instead they were able to turn them around.”
VMI freshman Vinnie Gallo needed only 3:33 to turn the tide back in the way of the visitors. He scored the first pin of his career over redshirt junior Dave Pelsang to give the Keydets a 14-11 lead following his 165-pound match.
GWU scored back-to-back wins at 174 and 184 to regain a three-point lead with only two matches remaining. VMI sophomore Ronnie Ellsworth squeaked out a 5-4 decision over Travis Porter to send the match to its decisive finale, with a pair of upperclassmen squaring off at heavyweight. In that match, Dustin Porter improved to 8-1 on the season with his two-point win over Keydet senior Leon Barrow.
“We got a great win out of Vinnie at 165 to jump right back in it, but we couldn't close it out,” said Trudgeon. “Their heavyweight was their best wrestler, and Leon wrestled a good match, but their kid had two takedowns and Leon didn't get one, so that was the difference. Gardner-Webb outfought us tonight, and they deserved to win.
“It seems like I keep saying the same thing over and over, but we have a young team that just has to learn these lessons. But the best thing about this is that we're back at it on Saturday, that we don't have to dwell on it. It wasn't a good night tonight, but it is what it is.”
VMI returns to action on Saturday, participating in the Davidson Open, hosted by Davidson College.
Gardner-Webb 20, VMI 17 (December 4, 2008)
125- John Pope (VMI) dec. Cortney Roberts (GWU), 7-6; VMI 3-0
133- Michael Bowman (VMI) tech. fall Matt Featherston (GWU), 15-0; VMI 8-0
141- Chas Franz (GWU) tech. fall Luke Todd (VMI), 16-1; VMI 8-5
149- Austin Reece (GWU) dec. Michael Long (VMI), 8-6; Tied 8-8
157- Justin Guthrie (GWU) dec. Jayme Gordon (VMI), 10-3; GWU 11-8
165- Vinnie Gallo (VMI) pinned Dave Pelsang (GWU), 3:33; VMI 14-11
174- Blake Salyer (GWU) dec. Jon Horne (VMI), 6-2; Tied 14-14
184- Jonathon Velazquez (GWU) dec. Curtis Moore (VMI), 11-5; GWU 17-14
197- Ronnie Ellsworth (VMI) dec. Travis Porter (GWU), 5-4; Tied 17-17
HWT- Dustin Porter (GWU) dec. Leon Barrow (VMI), 5-3; GWU 20-17
