FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Winning the first four matches of the day helped lead the Virginia Military Institute wrestling team to a non-conference road win Sunday evening as the Keydets bested host Sacred Heart University 33-9.
The VMI win at the William H. Pitt Center gave the Keydets their first non-conference win on the road since Jan. 26, 2012 when VMI topped Millersville 24-13. The win also snapped a six-match skid for the Keydets.
On the day, the Keydets (2-9) won eight of the 10 matches in the first-ever meeting on the mat with Sacred Heart. Of those wins, three were by fall, accounting for 18 of VMI's 33 team points.
Wrestling on the road, VMI got momentum early as freshman Dalton Henderson locked up six team points in the first match of the day. The rookie pinned Sacred Heart's Joe Harris just before the second period expired, sticking the Pioneer in 4:57.
Momentum stayed on the Keydets' side of the mat as Michael Flora earned a 3-0 decision over Kyle Brady to extend VMI's lead to 9-0. Coming back from an injury, Emmitt Kelly got his first win of the new year with a 5-1 win over Andrew Polidore at 141 pounds.
The Keydets cashed in another three points at 149 pounds as Shabaka Johns bested Brendan Goldup 6-2, putting VMI on top 15-0. The Keydets suffered their first loss of the day at 157 pounds as Ted Gottwald was edged 2-1, sending the match into an intermission with VMI leading 15-3.
Following the break, VMI got back to its winning ways as Mark Darr used takedowns and escapes early in the match to build his six points. Those points came up big as he held off a rally by Jon Scheidegger, giving the Keydet a 6-5 win and VMI an 18-3 lead through six weights.
At 174 pounds, VMI's Derek Thurman got his first dual match victory of the season as he bested Johnny Vrasidas 10-4. The victory ended a seven-match slide for Thurman, whose last win came on Nov. 3 at the Clarion Open.
In the next weight class, VMI's Hardy Hendren was pinned in the third period, opening the door for a Sacred Heart comeback bid. But at 197 pounds, Keydet Andrew Embree shut that door with a win by fall over Sam Morison in 5:16, giving VMI an insurmountable 27-9 lead heading to the heavyweight bout.
Juan Adams wasted no time ending his heavyweight match as the team's wins leader improved to 10-5 with a first-period pin of the Nick Lupi, finishing the fall at 2:07.
VMI returns home to The Thunderdome on Jan. 17 with a Southern Conference match against Campbell University. VMI's first action in Lexington since Dec. 4 begins in Cocke Hall at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday Jan. 5, 2014 - VMI at Sacred Heart - Pitt Center - Fairfield, Conn.
Wt. Winner (School) Decision Type Loser (School) Bout Score (Running Score VMI-SHU)
125: Dalton Henderson (VMI) WBF Joe Harris (SHU) 4:57 (6-0)
133: Michael Flora (VMI) DEC Kyle Brady (SHU) 3-0 (9-0)
141: Emmitt Kelly (VMI) DEC Andrew Polidore (SHU) 5-1 (12-0)
149: Shabaka Johns (VMI) DEC Brendan Goldup (SHU) 6-2 (15-0)
157: Casey Mitchell (SHU) DEC Ted Gottwald (VMI) 2-1 (15-3)
165: Mark Darr (VMI) DEC Jon Scheidegger (SHU) 6-5 (18-3)
174: Derek Thurman (VMI) DEC Johnny Vrasidas (SHU) 10-4 (21-3)
184: Zach Moran (SHU) WBF Hardy Hendren (VMI) 5:34 (21-9)
197: Andrew Embree (VMI) WBF Sam Morison (SHU) 5:16 (27-9)
285: Juan Adams (VMI) WBF Nick Lupi (SHU) 2:07 (33-9)
