CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The Virginia Military Institute wrestling program officially kicked off the 2014-15 season on Saturday, taking on a trio of opponents at the Cavalier Duals, hosted by the University of Virginia at Memorial Gymnasium. The Keydets went 1-2 on the day, falling in their first two matches but prevailing in the afternoon's finale.
VMI (1-2) fell in the opener against George Mason University 25-6, followed by a loss against Virginia, which was ranked 11th in the first USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches' Poll, by a 51-0 count. But the Keydets rebounded for a 28-12 win over Anderson University.
The Keydets got a 2-1 afternoon from Shabaka Johns and Jake Koch at 165 and 184 pounds, respectively. Dalton Henderson, Emmitt Kelly, BJ Crozier, Jake Tomlinson and Yousef Malik all logged win over their opponents from Anderson.
Despite the final score, VMI wrestled well against George Mason, with three of the first five matches decided by three points or less. The Keydets gave up decisions in the first five matches against the Patriots, falling behind 15-0 before Johns came in a 165 pounds to pick up the first VMI victory of the fresh season, 4-0 over Patrick Davis. Johns' win was followed two bouts later by Koch, who won the first match of his career by a 1-0 decision over Derek Dwyer.
VMI hit a stumbling block against its oldest foe, Virginia, a team the Keydets first faced in 1921. The 11th-ranked Cavaliers, who went undefeated on the day, utilized bonus points in the first four matches, including a pair of technical falls and two wins by fall, to break the match open. Crozier was edged in a decision 8-4 against Andrew Atkinson, but the Virginia lineup, which featured five ranked wrestlers, proved too much for the Keydets.
But the Keydets rallied in the final match of the opening weekend as Henderson pinned Anderson's Dylan Crossland in the second period for a 6-0 lead. The Trojans responded with Zach Hale cutting the lead to 6-3 with a decision over Hunter Starner, followed by a VMI win from Kelly at 141 pounds, topping Conor Caffrey 6-3.
The Trojans notched the match at 9-9 as Dan Telhada pinned Jake Krall in the first period. VMI responded with back-to-back wins from Crozier and Johns at 157 and 165 pounds, respectively. Crozier picked up a win by fall over Sean Turner to open the Keydet lead to 15-9, while Johns' 3-2 decision over Zane Newton further opened the gap to 18-9.
Mark Darr was edged in the final moments of the 174 pound bout by Trevontay Rhodes by a 9-5 count, pulling the Trojans within six points of the lead. But a run of three straight wins from 184 to 285 helped VMI to its first victory of the season while snapping a seven-match slide, dating back to last season. Koch picked up a 7-0 win over Stephen Washington, followed by a 10-2 major decision from Tomlinson at 197 pounds over Will Diamond. Malik picked up his first collegiate win as an attached wrestler with a 7-2 decision at heavyweight.
The Keydets are on the road next weekend at the Hokie Open, hosted by Virginia Tech at Rector Fieldhouse in Blacksburg, Va. All-day action is slated for a 9 a.m. start.
Agate:
George Mason 25, VMI 6
125: Ibrahim Bunduka (GMU) dec. Dalton Henderson (VMI), 6-4; GMU 3-0
133: Vince Rodriguez (GMU) dec. Hunter Starner (VMI), 10-5; GMU 6-0
141: Sahid Kargbo (GMU) dec. Emmitt Kelly (VMI), 5-2; GMU 9-0
149: Ryan Hunsberger (GMU) dec. Jake Krall (VMI), 5-0; GMU 12-0
157: Greg Flournoy (GMU) dec. BJ Crozier (VMI), 2-0; GMU 15-0
165: Shabaka Johns (VMI) dec. Patrick Davis (GMU), 4-0; GMU 15-3
174: Ryan Forrest (GMU) dec. Mark Darr (VMI), 13-12; GMU 18-3
184: Jake Koch (VMI) dec. Derek Dwyer (GMU) 1-0; GMU 18-6
197: Matt Meadows (GMU) major dec. Jake Tomlinson (VMI), 11-2; GMU 22-6
285: Jake Kettler (GMU) dec. Juan Adams (VMI), 7-3; GMU 25-6
No. 11 Virginia 51, VMI 0
125: Will Mason (UVa) tech fall Dalton Henderson (VMI), 16-0 (5:15); UVa 5-0
133: No. 10 George DiCamillo (UVa) tech fall Hunter Starner (VMI), 23-7 (6:49); UVa 10-0
141: No. 14 Joe Spisak (UVa) pinned Emmitt Kelly (VMI), 2:56; UVa 16-0
149: TJ Miller (UVa) pinned Jake Krall (VMI), 2:06; UVa 22-0
157: Andrew Atkinson (UVa) dec. BJ Crozier (VMI), 8-4; UVa 25-0
165: No. 2 Nick Sulzer (UVa) major dec. Shabaka Johns (VMI), 18-5; UVa 29-0
174: No. 12 Blaise Butler (UVa) pinned Mark Darr (VMI), 2:45; UVa 35-0
184: Billy Coggins (UVa) tech fall Jake Koch (VMI), 15-0 (2:17); UVa 40-0
197: No. 14 Zach Nye (UVa) tech fall Jake Tomlinson (VMI), 17-1 (3:08); UVa 45-0
285: Derek Papagianopoulos (UVa) pinned Juan Adams (VMI), 7:58; UVa 51-0
VMI 28, Anderson 12
125: Dalton Henderson (VMI) pinned Dylan Crossland (AU), 3:50; VMI 6-0
133: Zak Hale (AU) dec. Hunter Starner (VMI), 7-0; VMI 6-3
141: Emmitt Kelly (VMI) dec. Conor Caffrey (AU), 6-3; VMI 9-3
149: Dan Telhada (AU) pinned Jake Krall (VMI), 2:21; tied 9-9
157: BJ Crozier (VMI) pinned Sean Turner (AU), 2:40; VMI 15-9
165: Shabaka Johns (VMI) dec. Zane Newton (AU), 3-2; VMI 18-9
174: Trevontay Rhodes (AU) dec. Mark Darr (VMI), 9-5; VMI 18-12
184: Jake Koch (VMI) dec. Stephen Washington (AU), 7-0; VMI 21-12
197: Jake Tomlinson (VMI) major dec. Will Diamond (AU), 10-2; VMI 25-12
285: Yousef Malik (VMI) dec. Wyatt McCrackin (AU), 7-2; VMI 28-12
Exhibition: Eric DeAngelo (AU) dec. Jed Harris (VMI), 5-0
