LEXINGTON, Va. - Facing a non-conference opponent on Senior Night, the VMI wrestling team fell in a back and forth battle to visiting Sacred Heart by a 20-18 score Friday night at Cormack Hall.
After senior Dalton Henderson registered easy points for VMI by way of a Pioneer forfeit to open the dual, three consecutive Sacred Heart wins from the 133-149 weight classes proved to be the difference as the Keydets (2-12, 1-5) and Pioneers exchanged wins every other bout afterward to close the match.
The Pioneers (3-11) jumped ahead by a 10-6 tally through four bouts after logging two victories by decision and a major decision win at 141 to put VMI at a deficit.
Sophomore Neal Richards put the Keydets back ahead at 157 pounds by earning a pin in 3:58 over Sacred Heart's Casey Mitchell to put VMI back up, 12-10, at the midpoint. The fall marked Richards' fourth pin of the season, tied for third most on the team.
The teams then took turns trading victories, starting with a Pioneer win at 165 as Matt Fisher topped VMI's Cade Kiely by a 5-1 decision. Wrestling in his final home match as a Keydet, senior Shabaka Johns claimed a 4-1 decision over Dom Celli to reclaim the VMI advantage at 15-13 with only three bouts remaining.
At 184 pounds, Pioneer Elliott Antler majored VMI's Ben Wagner by a 10-2 score to put the Pioneers back up, 17-15. VMI junior Taylor Thomas stepped up to the challenge and won by a 12-6 decision over Mark Boyle for the Keydets' final lead of the night, 18-17.
Coming down to the heavyweight division, Sacred Heart's John Hartnett managed to pull out a 6-0 decision win over Thomas Shea-Roop to seal a 20-18 team victory over VMI in the final home match of the season.
The Keydets close the regular season tomorrow night on the road to face Southern Conference foe Campbell in a 5 p.m. dual in Buies Creek, North Carolina. The SoCon tournament is slated for Saturday, March 4, in Charleston, South Carolina.
Sacred Heart 20, VMI 18
125: Dalton Henderson (VMI) wins by forfeit ... 6-0
133: Gerard Daley (SHU) dec. Michael Hulcher (VMI), 6-4 ... 6-3
141: Paul Klee (SHU) maj. dec. John Reed (VMI), 19-8 ... 6-7
149: Alex Harnsberger (SHU) dec. Stevan Smith (VMI), 8-2 ... 6-10
157: Neal Richards (VMI) pinned Casey Mitchell (SHU), 3:58 ... 12-10
165: Matt Fisher (SHU) dec. Cade Kiely (VMI), 5-1 ... 12-13
174: Shabaka Johns (VMI) dec. Dom Celli (SHU), 4-1 ... 15-13
184: Elliott Antler (SHU) maj. dec. Ben Wagner (VMI), 10-2 ... 15-17
197: Taylor Thomas (VMI) dec. Mark Boyle (SHU), 12-6 ... 18-17
285: John Hartnett (SHU) dec. Thomas Shea-Roop (VMI), 6-0 ... 18-20
