Multiple Bonus-Point Victories Not Enough as WPU Loses on Criteria

Atchison, Kan.--The Statesmen men's wrestling team claimed a handful of big wins Friday, but fell just shy of earning its first dual meet victory of the year as it faced off against Benedictine in a Heart of America Athletic Conference matchup.

William Penn (0-5, 0-5 Heart) tied the Ravens 26-26, but after several items of criteria were covered, the visitors finally lost on a tiebreaker.  Both sides won five bouts, but BC (6-2, 1-2 Heart) did just enough to come out on top.

The Statesmen fell into an early hole, but then rattled off four wins in their next five matches, beginning with 133-pounder Lane Scorpil (Jr., Columbus Junction, Iowa, Business Management) pinning Charles Easterling in 1:40.

Carson Jensen (Jr., Idaho Falls, Idaho, Exercise Science) also notched a fall at 141 pounds, dropping Coulter Rieschick in a time of 2:53.

The next battle went the way of the Ravens, but Trent Evans (So., Houston, Texas, Mechanical Engineering) answered with a 14-5 major decision defeat of Joseph Insalaco at 157 pounds.

165-pounder Cameron Hargrove (Sr., Bolingbrook, Ill., Sports Management) then added to the navy and gold lead as he pinned Kaleb Jestes in 2:03.

Branson Bottorff (Sr., Mackinaw, Ill., Industrial Technology) wrapped up WPU's success with the squad's biggest win of the night.  The senior knocked off BC's lone nationally-ranked wrestler, taking down #17 Jackson Perkins in a 10-0 major decision to give William Penn a comfortable 26-14 advantage with two weight classes left to be contested.

Unfortunately, the Ravens earned the maximum allotment of points in both bouts to knot the meet score at 26-26.  The hosts then took the win via the tiebreaking procedure.

"We felt good going into tonight's dual as we kickstarted the second half of the season," Head Coach Drew Sams said.  "The guys fought hard, but mistakes throughout the night caught up to us and we fell short our goal.  We did have five bonus-point wins, though, including the big one by Branson Bottorff."

Next Up: William Penn travels to Lamoni next Tuesday to face Graceland in a Heart dual meet at 7 p.m.

125--Jacob Campbell (B) won by technical fall over Gentry Walston, 19-3 (0-5)
133--Lane Scorpil (W) won by fall over Charles Easterling, 1:40 (6-5)
141--Carson Jensen (W) won by fall over Coulter Rieschick, 2:53 (12-5)
149--Hayden Biggs (B) won by fall over Hector Diaz, 6:22 (12-11)
157--Trent Evans (W) won by major decision over Joseph Insalaco, 14-5 (16-11)
165--Cameron Hargrove (W) won by fall over Kaleb Jestes, 2:03 (22-11)
174--Christion Griggs (B) won by decision over Ryan Van Donselaar, 17-10 (22-14)
184--Branson Bottorff (W) won by major decision over Jackson Perkins, 10-0 (26-14)
197--Doug Blaha (B) won by fall over Kendal Pugh, 4:23 (26-20)
285--Mason Harris (B) won by disqualification over Skyler Young (26-26)