Staff Report
ST. LOUIS — The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga could only hope for a second-round rebound at the NCAA wrestling tournament.
“We’re disappointed,” UTC coach said after the first round. “We were in a lot of the matches against some good wrestlers. They just didn’t go our way. We’re not done yet.”
Shut out in eight openers, the Mocs got Thursday night consolation wins from Javier Maldonado (125), Cody Cleveland (141), Seth Garvin (157) and Lloyd Rogers (174).
Josh Edmondson and Matt Koz were still waiting to wrestling late Thursday.
Maldonado, who suffered a loss by major decision in his opener, bounced back with an 8-4 win over Kent State’s Nic Bedelyon. He jumped ahead 5-2 in the first period with two takedowns and an escape.
Cleveland didn’t give up a point to Harvard’s Corey Hantzen in a 3-0 win, scoring a second-period reversal and getting a riding-time point.
Garvin especially had a tough day, going 1-1 in two overtime matches. He lost to No. 3 seed Dan Vallimont of Penn State 8-6 in the championship bracket and came back in overtime for a 5-4 victory over Army’s Christian Snook.
As overtimes go, 133-pound Steven Hromada went to a third tiebreaker — the equivalent of nine overtime periods — before falling to Hofstra’s Lou Rugirello in his opening match. He then lost to Old Dominion’s Kyle Hutter on an escape and riding time in his first consolation match.
Also gone with back-to-back losses was Joey Knox. Knox suffered a loss by major decision to Harvard’s J.P. O’Conner and got pinned in the consolations by Maryland’s Eric Medina.
UTC at the NCAA tournament
First championship round
125—David Tomasette (Hofstra) major dec. Javier Maldonado, 15-1; 133—Lou Rugirello (Hofstra) dec. Steve Hromada, 3-2, OT; 141—Matthew Kyler (Army) dec. Cody Cleveland, 5-2; 149—J.P. O’Conner (Harvard) major dec. Joey Knox, 14-4; 157—Dan Vallimont (Penn State) dec. Seth Garvin, 8-6, OT; 174—Jay Borschel (Iowa) major dec. Lloyd Rogers, 8-2; 184—Roger Kish (Minnesota) dec. Josh Edmondson, 6-3; 197—Cayle Byers (George Mason) dec. Matt Koz, 3-1, OT.
Consolations—second round
125—Maldonado dec. Nic Bedelyon (Kent State), 8-4; 133—Kyle Hutter (Old Dominion) dec. Hromada, 2-1; 141—Cleveland (UTC) dec. Corey Jantzen (Harvard), 3-0; 149—Eric Medina (Maryland) pinned Knox, 2:19; 157—Garvin dec. Christian Snook (Army), 5-4 OT; 174—Rogers dec. Christian Snook (Army), 5-4, OT.
