OHIO UNIVERSITY 18, UTC 14
(Meet started at 125 pounds)125 — Shakur Laney (O) dec. Alonzo Allen, 11-8; 133 — Cameron Kelly (O) dec. Cody Hill, 7-6; 141 — Michael Pongracz (UTC) dec. Noah Forrider, 3-1; 149 — Cullen Cummings (O) dec. Roman Boylen, 6-1; 157 — Kamaal Shakur (UTC) dec. Spartak Chino, 4-3; 165 — Austin Reese (O) dec. Dominic Lampe, 5-4; 174 — Cody Walters (O) dec. Sean Mappes, 8-3; 184 — Andrew Romanchik (O) dec. John Lampe, 3-1; 197 — Scottie Boykin (UTC) major dec. Nate Hall, 11-2; 285 — Jared Johnson (UTC) major dec. Jesse Webb, 11-0.Records: Ohio 4-1, UTC 4-2.
The win was very much within the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s grasp – so close the Mocs could smell it. The sniffs were fleeting, though, and Ohio University, the nation’s 17th-ranked wrestling team, slipped away from Maclellan Gym with an 18-14 victory.
Five of UTC’s six losses were by three or fewer points, including one-point setbacks for Cody Hill (133) and Dominic Lampe (165).
“I’m frustrated that we lost, but so is a 3-year-old. I’m proud of the way we competed. We wrestled really hard,” UTC coach Heath Eslinger said. “From a coaching standpoint we have to get them to see when we really have a guy on the ropes. I think part of that is youth.”
A perfect example came in 125-pound Alonzo Allen’s match. He was down 10-2 at the start of the second period but won the last two periods 6-1.
“My job as a coach is to make sure we get better, and there are a lot of things we did well tonight and things we can do better,” Eslinger said. “(Allen) stormed back and really had that kid on the ropes. It’s a game of inches, and we just gave up too many inches in the first period. It’s not an effort but rather a confidence issue and a strategic issue.”
The Mocs (4-2) started four true freshmen and a sophomore. Ohio (4-1) was the second ranked team they have faced this season. They lost to No. 24 Stanford 19-16 to open the season.
The Mocs were down 6-0 after the first two bouts at 125 and 133 pounds, and the closest they could get was three points when unbeaten Michael Pongracz (9-0) decisioned Noah Forrider at 141.
“He keeps winning,” Eslinger said. “He works, but all of our guys are coming to work every practice every day.”
The night’s only bonus points went to the Mocs’ two ranked wrestlers. No. 18 Scottie Boykin beat Nate Hall 11-2 at 197, and Jared Johnson, the nation’s No. 13 heavyweight, rolled up more than five minutes of riding time in an 11-0 victory over Jesse Webb.
The Mocs risk their unbeaten (2-0) Southern Conference record against Southern Illinois at 1 p.m. Sunday at Maclellan Gym.