Fanning Major Pushes WJU Past DIII No. 5 Messiah
DI No. 17 Lock Haven Takes Opener
12/16/2017
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Against a pair of top-notch Pennsylvania collegiate squads, the Cardinals came away with a split. Down by two heading into the heavyweight bout, Terrance Fanning recorded a match-winning major decision and pushed Wheeling Jesuit to a 23-22 final over NCAA Division III No. 5 Messiah. NCAA Division I No. 17 Lock Haven won seven weights in a 32-11 opening win.
Fanning was the WJU (4-1) standout with two bonus-point victories after he recorded a 16-0 tech fall in the Lock Haven match. Tyler Warner ended up as the lone other WJU double-winner with a pair of 141-pound decision wins.
"Lock Haven was everything I thought they would be! They hand fought to their positions and made us pay for mistakes. We came away with a few wins with Warner being a marquee win for this time of year. Messiah is a perennial trophy team in DIII and they battled us from start to finish. Would have liked to have won a couple more of the individual matches, but proud of the way we came back after being down 12-0 to start.," said WJU head coach Danny Irwin. "We needed these two duals and will help us as we head into the back part of the season."
Warner on his day, "I was excited for the Lock Haven match. My opponent was one of their better kids who has numerous big wins this season. I executed when I needed to, which has me pumped, as we move towards the back half of the year."
Fanning regarding his 2-0 afternoon, "Today was a good day for the team and for myself. We wrestled hard regardless of who they were and gave it our all. We also identified a lot of things individually, and as a team, that we need to work on as we prepare for national duals and to continue our run for regionals and nationals."
Vs. DI No. 17 Lock Haven
The Cardinals claimed only Warner's 141 match from the Bald Eagles in the first eight weights. Warner decisioned Kyle Shoop by a 3-2 final to make it 10-3.
At 157, WJU's Connor Craig lost on a late takedown in a 5-3 defeat to Lock Haven's Jonathan Ross. In another tight defeat, freshman Aiden Pasiuk (184) put up a fight, but dropped a 5-0 decision to LHU's Corey Hazel.
WJU picked up the final two top weights. At 197, Sawyer Leppla pulled out a 7-4 win over the home team's Tristan Sponseller. Fanning ended the match on a high note as he dominated Lock Haven's Derek Dragon by a 16-0 tech fall score in 4:43 for the 32-11 team final tally.
The 32-11 final score was the closest Lock Haven final of its three matches.
Vs. DIII No. 5 Messiah
Trailing 12-0, it was Warner to put WJU on the scoreboard a second time as he claimed a 6-2 win at 141.
Following a third Messiah win, WJU ran off three-straight bonus-point victories. Craig started the run with a tech fall in 6:38. At 165, Keegan Driscoll pulled WJU to within two, 16-14, with a fall in 5:44 over Messiah's Brian Shermeyer. Justice Avery (174) gave the Cardinals their first lead, 20-16, via a 16-0 tech fall.
Both Pasiuk (184) and Leppla (197) suffered close 8-4 and 4-3 decisions as Messiah retook the edge, 22-20. Fanning gave WJU its win with the 13-5 major decision for the four points needed and 23-22 win.
WJU will now be off until it takes part in the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals on January 4-5 in Fort Wayne, Ind.
Lock Haven 32 – Wheeling Jesuit 11
125: Luke Werner (LHU) wins by forfeit; LHU leads 6-0
133: DJ Fehlman (LHU) major dec. Jaylen Hill (WJU) 11-3; LHU leads 10-0
141: Tyler Warner (WJU) dec. Kyle Shoop (LHU) 3-2; LHU leads 10-3
149: #13 Ronnie Perry (LHU) tech fall Daniel Romero (WJU) 16-0, 1:55; LHU leads 15-3
157: Jonathan Ross (LHU) dec. Connor Craig (WJU) 5-3; LHU leads 18-3
165: #8 Chance Marsteller (LHU) tech fall Keegan Driscoll (WJU) 18-2, 4:58; LHU Leads 23-3
174: Jared Siegrist (LHU) pinned Justice Avery (WJU) 0:56; LHU leads 29-3
184: Corey Hazel (LHU) dec. Aidan Pasiuk (WJU) 5-0; LHU leads 32-3
197: Saywer Leppla (WJU) dec. Tristan Sponseller (LHU) 7-4; LHU leads 32-6
285: Terrance Fanning (WJU) tech fall Derek Dragon (WJU) 16-0, 4:43; LHU wins 32-11
Wheeling Jesuit 23 – Messiah 22
125: Sean Redington (MES) Forfeit Victory – MES 6-0
133: Hunter Harris (MES) pinned Jaylen Hill (WJU), 4:32; MES 12-0
141: Tyler Warner (WJU) dec Nick Nunez (MES) 6-2; MES 12-3
149: Stephen Maloney (MES) major dec. Daniel Romero (WJU)11-2; MES 16-3
157: Connor Craig (WJU) tech fall Lee Cassel (MES), 6:38; MES 16-8
165: Keegan Driscoll (WJU) pinned Brian Shermeyer (MES), 5:44; MES 16-14
174: Justice Avery (WJU) tec fall David Stevens (MES) 16-0; WJU 20-16
184: Derek Beitz (MES) dec Adam Pasiuk (WJU) 8-4; WJU 20-19
197: Kyle Koser (MES) dec Sawyer Leppla (WJU) 4-3; MES 22-20
285: Terrance Fanning (WJU) major dec Jared Schell (MES) 13-5; WJU 23-22
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