From Hilltoppersports.com
WLU Wrestlers Impress in Loss to No. 3 Pitt-Johnstown
November 9., 2016
WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The youthful West Liberty University wrestling team threw a bit of a scare into No. 3-ranked Pitt-Johnstown Wednesday night before coming out on the short end of a 27-18 count in dual meet action at the ASRC.
Coach Mitch Smith's Hilltoppers (1-1) got off to a strong start when senior Zach Brown, ranked No. 8 nationally at 125 pounds, pulled out a 5-4 sudden-victory decision in the opening match.
Bryce Humphreys, ranked No. 5 in the Atlantic Region at 133 pounds, then brought the crowd to its feet when he finished off a pin against defending national champion Nick Roberts – ranked No. 1 nationally at 133 – just four seconds before the end of the opening period for a 9-0 West Liberty lead.
The veteran Pitt-Johnstown squad, which features five nationally-ranked wrestlers on its roster, answered with four straight wins – three by pinfall – to take a commanding 21-9 lead but the Black and Gold wasn't finished.
Freshman Milton Kobaly, competing in just his second collegiate match, pinned two-time NCAA national qualifier John Blankenship at 2:57 of the first period to get the Hilltoppers back in the match. Blankenship was ranked No. 9 nationally at 174 pounds.
Pitt-Johnstown's Levi Niebauer got a late takedown and a riding time point to edge Nathan Dawson by a 5-3 count at 184 but West Liberty's Logan Kemp cut the deficit back to 24-18 with a 6-34 decision against the Mountain Cats' Tyler Oliver.
The visitors were able to seal the deal in the final match when D.J. Sims, ranked No. 8 nationally at 285 pounds, outlasted the Hilltoppers' Chris Cook by an 11-4 count.
The West Liberty wrestlers return to action on Saturday when they compete in the Washington & Jefferson Invitational at Washington, Pa.
WRESTLING
No. 3 Pitt-Johnstown 27, West Liberty 18
125: Zach Brown (WLU) d. Sam Hollandez, 5-4, SV-1
133: Bryce Humphreys (WLU) p. Nick Roberts, 2:56
141: Chris Eddins (UPJ) p. Cameron Zuber, 3:40
149: Colin Landowski (UPJ) d. Josh Cornell, 8-2
157: Cody Law (UPJ) p. Cade Bates, 3:49
165: Tyler Reinhart (UPJ) p. Tryston Kessler, :57
174: Milton Kobaly (WLU) p. John Blankenship, 2:57
184: Levi Niebauer (UPJ) d. Nathan Dawson, 5-3
197: Logan Kemp (WLU) d. Tyler Oliver, 6-4
285: D.J. Sims (UPJ) d. Chris Cook, 11-4
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