2 - 1 at University of Virginia

By Jonathan Hevron
WVU Sports Information Department



November 02, 2013 04:48 PM

Charlottesville, Va. – The West Virginia University wrestling team opened the 2014 season with two dual meet victories at the Virginia Duals quad meet.

“It is very important each year, that first contest, we get a good reading on what is and is not working,” says coach Craig Turnbull. “ This was important to identify what things guys need to work on, and that is always a reason we look forward to that first day of competition. It is very early, and we saw things that were promising and some things we are concerned about.”

The Mountaineers came out strong, defeating Gardner-Webb, 24-12. WVU claimed six bouts over the Runnin' Bulldogs, highlighted by sophomore Bubba Scheffel's pin over Gardner-Webb's Aaron Rabin in the first period of the 174 pound match.

The Mountaineers' second meet of the day came against Anderson. WVU blanked the Trojans, 46-0. The Mountaineers won two matches by falls and another by technical fall. Scheffel tallied his second pin of the day over Anderson's Brain Onofrio. In the 184 pound bout, sophomore Mark Colabucci pinned the Trojans' Taylor Dorsett.

WVU closed the day against Virginia. The Cavaliers entered the contest with six wrestlers ranked in InterMat's top 20 for their respective weight classes. The Mountaineers fell to UVA, 41-6. A.J. Vizcarrondo claimed his first victory of the season against the Cavaliers heavyweight, Derek Papagianopoulos.

Freshman Cory Stainbrook went 2-1 on the day at 125 pounds. Against the Runnin' Bulldogs' Cortez Starkes, Stainbrook won by major decision after earning two takedowns and three points for a near fall in the first period. He continued the momentum into his second match against Anderson's Cory Monteforte, recording a technical fall at 3:59 in the match. Stainbrook outscored Monteforte 16-1.

At 133 pounds, sophomore Daniel Suite bounced back from dropping his first match. Suite defeated the Trojans' Keenan Simmons by a major decision,19-5. Suite tallied four takedowns and two reversals in the match.

Senior Colin Johnston wrestled at 141 pounds, and started the day with a win by decision over Gardner-Webb's Ryan Mosley. Johnston took control of the match in the third period, recording a reversal and a two-point near fall to clinch the 9-3 decision. In match two, Johnston matched up against Anderson's Zak Hale. After taking a 4-2 lead in the first, Johnston went on to win the decision, 9-7, after earning an escape point and riding time in the third.

The Mountaineers wrestled two at 149 pounds today, first with junior Mike Morales against the Runnin' Bulldogs' Tyler Ziegler. Morales shutout Ziegler, taking him to the mat twice and earning a three-point near fall on his way to a 10-0 major decision.

Sophomore Tre Miller-Scott wrestled at 149 pounds against the Trojans' Ian Harper. Miller-Scott scored three early takedowns in the first period, defeating Harper 7-3.

At 157 pounds, junior Brutus Scheffel won his first two matches by major decisions. In match one, Scheffel defeated Gardner-Webb's Cole Graves 14-5. Scheffel came back in the second bout against Anderson's Zane Newton. Scheffel tallied six takedowns and a three-point near fall in the 17-5 major decision.

Sophomore Ross Renzi matchd up against the Runnin' Bulldogs' Austin Trott at 165 pounds in his first bout of the day, falling by decision, 3-4. Renzi rebounded though in match two, defeating the Trojans' Stephen Wylie 12-5 after scoring four takedowns.

Bubba Scheffel turned in the most dominating performance today, earning two victories by fall. In the first bout against Gardner-Webb's Rabin, Scheffel earned the pin 1:30 into the match, after already scoring a two-point near fall. Scheffel then pinned Anderson's Brian Onofrio in 55 seconds.

Two Mountaineers split duty at 184 pounds, first with senior Mac Mancuso against the Runnin' Bulldogs' Gray Jones. Mancuso scored an escape point in overtime to win the 2-1 decision.

Colabucci wrestled the second bout against the Trojans' Taylor Dorsett. After scoring three near falls, Colabucci earned the pin at 5:31.

A.J. Vizcarrondo recovered after losing his first match in heavyweight to Gardner-Webb's Justin Kozera. Vizcarrondo claimed the Mountaineers only victory over UVA, defeating Derek Papagianopoulos.

Freshman Wayne 'Dink' Purnell won the second heavyweight bout against Anderson. Purnell was trailing 1-0 in the second period before Anderson's Brendon Lathan was injured on a takedown by Purnell.

“By the time we get through December, we should have solidified our lineup and be able to build on it throughout the year. Virginia was a good team and it was a wake up call for a couple of our guys to really turn up their intensity. By January we should have a team that we feel really good about,” Turnbull says.

WVU travels to Binghamton, N.Y., for the the Binghampton Open on Sunday, November 10.

WVU 24 Gardner-Webb 12
125 Cory Stainbrook WVU def. Cortez Starkes (13-2)
133 Robbie Golde def. Daniel Suite WVU (10-5)
141 Colin Johnston WVU def. Ryan Mosley (9-3)
149 Mike Morales WVU def. Tyler Ziegler (10-0) 157 Brutus Scheffel WVU def. Cole Graves (14-5)
165 Austin Trott def. Ross Renzi WVU (4-3)
174 Bubba Scheffel WVU def. Aaron Rabin (6-0) (Fall at 1:30 in first period)
184 Mac Mancuso WVU def. Gray Jones (2-1)
197 Boyce Cornwell def. Leo Trindade WVU (3-2)
HWT Justin Kozera def. A.J.Vizcarrondo WVU (3-2)

WVU 46 Anderson 0
125 Cory Stainbrook WVU def. Cory Monteforte (16-1) (technical fall at 3:59)
133 Daniel Suite WVU def. Keenan Simmons (19-5)
141 Colin Johnston WVU def. Zak Hale (9-7)
149 Tre Miller-Scott WVU def. Ian Harper (7-3)
157 Brutus Scheffel WVU def. Zane Newton (17-5)
165 Ross Renzi WVU def. Stephen Wylie (12-5)
174 Bubba Scheffel WVU def. Brian Onofrio (Fall at 0:55 in the first period)
184 Mark Colabucci WVU def. Taylor Dorsett (Fall at 5:31)
197 Forfeit
HWT Wayne Purnell WVU def. Brendon Lathan (Inj. default at 4:41)

Virginia 41 WVU 6
125 Nick Herrmann def. Cory Stainbrook WVU (9-4)
133 Joe Martinez def. Daniel Suite (18-2) WVU (technical fall)
141 Joe Spisak def. Colin Johnston (16-0) WVU (technical fall)
149 Augustus Sako def. Tre Miller-Scott WVU (Fall at 5:42)
157 Blaise Butler def. Brutus Scheffel WVU (Fall at 1:24)
165 Nick Sulzer def. JasonLuster WVU (Fall at 5:53)
174 Stephen Doty def. Bubba Scheffel WVU (3-2)
184 Jonathan Fausey def. Mac Mancuso WVU (5-3)
197 Zach Nye def. Leo Trindade WVU (10-1)
HWT A.J. Vizcarrondo WVU def. Derek Papagianopoulos (Inj. default)


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