LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Johnson & Wales University wrestling team was one match away from sweeping all three of its matches on Saturday at the NWCA National Duals. However, the eighth-ranked Wildcats lost their last match to go 2-1.
Johnson & Wales got day two started with a 24-12 triumph against No. 12 Wisconsin-Whitewater. They followed that up with a 31-18 defeat of #14 NYU. Unfortunately, the Wildcats couldn't take down sixth-ranked Coe College as they lost 22-18 to the Kohawks.
The Wildcats trailed the Warhawks, 6-3, after the third match, but JWU went on to win the next five matches to take control of the team competition. Eighth-ranked Da'mani Burns recorded a 17-9 major decision to get the run started. Cam Altobelli recorded another major decision at 174 pounds and Nick Munsch secured the team victory with a pin at 184 pounds.
Pins were the order of the day in the contest against NYU as the two teams combined for five pins in 10 matches. Hayden Brown recorded his second at 133 pounds and Christian Murphy recorded another at 165 pounds to tie the match at 15-15. Munsch got another major decision and Giovanni Santiago put the team contest out of reach with his pin at 197 pounds.
JWU lost the first match to Coe, but proceeded to win the next five bouts. Unfortunately, only Burns – who pinned AJ Patterson in 3:21 - got any bonus points as the Wildcats held an 18-6 advantage. Top-ranked Taylor Mehmen pinned Giovanni Santiago at 197 pounds to tie the match then No. 10 Kaleb Reeves upset sixth-ranked Michael DiNardo to give the Kohawks the victory.
JWU returns home for the NEWA Duals on January 19 in the Rhode Island Convention Center.
#8 Johnson & Wales 29, #19 UW-Whitewater 12 JWU-UWW
125 #1 Mike Tortorice (UWW) over Justin Lopez (JWU) Decision 7-0 0-3
133 Hayden Brown (JWU) over Josiah Lynden (UWW) Fall 0:23 6-3
141 #4 Hazen Rice (UWW) over Jordan Robinson (JWU) Decision 1-0 6-6
149 #8 Da'mani Burns (JWU) over Devin Tortorice (UWW) Major Decision 17-9 10-6
157 Darius Joyce (JWU) over Jake Burford (UWW) Decision 8-4 13-6
165 Christian Murphy (JWU) over Ryder Sigler (UWW) Decision 8-3 16-6
174 Cam Altobelli (JWU) over Killian Jauchh (UWW) Major Decision 15-2 20-6
184 Nick Munsch (JWU) over Alex Oruna (UWW) Fall 4:44 26-6
197 Nick Sundberg (UWW) over Tommy Wrzesien (JWU) Injury 1:22 26-12
285 #6 Michael DiNardo (JWU) over Cadin Koeppel (UWW) Decision 7-2 29-12
Dual Meet Score 29-12
#8 Johnson & Wales 31, #14 NYU 18 JWU-NYU
125 Tyler Crew (NYU) over Christopher Caban (JWU) Fall 2:31 0-6
133 Hayden Brown (JWU) over Trent Furman (NYU) Fall 2:35 6-6
141 Jason Geyer (NYU) over # 9 Gabe McDaniel (JWU) Decision 6-2 6-9
149 #8 Da'mani Burns (JWU) over Evan Drill (NYU) Decision 3-2 9-9
157 #9 Sean Lyons (NYU) over Darius Joyce (JWU) Fall 2:10 9-15
165 Christian Murphy (JWU) over Cole Karam (NYU) Fall 1:58 15-15
174 Izaake Zuckerman (NYU) over Seon Bowker (JWU) Decision 3-0 15-18
184 Nick Munsch (JWU) over Miguel Ruiz (NYU) Major Decision 10-2 19-18
197 Giovanni Santiago (JWU) over Jack La Corte (NYU) Fall 1:30 25-18
285 #6 Michael DiNardo (JWU) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf 31-18
Dual Meet Score 31-18
#6 Coe College 22, #8 Johnson & Wales 18 JWU-CC
125 Alex Friddle (Coe) over Christopher Caban (JWU) Fall 2:30 0-6
133 Hayden Brown (JWU) over Brock Henderson (Coe) Dec 8-2 3-6
141 Jordan Robinson (JWU) over Riley Wright (Coe) Dec 7-5 6-6
149 #8 Da'mani Burns (JWU) over AJ Patterson (Coe) Fall 3:21 12-6
157 Darius Joyce (JWU) over Gabe Fiser (Coe) SV-1 3-1 15-6
165 Christian Murphy (JWU) over Ryker Kurimski (Coe) SV-1 7-5 18-6
174 Ryan Schott (Coe) over Seon Bowker (JWU) Dec 9-3 18-9
184 Josh Edel (Coe) over Nick Munsch (JWU) Dec 13-7 18-12
197 #1 Taylor Mehmen (Coe) over Giovanni Santiago (JWU) Fall 6:59 18-18
285 #10 Kaleb Reeves (Coe) over #6 Michael DiNardo (JWU) Maj 18-4 18-21
Dual Meet Score 18-22