The Lindenwood wrestling concluded its regular season in a competitive 22-14 loss to No. 4 Maryville on Wednesday night.
After a tough defeat against Newman on Saturday,
Carlos Jacquez bounced back in a big way when he routed Jaret Singh in a 13-3 major decision to give the Lions an early 4-0 lead. The 125-pounder who ranks No. 10 in Division II holds an overall 19-3 record which includes three major decision victories.
Hunter Haralson, No. 5, carried the momentum through the 133-pound mega-matchup against No. 9 Dakota Bauer when he registered a major decision of his own to contribute four more points for the Lions. Haralson also has 19 victories this season including a team-high six major decision wins.
The Saints retaliated with a pin at 141 pounds to cut the lead to 8-6 going into Ronnie Gentile's match. Gentile wrestled strong defensively by only allowing one takedown in regulation before he had to go into sudden victory at 149 pounds. However, his opponent James Krischke executed a takedown in the first round of overtime to clinch the 4-2 victory and a 9-8 lead for the Saints.
That did not stop the Lions from rebounding. Entering the match after pinning his last opponent from Newman,
Tim Bogar made a statement at 157 pounds when he pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season against two-time All-American and No. 4-ranked Greg Hegarty. Both wrestlers stormed right at each other the moment the first whistle sounded as they took down and escaped each other once in the first round. After a close second round, Bogar escaped Hegarty in the beginning of the third round and immediately took him down. Bogar enjoyed riding time as well as he would not be threatened for the remainder of the match, winning by a 9-5 decision.
Kyle Jolas also earned three points for the Lions to extend their lead to 14-9 when he recorded six points in the first round. He then cruised to a 9-2 decision win over Derrick Swaney for his 15th win of the season at 165 pounds.
The Saints responded with a major decision at 174 pounds to cut the lead to 14-13.
Patrick Kristin competed tough in that matchup as he maintained a 2-2 tie going into the third round. His opponent Tyler Harrington then registered a takedown and a near-fall to complete the 10-2 win.
David Hamil, ranked No. 12, came up next at 184 pounds to face one of his toughest opponents in No. 7 Zeb Wahle. Early in the first round, Wahle gave a scare when he nearly converted a takedown into a pin. Hamil battled back to his feet with all his strength to stay in the match even though Wahle led 6-1. However, Hamil attempted a comeback and outscored Wahle 6-5 in the next two rounds, but it was not enough. Wahle would win by 11-6 to give the Saints the 16-14 lead.
In the 197-pound matchup,
Dillon Archer competed against No. 10 Ethan Sherertz. Sherertz did not give Archer any opportunities to get points, but Archer kept the match into a decision to give the Saints just three points.
Jake Borgmeyer faced No. 7 Donnell Walker at heavyweight for the final match of the night. Neither wrestler scored a point in the first round, but Walker would escape in the second round to break the ice. Each scored two points in which Walker clinched the victory for the Saints.
After the defeat, the Lions finish dual play with an overall record of 7-5. They will rest up and prepare for the MIAA Tournament taking place on Sunday at Kearney. The first matches will start at 9 am.
