Wrestling team posts 3-1 record at Comet Duals, with wins against two ranked teams
Against some of the top programs at the NCAA Division III level, the Olivet College wrestling team posted a 3-1 record at the 2011 Comet Duals today inside The Cutler Event Center in Olivet. The Comets, ranked No. 23 in the recent National Wrestling Coaches Association poll, opened the day with a 35-6 win against Bridgewater State (Mass.). They then beat No. 11 North Central (Ill.), 33-11; and fell to No. 2 Wis.-La Crosse, 33-12; and ended the day with a 32-10 win over No. 19 Ohio Northern.
OLIVET, Mich. – Against some of the top programs at the NCAA Division III level, the Olivet College wrestling team posted a 3-1 record at the 2011 Comet Duals today inside The Cutler Event Center in Olivet. The Comets, ranked No. 23 in the recent National Wrestling Coaches Association poll, opened the day with a 35-6 win against Bridgewater State (Mass.) University. They then beat No. 11 North Central (Ill.) College, 33-11; and fell to No. 2 University of Wis.-La Crosse, 33-12; and ended the day with a 32-10 win over No. 19 Ohio Northern University.
Against Bridgewater, Olivet won eight-of-10 matches, including three by fall. Sophomore 125-pounder Robbie Bidlingmaier (Chesterfield Twp./Anchor Bay) got the match started by pinning his opponent with 17 seconds left in the first period. Sophomore 133-pounder Michael Gancer (Battle Creek/Harper Creek) won in the third sudden death period, 11-8. Sophomore 141-pounder Jeremy Ward (Washington Twp./Romeo) stuck his guy in 1:43.
Freshman 149-pounder Kyle Witgen (Romeo) won, 9-4. Freshman 157-pounder Dan Fleet (Ada/Lowell) earned a 10-2 major decision victory. Sophomore 165-pounder Rocky Cantu (Rives Junction/Jackson Northwest) won 9-3.
Sophomore 174-pounder Connor Sharp (Schoolcraft) pinned his opponent in 4:05. Junior 184-pounder Josh Crawford (Birch Run) capped the Comets' win with a 14-0 shutout win.
After losing the first three matches against North Central, Olivet won the last three. Sophomore 149-pounder Gage Pederson got it started with a 4-2 win. Senior 157-pounder Steven Mena (Martin) won by major decision, 17-6. Junior 165-pounder James Myers (Monroe/Indian Creek) pinned his guy in the first period at 1:36.
Senior 174-pounder Trevor Tyler (Roscommon) won a high-scoring match, 20-11. Crawford then pinned his wrestler in 5:26. Senior 197-pounder Justin Leonard (Webberville) also claimed a major decision win, 11-1. Junior 285-pounder Logan Renas (Big Rapids) won by forfeit.
La Crosse won six of the matches against Olivet, but three of the wins came down to the final seconds of the match. Winning for the Comets were Bidlingmaier, 10-0; Pederson, 8-4; Myers, 8-4; and Leonard, 9-4.
Olivet also won eight matches against Ohio Northern. Bidlingmaier won his third match of the day, 11-2. Junior 133-pounder Kam Olsen (Kentwood/East Kentwood) won 10-4. Ward pinned his opponent in 3:26. Pederson won 8-6. Mena earned a 13-4 major decision win. Myers stayed perfect on the day with a 5-2 win. Tyler won by forfeit, and Renas won 8-1.
The Comets are now off until Saturday, Dec. 3, when they participate in the Ohio Northern Polar Bear Invitational. Action gets started at 9 a.m.