Team Scores | Brackets
GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Messiah wrestling team opened the 2018-19 season with a second-place finish at the Messiah Invitational on Saturday. The Falcons finished with a team score of 97 points and five different Falcons qualified for the finals in their weight class, with
Lee Cassel winning the 157-lbs class. Gettysburg finished first among the nine teams with a score of 110.5 and Wheaton College picked up the third place finish with 83 total points.
Stephen Maloney showed well for Messiah and dominated his way to the 149 championship bout. Maloney picked up back-to-back technical falls (20-2) and then defeated Gettysburg's Philip Angelo by major decision (15-2) in the semifinals. However, Maloney fell to his opponent (4:17) in the championship bout to secure a second place finish for the Falcons.
Lee Cassel and
Matt Pangle took care of business in the 157-lbs class after they each won three-straight bouts to meet up in the first place match. The two Falcons battled and Cassel defeated Pangle in a close 3-2 decision.
David Stevens (165) battled well for Messiah and collected four-straight wins, including a sudden victory in the semifinals, to take him to the championship match. Stevens faced David Cox from Liberty in the final bout and was defeated 10-2.
Victor DeFrance (174) also collected a second place finish for the Falcons. DeFrance won by decision in the semifinal match (14-9) but dropped in the championship match by fall (0:32).
Brian Shermeyer finished third in the 184-lbs weight class. After falling in the semifinal match, Shermeyer bounced back and defeated McDaniel's Ronald Wuest (16-1) in the consolation semifinal to advance to the third place match. 1:50 into the bout, Shermeyer pinned his opponent and picked up a third place finish for the Falcons.
Josiah Gehr (125) and
Matthew Darok (141) also wrestled well for Messiah and picked up third and fourth place finishes, respectively.
Up Next
The Falcons will travel to Bristol, RI to complete in the Roger Williams Invitational on Saturday, November 10.
