WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - No. 24 Messiah Wrestling took home fifth-place at the 2019 Budd Whitehill Duals with a pair of victories on Saturday. Messiah advanced to the fifth-place match with a 30-15 victory over the SUNY Oswego Lakers on Saturday morning thanks to four first-period falls. The Falcons then edged Wisconsin-Eau Claire later in the afternoon with a 23-19 victory to finish fifth in the 20-team tournament.
 
Messiah defeats SUNY-Oswego - 30-15 - Results
The Falcons and Lakers both won five bouts apiece on Saturday morning, but while the Falcons were picking up pins, the Lakers were earning close decisions. Messiah started the match with Sean Redington claiming a forfeit victory at 125 lbs. Josiah Gehr bumped up on Saturday to wrestle at 133 lbs. and made quick work of Oswego's Wyatt Gorman, earning a fall in just 50 seconds for his second pin of the duals.
 
After the Lakers earned a decision at 141 lbs., Stephen Maloney earned another first-period pin for Messiah, needing just 1:30 to take care of William Hardin. The fall from Maloney was his second in the last two days and gave Messiah the 18-3 lead with six bouts remaining.
 
Three-straight decisions went in favor of the Lakers, before Victor DeFrance continued his stellar weekend with another first-period fall for the Falcons in 1:47 at 184 lbs. The pin gave Messiah the 24-12 lead with just two bouts remaining and after Oswego's Richardo Dawkins claimed just a decision at 197 lbs., the Falcons locked-up the victory. With the dual already in hand, Messiah's Denny Karas put the cherry on top of the victory with his fourth-straight fall in 1:26 at 285 lbs., giving Messiah the 30-15 victory and advancing them to the fifth-place match against Wisconsin-Eau Claire at 1:30 p.m.

Messiah defeats Wisconsin-Eau Claire - 23-19 - Results
The Falcons opened up a 14-0 lead through the first four bouts thanks to three-straight decisions and a technical fall from Stephen Maloney at 149 lbs. by a score of 16-1. After the Blugolds took the next two bouts with a pin and a decision, Messiah led by five at 14-9, but Brian Shermeyer earned a fall in 2:17 at 174 lbs. to give the Falcons control. Messiah held on down the stretch for the 23-19 victory.
 
As mentioned, it was three-straight decisions by the Falcons that built Messiah an early lead. Sean Redington (125 lbs., 11-9), Dalton Daugherty (133 lbs., 7-4), and Matthew Darok (141 lbs., 18-13) each claimed their first victories of the weekend on the mat (other than Redington's victory by forfeit against SUNY-Oswego). Holding a 9-0 lead, Stephen Maloney completed his perfect 5-0 weekend with a 16-1 technical fall over Zachary Kelsey.
 
Maloney and Victor DeFrance were the lone Falcons to go 5-0 in Messiah's five duals this weekend.
 
After the Blugolds picked up a quick pin at 157 lbs. and a 10-3 decision at 165 lbs., Messiah countered with a first-period fall by Brian Shermeyer at 174 lbs. in just over two minutes at 2:17. As mentioned, Victor DeFrance went 5-0 on the weekend and capped off his effort with a 7-2 decision over Jordan Blanchard.
 
Despite the Blugolds winning the final two bouts with a major decision and a fall, Messiah held on for the 23-19 victory to move to 4-1 in duals on the weekend and take fifth-place in the tournament.
 
All-Tournament Team
Three Falcons were named to the All-Tournament Team with Josiah Gehr (125 lbs.), Stephen Maloney (149 lbs.), and Victor DeFrance (184 lbs.) picking up honors after undefeated showings this weekend.

Results
Messiah defeats SUNY-Oswego - 30-15
125 - Sean Redington (MC) over Unknown (SUNY-O) Forf
133 - Josiah Gehr (MC) over Wyatt Gorman (SUNY-O) Fall 0:50
141 - Evan Corso (SUNY-O) over Nick Nunez (MC) Dec 7-4
149 - Stephen Maloney (MC) over William Hardin (SUNY-O) Fall 1:30
157 - Christian Gramuglia (SUNY-O) over Kevin Edwards (MC) Dec 8-7
165 - Trevor Hoffmier (SUNY-O) over David Stevens (MC) Dec 8-3
174 - Troy Seymour (SUNY-O) over Brian Shermeyer (MC) Dec 3-2
184 - Victor DeFrance (MC) over Jeff Lombardi (SUNY-O) Fall 1:47
197 - Ricardo Dawkins (SUNY-O) over Joe Embleton (MC) Dec 9-2
285 - Denny Karas (MC) over Nicholas Schmitt (SUNY-O) Fall 1:26

Messiah defeats Wisconsin-Eau Claire - 23-19
125 - Sean Redington (Messiah) over Jack Marley (W-EC) Dec 11-9
133 - Dalton Daugherty (Messiah) over Thomas Severson (W-EC) Dec 7-4
141 - Matt Darok (Messiah) over Hunter Pierce (W-EC Dec 18-13   
149 - Stephen Maloney (Messiah) over Zachary Kelsey (W-EC) TF 16-1
157 - Brady Bastyr (W-EC) over Kevin Edwards (Messiah) Fall 1:34
165 - Chase Schmidt (W-EC) over David Stevens (Messiah) Dec 10-3
174 - Brian Shermeyer (Messiah) over Evan Lawrence (W-EC) Fall 2:17
184 - Victor DeFrance (Messiah) over Jordan Blanchard (W-EC) Dec 7-2
197 - James Huntley (W-EC) over Joe Embleton (Messiah) Maj 16-6
285 - Austin Hakes (W-EC) over Denny Karas (Messiah) Fall 0:56

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