ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – On Friday night in a dual against the Elizabethtown Blue Jays, the Messiah wrestling team fell short by a 25-9 final score. The Falcons held a 9-8 lead midway through the dual, but the Blue Jays claimed the final five bouts of the dual to earn the victory on their senior night.
Caiden Heller (133 lbs.),
Noah Rice (149 lbs.), and
Garret Cornell (157 lbs.) were the three Falcons to earn victories on the evening, all snagging decisions.
The Blue Jays started the dual with a technical fall at 125 lbs.
Caiden Heller got the Falcons on the board with a 7-4 decision at 133 lbs., but a decision went in favor of Elizabethtown at 141 lbs. to give the Blue Jays the lead at 8-3.
Messiah claimed back-to-back decision from
Noah Rice (141 lbs.) and
Garret Cornell (157 lbs.) to take the 9-8 lead. Both Rice and Cornell were right on the edge of major decisions, winning their bouts by seven points. Rice won his match by an 8-1 score and Cornell claimed an 11-4 decision.
Elizabethtown rattled off five-straight bouts to claim the 25-9 victory. The back half of the dual was highlighted by major decisions for the Blue Jays at 197 lbs. and 285 lbs. Trai Roland earned a major decision at 197 lbs. and Dylan Waller followed at 285 lbs. with a major decision as well.
The Falcons have a quick turnaround as they host the Messiah Open on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 10:00 a.m. in Hitchcock Arena. The Blue Team will compete in the open tournament for the Falcons.
Elizabethtown defeats Messiah – 25-9
125: Ethan Liptzin (EC) tech fall
Corbin Hutchison (MESS), 17-0 (3:00)
133:
Caiden Heller (MESS) dec Braden Schuyler (EC), 7-4
141: Scotty Reagan (EC) dec
Shaun Quirk (MESS), 11-7
149:
Noah Rice (MESS) dec Shane Strausser (EC), 8-1
157:
Garret Cornell (MESS) dec Gavin Fehr (EC), 11-4
165: Brian Schneider (EC) dec
Zach Needles (MESS), 5-0
174: Ganon Smith (EC) dec
Austin Brass (MESS), 3-0
184: Will Davis (EC) dec
Ryder Slayton (MESS), 10-3
197: Trai Roland (EC) maj dec
Sawyer Dereszynski (MESS), 11-2
285: Dylan Waller (EC) maj dec
Hayden Benner (MESS), 10-2
Ex. 285: Kurt Driscoll (EC) fall
Isaiah Durham (MESS), 1:53
