#8 Wrestlers Open Dual Schedule With 18-16 Win at West Liberty State
11/21/08...Sophomore heavyweight Chris Dempsey (Sewickley, Pa.) scored a 7-6 decision in the night's final match to give the NCAA Division II #8-ranked Mountain Cat wrestlers an 18-16 come-from-behind victory Friday night at East Region rival West Liberty State (WV) College. Pitt-Johnstown is now 1-0.
With the Mountain Cats trailing 16-15 entering the heavyweight bout, Dempsey earned a 7-6 victory over Michael Carpenter to secure the victory.
Pitt-Johnstown fell behind 3-0 after the 125-lb. bout, but All-American and #6-ranked Shane Valko (Windber, Pa.) quickly gave the Mountain Cats a 6-3 lead with a fall at 3:20 over Chris Lombardi at 133 lbs.
West Liberty State increased the lead to 13-6 with three straight wins. Two-time All-American and #4-ranked Doug Surra defeated Pitt-Johnstown's Adam Whetstone (Claysburg, Pa.) 12-10 at 141 lbs.. Kayne Melko followed with a 5-0 decision over Ryan McIntyre (Claysburg, Pa.) at 149 lbs. before Mitch Smith scored a 15-5 major over Mountain Cat red-shirt freshman Nikko Leitzel (Ridgway, Pa.) in the 157-lb. bout.
Pitt-Johnstown won the next two bouts by decision to cut the Hilltopper lead to 13-12. 2008 All-American and #2-ranked Kyle Keane (165 lbs.) (Bradford, Pa.) defeated Jarrod Shaw 9-7, and red-shirt freshman Matt Moore (174 lbs.) (Blairsville, Pa.) handed Brandon Neifield a 5-2 loss.
The Hilltoppers increased the lead to 16-12 with two matches remaining with a decision victory at 174 lbs. However, 2008 National Qualifier Patrick Walsh (Leesport, Pa.) won a 5-2 decision over Mitch Knapp at 197 lbs. to cut the deficit to 16-15 entering the heavyweight bout that saw Demspey give the Mountain Cats the victory with his win over Carpenter.
With the loss, West Liberty State fell to 0-1.
The Mountain Cats will make their 2008-09 home debut on Wednesday, December 3 when #16 University of Findlay visits the Sports Center at 7:00 p.m.
#8 PITT-JOHNSTOWN VS WEST LIBERTY STATE (WV) COLLEGE
#8 PITT-JOHNSTOWN 18 WEST LIBERTY STATE COLLEGE 16
125 lbs. - Nick Wykoff (WLSC) Decision Scott Morgan (Pitt-Johnstown) 8-6 0-3
133 lbs. - #6 Shane Valko (Pitt-Johnstown) Fall Chris Lombardi (WLSC) 3:20 6-3
141 lbs. - #4 Doug Surra (WLSC) Decision Adam Whetstone (Pitt-Johnstown) 12-10 6-6
149 lbs. - Kayne Melko (WLSC) Decision Ryan McIntyre (Pitt-Johnstown) 5-0 6-9
157 lbs. Mitch Smith (WLSC) Major Decision Nikko Leitzel (Pitt-Johnstown) 15-5 6-13
165 lbs. - #2 Kyle Keane (Pitt-Johnstown) Decision Seth Phalen (WLSC) 9-7 9-13
174 lbs. - Matt Moore (Pitt-Johnstown) Decision Jarrod Shaw (WLSC) 6-2 12-13
184 lbs. - Brandon Neifield (WLSC) Decision Jon Moore (Pitt-Johnstown) 6-4 12-16
197 lbs. - Patrick Walsh (Pitt-Johnstown) Decision Mitch Knapp (WLSC) 5-2 15-16
HWT. - Chris Dempsey (Pitt-Johnstown) Decision Michael Carpenter (WLSC) 7-6 18-16