#8 Wrestlers Roll to 27-10 Win Over #17 Ashland
01/30/09...NCAA #3-ranked Shane Valko (133 lbs.) (Windber, Pa.) recorded his team-leading 11th fall of the season to start a stretch of five straight wins and lead the #8-ranked Mountain Cat wrestling team to a 27-10 victory over #17 Ashland (OH) University, Friday night in the Sports Center. Pitt-Johnstown improved to 10-4 on the year.
Brandon Davis got Ashland out to a 3-0 lead with a 7-4 win over Scott Morgan (North Huntingdon, Pa.) at 125 lbs.
However, Pitt-Johnstown stormed right back to take the lead for good in the next match. Valko pinned Jacob Bartley at 1:08 to put the Mountain Cats up 6-3 and start the string of five straight wins. Adam Whetstone (Claysburg, Pa.) scored a 9-0 major decision over Scott Meyer at 141 lbs., and Ryan McIntyre (Claysburg, Pa.) took down Tommie Graszl with :22 left in the third period to secure a 4-3 win at 149 lbs. and increase the lead to 13-3.
The Mountain Cats added on with victories at 157 lbs. and 165 lbs. Mazen Kholi (Allentown, Pa.) scored an 11-2 major decision over Nic Albaugh at 157 lbs., and Zach Lundgren followed with an 8-7 sudden victory over Tony Bradberry at 165 lbs. Lundgren built a 7-2 lead, but Bradberry battled back to force overtime. Then, in the second sudden victory round, Bradberry got an escape, but Lundgren got a take-down with :05 remaining to secure the win.
Pitt-Johnstown led 20-3, going into the 174-lb. match. Steve Makin (Portage, Pa.) took Ashland All-American and NCAA #7 Justin Ferguson to overtime, but Ferguson got a take-down to earn a 6-4 win cut the deficit to 20-6.
Jon Moore (184 lbs.) (Leechburg, Pa.) put the match away with a 12-2 major decision over Tom Kerrigan at 184 lbs. to give the Mountain Cats a 24-6 lead. Ashland won its final bout of the night bout at 197 lbs. with NCAA #5 Josh Ohl's 14-6 major decision over Patrick Walsh (Leesport, Pa.), before Pitt-Johnstown's Chris Dempsey (Sewickley, Pa.) closed out the match with a 6-2 win over Jacob Southwick at heavyweight to set the final at 27-10.
With the loss, Ashland dropped to 2-6 on the season
The Mountain Cats will wrestle their next three matches at home. The Mountain Cats will host Carson-Newman (TN) next Friday, Seton Hill on Wednesday, Feb. 11 and #16 Shippensburg on Wed. Feb. 18 for Senior Night. All three home matches will start at 7:00 p.m. in the Sports Center.
#8 PITT-JOHNSTOWN 27 #17 ASHLAND (OH) UNIV. 10
125 lbs. - Brandon Davis (AU) Decision Scott Morgan (Pitt-Johnstown) 7-4 3-0 AU
133 lbs. - Shane Valko (Pitt-Johnstown) Fall Jacob Bartley (AU) 1:08 6-3 Pitt-Johnstown
141 lbs. - Adam Whetstone (Pitt-Johnstown) Major Decision Scot Meyer (AU) 9-0 10-3 Pitt-Johnstown
149 lbs. - Ryan McIntyre (Pitt-Johnstown) Decision Tommie Graszl (AU) 4-3 13-3 Pitt-Johnstown
157 lbs. - Mazen Kholi (Pitt-Johnstown) Major Decision Nic Albaugh (AU) 11-2 17-3 Pitt-Johnstown
165 lbs. - Zach Lundgren (Pitt-Johnstown) Decision Tony Bradberry (AU) 8-7 SV 20-3 Pitt-Johnstown
174 lbs. - #7 Justin Ferguson (AU) Decision Steve Makin (Pitt-Johnstown) 6-4 OT 20-6 Pitt-Johnstown
184 lbs. - Jon Moore (Pitt-Johnstown) Major Decision Tom Kerrigan (AU) 12-2 24-6 Pitt-Johnstown
197 lbs. - #5 Josh Ohl (AU) Major Decision Patrick Walsh (Pitt-Johnstown) 14-6 24-10 Pitt-Johnstown
HWT. - Chris Dempsey (Pitt-Johnstown) Decision Jacob Southwick (AU) 6-2 27-10 Pitt-Johnstown