ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. -- The Elizabethtown College wrestling team celebrated Dan Smith on Senior Night Friday evening in the final home dual of the season. The Blue Jays dropped their matchup with visiting Messiah, 29-13, at Thompson Gymnasium. Josh Paisley, Colton Shriner, and Elijah Flasher each earned wins in their matches for E-town.

Messiah (15-5) jumped ahead 11-0 through the 125, 133, and 141-pound weight classes on a pair of decisions and a tech fall.

Junior Josh Paisley got Elizabethtown (2-9) on the board at 149 with a major decision over Michael Bellerose. Paisley got a takedown 1:01 into the first period for his first two points. He got four on a nearfall count with less than 30 seconds to go in the opening period and led 6-0 going into the second. Another takedown in the second put Paisley in total control, though Bellerose did manage an escape with 57 seconds left in the second. Paisley started down to begin the third, escaped 13 seconds in and also secured a point for 1:35 of riding time to get the 10-1 major decision.

Freshman Colton Shriner, bumped up to 184, had no problems with his bout. An early takedown and four-count nearfall had Shriner ahead 6-0 less than a minute into the first. Spencer Clements got a takedown in the second, but Shriner reversed the Messiah wrestler and nearly got the fall, but was awarded another nearfall four. For a third consecutive period, Shriner earned points for a takedown and four-point nearfall. Along with riding time, Shriner's matchup with Clements ended as a 19-4 tech fall. The Blue Jays trailed 9-23 after 184.

Junior Elijah Flasher was just as close as Shriner to get a pin fall victory at 197 pounds. Flasher built up plenty of riding time and had a pair of two-count nearfalls toward the end of the first and led 6-0 after one period. Starting on the bottom, Flasher broke free of Joe Embleton's grapple and then went on the offensive with another takedown and nearfall two count. Flasher recorded another takedown in the third and earned the riding time point to make it 14-0 and added another four points to E-town's team total.

Denny Karas finished off the dual with a pin at 285 and Messiah got out of Thompson Gymnasium with a 29-13 victory over the Blue Jays.

Elizabethtown has one final dual this season, which is at Johns Hopkins on Wednesday, February 13, at 7 p.m.
 

ELIZABETHTOWN vs. MESSIAH Friday, February 8, 2019 // Elizabethtown, Pa.
WT.		ETOWN	MESSIAH
125	#10/10 Josiah Gehr (MC) dec. Josh McLaughlin (ETOWN), 7-1	0	3
133	Dalton Daugherty (MC) dec. Austin Jones (ETOWN), 4-1	0	6
141	Nick Nunez (MC) tech fall Nick Gonzalez (ETOWN), 20-5 (7:00)	0	11
149	Josh Paisley (ETOWN) maj. dec Michael Bellerose (MC), 10-1	4	11
157	Kevin Edwards (MC) dec. Kyle Bythell (ETOWN), 4-1	4	14
165	David Stevens (MC) dec. Hunter Beaudet (ETOWN), 10-4	4	17
174	#NR/CT Brian Shermeyer (MC) win, forfeit	4	23
184	Colton Shriner (ETOWN) tech fall Spencer Clements (MC), 19-4 (7:00)	9	23
197	Elijah Flasher (ETOWN) maj. dec Joe Embleton (MC), 14-0	13	23
285	Denny Karas (MC) pinned Max Rhoden (ETOWN), 1:18	13	29
EXHIBITION MATCHES
149	Jake Coniglio (MC) maj. dec Dan Smith (ETOWN), 12-4
141	Luke Moynihan (ETOWN) dec. Ike Bryner (MC), 6-5
Rankings: NWCA / d3wrestle.com NR - Not Ranked CT - Contender HM - Honorable Mention