HAMPTON, VA. -- The Elizabethtown College wrestling team used a comeback win to advance to Saturday's fifth-place match at the Virginia Duals after beating Averett in their opening match of the day, 25-23. The Blue Jays took sixth after falling to Apprentice School, 28-18.
Braden Schuyler and
Corey Cope each won their matches against the Cougars. Schuyler posted a 19-4 tech fall to begin the match before Cope managed a sudden victory pinfall over nationally-ranked Mason Barrett to make it 11-0 out the gates for the Blue Jays.
Averett then won five consecutive matches to build a 12-point lead over Elizabethtown with three bouts to go.
Ganon Smith (major) and
Will Davis (tech) brought EC back and gave
Ksawery Niewiadomy an opportunity to send the Jays into the fifth-place match, needing at least a major decision to do so.
The freshman wasted no time, getting his first career tech fall victory, 17-1, in the first period to send his team into the fifth-place match.
ELIZABETHTOWN 25, AVERETT 23
The Blue Jays were down early on until
Michael Beers won his third match of the weekend with a 9-7 decision to make it 16-3.
Jacob Speed also earned a decision for Etown, 4-2, at 174, in his first action of the two-day tournament.
Ganon Smith and
Will Davis both recorded consecutive falls to get the Jays within four, 22-18. Apprentice School finished off the match with their own fall to take fifth.
Davis went 4-0 on the weekend with three tech falls and a fall. Davis, along with Cope and Smith, each won their 20th matches of the season over the weekend.
APPRENTICE SCHOOL 28, ELIZABETHTOWN 18
Elizabethtown hosts Scranton on Friday, January 17, at 7 p.m.
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