Virginia Tech Edges Duke, 21-18, In ACC Wrestling

Thursday, February 9

Durham, N.C.

7:30 p.m.

Duke University

Virginia Tech

Shvartsman Named Duke Student-Athlete Of The Week

Virginia Tech Edges Duke, 21-18, In ACC Wrestling

2/9/2006 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. ? The Duke wresting team suffered a tough loss on Thursday night, falling to ACC foe Virginia Tech, 21-18, in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils fall to 1-9 overall and 0-4 in the ACC while the Hokies picked up their first win of the season to improve to 1-15 overall and 1-3 in the league.

“We needed to win matches where we were favored,” stated Duke Head Coach Clar Anderson. “We were favored at 133. At 141, we got pinned and we shouldn't have gotten pinned.”

The dual meet started at 125 pounds and Virginia Tech grabbed a 3-0 lead with a 5-1 win by Justin Staylor over sophomore Kellan McKeon. Staylor scored first on a takedown to take a 2-0 lead into the second period. In the second period, Staylor scored on a reversal for a four-point advantage. McKeon earned a point after Staylor was called for an illegal hold at the end of the second period but that was the only point McKeon would score in the match. Staylor was awarded the fifth point at the end of the match due to riding time for the 5-1 victory.

At 133 pounds, Virginia Tech took a 6-0 lead on Sheridan Moran's 11-9 overtime victory over freshman Michael Degli Obizzi. Moran started the match with a two-point takedown before Degli Obizzi scored a point on an escape to close the gap to one point in the first period. In the second period, Degli Obizzi took a 3-2 lead with a takedown and then scored three back points to go ahead 6-2. Moran answered by scoring two points on a reversal and three back points to take a 7-6 lead after two periods. Degli Obizzi took an 8-7 lead on a reversal but Moran countered with a reversal of his own to go ahead 9-8. Degli Obizzi tied the match at 9-9 with an escape to force a draw after three periods. In the overtime period, Moran scored a two-point takedown to win the match, 11-9.

Virginia Tech grabbed a 12-0 lead when 17th-ranked David Hoffman pinned sophomore Wes Kuser in 6:23 at 141 pounds. Hoffman held a 10-2 lead before recording the third-period pin.

Junior Daniel Shvartsman got the Blue Devils on the board at 149 pounds, scoring a technical fall win over Joe Thompson. Shvartsman scored four takedowns in the opening period to take an 8-3 lead into the second period. Shvartsman lead 15-5 after two periods after scoring on three takedowns and one escape. Shvartsman then scored four straight points to take a 19-5 lead before Thompson scored on an escape. With his ninth takedown of the match, Shvartsman pushed his lead to 21-6, earning the technical fall victory.

“Daniel Shvartsman did an excellent job and he got back points,” Anderson said. “He scored where he's not that strong. He typically doesn't score too many back points so that was a big win for him, realizing that we needed the back points. He went for them and got the back points. That brought us back especially after being shocked at 141.”

Freshman Cameron Harms started the 157 bout with a 5-0 lead after scoring on a takedown and earning three back points. Virginia Tech's Dave Kiley earned an escape point to make it 5-1 at the end of the first period. Kiley made it a one-point match after scoring on an escape and a takedown before Harms earned a point on an escape of his own to take a 6-4 lead at the end of the second period. Harms then scored on an escape and a takedown in the third period for the 9-4 win.

At 165 pounds, redshirt freshman Aaron Glover opened the match with a takedown to take a 2-0 lead over Tucker Michels. After Michels was awarded one point on an illegal hold by Glover, he scored on an escape and a reversal for a 4-2 lead. Glover scored on an escape to make it a 4-3 match after one period. In the second period, Michels scored on an escape and a takedown for a 7-3 advantage heading into the final period. Neither wrestler managed a point in the third period, giving Michels the 7-3 win.

Virginia Tech took a 10-point lead at 18-8 with Steve Ratley's 4-1 over senior Levi Craig at 174 pounds. Ratley held a 2-0 lead after scoring on a takedown in the first period. Craig closed the gap to 2-1 in the second period, scoring on an escape. In the third period, Ratley scored a two-point reversal with 12 seconds left in the match for the 4-1 victory.

“At 174, Levi wrestled a very tough kid,” Anderson acknowledged. “That was a tough loss but that was one of their better wrestlers.”

Redshirt freshman Dan Tulley brought the Blue Devils back to within six at 18-12 by scoring a 13-1 major decision victory over Mark Czarny at 184 pounds. Tulley led 5-1 after the opening period, scoring on two takedowns and earning a point when Czarny was called for stalling. Tulley pushed his lead to 10-1 after two periods, scoring on an escape and a takedown before being awarded two consecutive points on stalling calls. In the third period, Tulley was awarded two points on Czarny's fourth stalling violation and earned one point due to riding time for the 13-1 major decision victory.

After Virginia Tech forfeited at 197 pounds, the dual meet was tied at 18-18 entering the night's final bout.

Virginia Tech's Mike Faust, ranked ninth in the NWCA/InterMat rankings in the heavyweight division, defeated freshman Wade Van Sickle, 13-6, to win the dual meet for the Hokies. Faust carried a 4-2 lead entering the second period after scoring on a takedown and a reversal. Van Sickle closed the gap to 4-3 with an escape but that was as close as he would get. Faust ran off four straight points to take an 8-3 lead early in the third period. Van Sickle scored on an escape to cut the lead to 8-4 before Faust's takedown put the redshirt senior up 10-4. Van Sickle scored on two escapes but it wasn't enough as Faust held off the freshman for a 13-6 win.

“At heavyweight, their kid was nationally ranked and Wade fought well for a freshman against a sixth-year senior,” stated Anderson. “He put up a good fight.”

The Duke wrestling team will host their final two home meets of the season on Saturday. The Blue Devils will square off against Gardner-Webb (12-10) at 1 p.m. and Virginia (10-4, 2-0 ACC) at 7:30 p.m. in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Virginia Tech 21, Duke 18
125: Justin Staylor (Virginia Tech) def. Kellan McKeon (Duke), 5-1 (0-3)
133: Sheridan Moran (Virginia Tech) def. Michael Degli Obizzi (Duke), 11-9 (0-6)
141: David Hoffman (Virginia Tech) pins Wes Kuser (Duke), 6:23 (0-12)
149: Daniel Shvartsman (Duke) technical fall Joe Thompson (Virginia Tech), 21-6 (5-12)
157: Cameron Harms (Duke) def. Dave Kiley (Virginia Tech), 9-4 (8-12)
165: Tucker Michels (Virginia Tech) def. Aaron Glover (Duke), 7-3 (8-15)
174: Steve Ratley (Virginia Tech) def. Levi Craig (Duke), 4-1 (8-18)
184: Dan Tulley (Duke) major decision Mark Czarny (Virginia Tech), 13-1 (12-18)
197: Konrad Dudziak (Duke) wins by forfeit (18-18)
HWT: Mike Faust (Virginia Tech) def. Wade Van Sickle (Duke), 13-6 (18-21)