The UNCP wrestling team traveled to Kutztown, Pa. for dual meets on Jan. 26 and Jan. 27. The Braves lost both matchups on Friday.
The Seton Hill University Griffins won 20-23 and the Millersville University Marauders won 13-23. The Braves fared better on Saturday with blow out victories over the Shippensburg University Raiders and the Warriors of East Stroudsburg University, 32-14 and 35-6 respectively.
Their lone loss on the second day of the duals was to the home team Bears of Kutztown University by a narrow 14-22. The Braves’ first and closest matchup was against Seton Hill to kick off the weekend of grinding on the mat.
The Griffins jumped out to an early 15-0 lead with wins in the first three matches of the bout. The Black and Gold went on to rattle off fivestraight victories to take a 20-15 lead. Redshirt junior Faris Teia had an impressive first quarter pin at the 184-pound weight division.
However, a tech fall at the 197-pound weight class and Andrew Colborn’s decision loss, secured the 20-23 comeback victory for Seton Hill. Freshman Nick Daggett established the early lead for UNCP with his 20-11 major decision victory at the 125-pound bout.
A trio of decision victories at the 133, 157 and the 165 weight classes, along with a win via pin at 141, gave the Marauders a 15-7 lead, but the Braves would bring the score within two points with decision victories by Brandon Sloop and Teia at the 174 and 184 weight divisions.
Unfortunately, Bryce Walker’s 15-0 defeat at 197, and the decision loss at 285, gave Millersville the eight-point swing to take the win. The Braves started off the second day of wrestling by dominating the no. 25 ranked Raiders from Shippensburg University.
The Black and Gold got off to a hot start when they won seven of their first eight bout, two of which came by forfeit, and following Teia’s 13-4 major decision victory the Braves led 33-4.
The team had three wrestlers go undefeated in the Kutztown duals as Teia, Sloop and Tyler Makosy each finished a perfect 5-0 on the weekend of wrestling.