EWL Champions
February 23, 2003 10:10 PM | General
February, 23, 2003
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Fifth-ranked West Virginia completed its second consecutive Eastern Wrestling League dual season undefeated, knocking off Cleveland State 25-16 Sunday evening at the WVU Coliseum.
 |
||
| West Virginia's Matt Lebe registers an important victory at 157 pounds. (All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks) |
The Mountaineers (9-3, 7-0) are back-to-back EWL champions for the second time in school history and for the first time since 1991.
"To win one of the top three leagues in the nation is gratifying," Coach Craig Turnbull said. "We beat some quality teams and we needed to be under stress and rise to the occasion, especially during this time of the year.
"We need to take this accomplishment and use it as a momentum-builder heading into the postseason," Turnbull added. "The guys are wrestling with confidence and feel good about the way things are going, which is important."
After losing the first match of the night, the Mountaineers racked up five straight wins, including two pins and a technical fall to take control of the dual, 22-3. Three of WVU's four seniors competing in their last home dual -- Shane Cunanan (141), Billy Smith (149) and Tom McMath (165) -- helped the Mountaineers pull away. However, Cleveland State countered at the top of its lineup capturing a decision at 184, a major decision at 197 and a pin at heavyweight to narrow the score to 22-16.
West Virginia's 17th-ranked Seth Lisa (125) concluded the dual with a 6-3 decision over No.18 Rocco Mansueto to clinch the victory for the Mountaineers.
"I'm ecstatic that we were able to not lose a conference match during my last two seasons," said senior Tom McMath. "This is a good group of seniors and I think we bring a lot to the team. This is good, but we have to get ready for the tournament now."
Fellow senior Shane Cunanan echoed the sentiment adding, "We have bigger things we want to accomplish now."
Tenth-ranked Philip Mansueto (133) of Cleveland State opened the match with a 7-3 decision over No.12 Brandon Lauer. Mansueto scored a reversal in the second and two takedowns in the third to take the victory.
At 141, 13th-ranked Cunanan got the Mountaineers started by pinning Matt DePolo. Cunanan, who was leading the match 9-2, turned DePolo at the 5:33 mark and had his shoulders to the mat long enough for the fall.
Smith, ranked 10th in the nation, also finished his dual career in fine style with a hard-fought 6-3 decision over Anthony Coleman. After a scoreless first period, Smith rode Coleman for 1:47 of the second before allowing the escape. Smith started the third with an escape before tacking on two takedowns in the third for the victory.
Matt Lebe (157) was all over Cleveland State's Matt Shultz racking up nine takedowns for the 23-7 technical fall at 6:01.
McMath, who has been battling the flu the past few weeks, used two takedowns in the first and one in the third for the 7-4 decision over Jason Effner. He did not allow any takedowns in his match.
"It's good that I can always look back and say I won my last home match, but more importantly, I can use this momentum because this is the time of year where you can't lose again," McMath added.
At 174, top-rated Greg Jones needed just 1:26 to pick up his 43rd consecutive victory and finish the regular season with a perfect 25-0 record. With the match scoreless, Jones took CSU’s Ron Howard over his shoulder and brought him to the mat straight to his back to record the fall.
Fourth-ranked Gerald Harris got things started for Cleveland State with a narrow 3-2 decision over No.14 Ryan Wilman. Harris' first period takedown proved to be the difference, but Wilman was close on several offensive opportunities.
In one of the wildest matches of the night, Cleveland State's Stipe Miocic (197) raced out to an early 12-4 lead in the first period before WVU's Adrian Thompson scored a takedown and had Miocic on his back nearly recording the fall. Thompson was working on the pin as time expired in the first. Miocic proved to be too much for Thompson the rest of the way, though, notching five takedowns in the second and third periods to register the 27-14 major decision.
At heavyweight, 16th-ranked Russ Davie and No.13 Brent Miller seemed destined for overtime with the match tied 1-1 late in the third. Davie, however, was able to get Miller on his back and recorded the fall at the 6:56 mark before Lisa secured the dual for WVU with his decision at 125.
West Virginia will now look to win its second consecutive EWL tournament title on March 8-9 at the WVU Coliseum. The Mountaineers have never won back-to-back tournament titles and have only claimed the regular season and tournament titles once, done last season.
#5 West Virginia 25, #24 Cleveland State 16
133 - #10 Philip Mansueto (CS) dec. #12 Brandon Lauer (WV), 7-3
141 - #13 Shane Cunanan (WV) pinned Matt DePolo (CS), 5:33
149 - #10 Billy Smith (WV) dec. Anthony Coleman (CS), 6-3
157 - Matt Lebe (WV) tech. fall Matt Schultz (CS), 22-7 (6:01)
165 - #12 Tom McMath (WV) dec. Jason Effner (CS), 7-4
174 - #1 Greg Jones (WV) pinned Ron Howard (CS), 1:26
184 - #4 Gerald Harris (CS) dec. Ryan Wilman (WV), 3-2
197 - #17 Stipe Miocic (CS) maj. dec. Adrian Thompson (WV), 27-14
HWT - #16 Russ Davie (CS) pinned #13 Brent Miller (WV), 6:56
125 - #17 Seth Lisa (WV) dec. #18 Rocco Mansueto (CS), 6-3
