Wrestling: Jones Upended
March 20, 2003 03:29 PM | General
March 20, 2002
KANSAS CITY -- West Virginia won seven matches in the first session but Greg Jones could not avoid being upset Thursday morning in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Kemper Arena.
The Mountaineers got a big boost from the lighter weights as WVU won its first seven matches it competed in. However, things turned sour from there.
Top-seeded and unbeaten Jones was shocked in the first round by Hofstra’s Ralph Everett, 3-2 in a ride out. The two traded escapes and were each penalized for stalling as the score stood at 2-2 at the end of regulation. After a scoreless one minute sudden death period, Everett won the toss and chose to start the :30 ride out on bottom. With :15 remaining, Everett finally broke free of Jones’ grasp to score the shocking upset.
The loss snapped Jones' 46-match win streak and cost him a shot at his second national title. The best Jones can finish now is third.
The news was certainly not all bad for WVU as Brandon Lauer (133) pulled of a major upset of his own with his pin of fifth-seeded Zach Roberson. Lauer, who was 0-2 against Roberson in his career without ever scoring a point, fell behind 4-1 before scoring a reversal and three backpoints to end the first period leading 6-4. Roberson started the second period strong scoring an escape a quick takedown and two nearfall points. After scoring the escape, Lauer caught Roberson with a back trip and pinned him to end the match at 4:21.
Seth Lisa (125) won twice to advance to round two. Lisa defeated Adam Renner in a pigtail 7-4 before rallying for a 9-8 victory over The Citadel’s Ryan McClester. Trailing 7-5 in the third, Lisa scored a takedown with roughly 30 remaining in the match to knot the score at 7-7. Lisa allowed the escape but then scored two more points with a takedown with just under five seconds remaining to claim victory.
Seniors Shane Cunanan (141) and Billy Smith (149) also picked up victories for the Mountaineers. Cunanan won a hard-fought 4-1 win over Penn’s Doug McGraw while Smith pinned Greg Austin of Rutgers in 1:35.
Matt Lebe (149) scored the first takedown of the match and added another in the second to win 6-3 over Wyoming’s Andrew Shuler in his pigtail and did the same against Labe Black of Buffalo to win 4-1.
Tom McMath (165) fell behind early and mounted a comeback but ran out of time in his 9-8 loss to Jason Erwinski of Northwestern. Ryan Wilman (184) was defeated by third-seeded Clint Wattenberg of Cornell, 15-0 for a technical fall.
West Virginia is tied with Pitt in eighth place with 12 points after the first session.
Round One Pigtails
125 – Seth Lisa (WV) dec. Adam Renner (Slippery Rock), 7-4
157 – Matt Lebe (WV) dec. Andrew Shuler (Wyoming), 6-3
Round One
125 – Seth Lisa (WV) dec. Ryan McClester (The Citadel), 9-8
133 – Brandon Lauer (WV) pinned #5 Zach Roberson (Iowa State), 4:21
141 – Shane Cunanan (WV) dec. Doug McGraw (Penn), 4-1
149 – Billy Smith (WV) pinned Greg Austin (Rutgers), 1:35
157 – Matt Lebe (WV) dec. Labe Black (Buffalo), 4-1
165 – Jason Erwinski (Northwestern) dec. Tom McMath (165), 9-8
174 – Ralph Everett (Hofstra) dec. #1 Greg Jones (WV), 3-2 RO
184 – #3 Clint Wattenberg (Cornell) tech. fall Ryan Wilman (WV), 15-0 6:50
