BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Christian Monserrat (149) and Cory Stainbrook (133) each won by fall as the West Virginia University wrestling team dropped a close 19-18 dual to CSU Bakersfield at the Icardo Center in Bakersfield on Wednesday night.
Devin Brown picked up an exciting win in sudden victory over a ranked opponent at 125, while No. 6 Jacob A. Smith came away with a decision at 197 as well. The Mountaineers (0-7) wrap up competition in California but will remain on the West Coast to train through the end of the week.
“Our men wrestled hard tonight,” said WVU coach Sammie Henson. “I couldn’t be prouder of Devin Brown and his big win. We were a team tonight. It’s great to see these men growing.”
Starting at 141, the Mountaineers dropped a major decision and found themselves in a 4-0 hole. Monserrat came through with a pin of Coleman Hammond at 149 to put WVU on the board. Hammond scored the first takedown, but Monserrat used a reversal to tie the score 2-2 at the end of the first. Starting in the defensive positon in the second period, Monserrat scored a reversal before getting the turn for the pin just 34 seconds into the second period as WVU took a 6-4 lead.
The Roadrunners won the next four bouts for a 16-6 lead. Smith claimed a 6-2 decision over No. 18 Matt Williams at 197 pounds to cut the Mountaineer deficit to seven at 16-9. After a scoreless first, Smith scored an escape from the defensive position in the second for a 1-0 lead. He added four nearfall points in the third before Williams used a late reversal to get on the board. Smith claimed riding time to take the 6-2 decision and add three points to the board for WVU.
After CSU Bakersfield claimed a decision at heavyweight for a 19-9 lead, Brown came through with an overtime win over No. 17 Sean Nickell at 125. Nickell struck first with a takedown, but Brown reversed him to take control. Nickell escaped to take a 3-2 lead into the second. The two started on their feet in the second, with neither wrestler scoring as Brown entered the third period trailing 3-2. Nickell started bottom in the third and escaped to take a 4-2 lead, but Brown scored the takedown to tie the bout and force sudden victory. Just 20 seconds into the extra period, Brown hit Nickell for the takedown and the 6-4 decision to put the score at 19-12 in favor of CSUB. Without scoring a takedown, Stainbrook pinned Carlos Herrera with five seconds remaining in the first period as the Mountaineers came within one of the Roadrunners, 19-18, with their second pin of the dual.
West Virginia travels to Pittsburgh on Saturday, Jan. 14, to face Rider, Binghamton and Harvard at the Pitt Duals at Fitzgerald Fieldhouse.
Cal Poly 19, West Virginia 18
141: No. 17 Russell Rohlfing (CSUB) major dec. Joe Wheeling (WVU), 13-3
149: Christian Monserrat (WVU) pins Coleman Hammond (CSUB), 3:34
157: Jacob Thalin (CSUB) dec. Dayton Garrett (WVU), 8-3
165: No. 13 Lorenzo De La Riva (CSUB) dec. No. 4 Dylan Cottrell (WVU), 9-6
174: Matt Penyacsek (CSUB) dec. Ty Millward (WVU), 8-2
184: Bryan Battisto (CSUB) dec. Parker VonEgidy (WVU), 8-6
197: No. 6 Jacob A. Smith (WVU) dec. Matt Williams (CSUB), 6-2
HWT: Alex Encarnarcion-Strand (CSUB) dec. Brandon Ngati (WVU), 6-4
125: Devin Brown (WVU) dec. No. 17 Sean Nickell (CSUB), 6-4 SV-1
133: Cory Stainbrook (133) pins Carlos Herrera (CSUB), 2:55
