CLARION, Pa.  – A major decision by Cory Stainbrook was one of seven Mountaineer wins as the West Virginia University wrestling team closed out the regular season with a 22-10 win over Clarion at Tippin Gym in Clarion, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.

 

Stainbrook won a 13-4 major decision over Roshaun Cooley to lead the Mountaineers (4-12, 1-3) with four team points. No. 5 Jacob A. Smith picked up his 12th straight win to move to 18-4 on the season, while No. 11/19 Dylan Cottrell won his third straight to move to 15-4 on the year.

 

“It feels good to finish with a win going into Big 12s,” WVU coach Sammie Henson said. “Our men kept attacking today. Our men have to work on getting turns moving forward.”

 

Starting at 165 pounds, Cottrell scored a takedown in the opening minute of action and rode DeLong through the period, taking a 2-0 lead and more than 2:00 of riding time into the second period. Opting for a neutral start, Cottrell took control and added two more points to the board for a 4-0 lead after five minutes of action. Cottrell started the third on top, giving up an escape to DeLong but taking the riding time point for a 5-1 decision.

 

Ty Millward dropped a 9-0 major decision to Dom Rigous at 174, giving Clarion a 4-3 advantage. Parker VonEgidy then claimed a decision over Scott Marmoll at 184 to put WVU back on top, 7-4. VonEgidy used a pair of takedowns in the first two periods for 4-0 lead entering the third. Marmoll was called for stalling three times, adding two more points for VonEgidy, who also added the riding time point in taking the 7-2 victory.

 

Smith made it two in a row for the Mountaineers, winning a 7-2 decision over Terell Fields. Fields scored an early takedown, but Smith escaped and countered with a takedown of his own for a 3-2 lead at the end of the first. Starting on bottom in the second, Smith made it 4-2 with an escape. He added his second takedown of the bout following a neutral start in the third, adding a point for riding time as WVU took a 9-4 lead.

 

Evan Daley scored a last second takedown on Brandon Ngati to win a 3-0 decision in the heavyweight bout, bringing the Golden Eagles within three, down 9-6.

 

Devin Brown scored an escape and a pair of takedowns in the third period to take a 9-2 decision over Cameron Butler at 125 pounds. Stainbrook then added his major decision, scoring five takedowns and a reversal in picking up the 13-4 victory over Cooley at 133. The back-to-back wins added seven points to the board for the Mountaineers, who took a 16-7 lead over the Golden Eagles with three bouts to go.

 

No. 17 Brock Zacherl won a 4-2 decision over Joe Wheeling at 141 to cut into the Mountaineers’ lead at 16-10 before WVU rebounded with a win by Christian Monserrat at 149. After taking a 2-0 lead over Jake Keller on a first-period takedown, Monserrat scored eight points in the second period for a 10-1 lead. A reversal by Keller cost Monserrat the major in the third, but he won a 10-3 decision to give West Virginia the 19-10 lead.

 

Dayton Garrett then finished things off with a 4-0 decision over Mac Tanner as the Mountaineers took the 22-20 victory over the Golden Eagles.

 

After a week off, West Virginia heads to the 2017 Big 12 Championship on March 4-5. The event will be held at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.