Wrestling Defeats VMI 24-14 in Season Opener
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December 10, 1998
LEXINGTON, Va. – Virginia’s Jim Harshaw (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley)notched his 18th career pin and helped the Cavalier wrestling team hold offthe VMI Keydets in the season-opening dual match for the Cavaliers inLexington. Harshaw’s pin gave the Cavaliers six team points in the final boutof the evening, giving Virginia the 24-14 win.
The Cavaliers jumped out to a quick lead as John Qualter (Short Hills,N.J./Millburn) won at 174 and Craig Fenstermaker (Hilton Head,S.C./Northampton (Pa.)) won at 184 to give Virginia a 6-0 lead. But theKeydets stormed back with two major decision victories at 197 and Heavyweightto take the lead 8-6 after four bouts.
Virginia’s Matt Roth (Wescosville, Pa./Parkland) put the Cavaliers back ontop for good with a 10-3 decision over Oliver Ruiz at 125. Mike Pacillo’s(Kenmore, N.Y./Kenmore West)victory at 133 gave the Cavaliers a four-pointlead, and victories at 141 by P.J. Bory (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) and 149 byJohn Pozniak (State College, Pa./State College) put the Cavaliers up by 10with two bouts to go.
But Cavalier Greg Francesca (Union, N.J./Blair Academy) was pinned in the 157bout, bringing the Keydets to within four with just Harshaw’s match remainingat 165. Harshaw’s pin, giving him 18 for his career and bringing him into atie for second all-time in that category, clinched the match for theCavaliers. Virginia opens the season 1-0.
The match began with the 174 bout, following a change in the 1998-99 season inwhich matches will begin with different weight classes determined at randomfor each match.
Wgt Result Team Score (UVA-VMI)174 Qualter (UVA) dec. Austen Palmer 5-3 3-0184 Fenstermaker (UVA) dec. David Budlong 8-3 6-0197 Isaac Moore (VMI) maj dec. Robbie Moutoux 12-4 6-4HWT Leslie Apedoe (VMI) maj. dec. Ryan Painter 14-6 6-8125 Roth (UVA) dec. Ruiz 10-3 9-8133 Pacillo (UVA) dec. Tremayne Austin 10-8 12-8141 Bory (UVA) dec. Frank Lucero 3-0 15-8149 Pozniak (UVA) dec. Dan Wilson 2-0 18-8157 Matt Erwin (VMI) WBF Francesca 5:10 18-14165 Harshaw (UVA) WBF Gil Decher 4:55 24-14