Virginia Wrestling Falls to VMI in Dual Match, 20-12

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Jan. 15, 2002

LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI wrestling team (5-3) defeated the Virginia Cavaliers (1-4) by the score of 20-12 in front of a raucous crowd of 584 at Cocke Hall on Tuesday night. The win was VMI’s first over UVa since Dec. 4, 1996.

The teams split the first four matches of the dual. VMI senior Brian Toney (Boones Mill, Va./ Franklin County) and freshman Juan Sanchez (Alexandria, Va./ Hayfield) won matches for the Keydets at 197 and 125 lbs., respectively. Sanchez earned his win with a 7-6 decision in overtime. UVa’s wins came from heavyweight Ryan Painter (Rainelle, W.V./Rainelle) and 133-pounder Joe Alexander (Franklin, N.J./Delsea Regional).

VMI took the lead for good at 10-6 and would not relinquish its advantage when freshman 141-pounder Mark DiSalvo (Dayton, Ohio/ Dayton Carroll) scored a major decision victory over the Cavaliers’ Steve Keleher (Fairfax, Va./Lake Braddock) by the score of 15-2. VMI’s lead was extended to 13-6 when Keydet freshman 149-pounder Mike Parsons (Lakeville, Ohio/ Loudonville) defeated UVa’s Paul Dunstan (Oberlin, Ohio/St. Edwards), 7-1.

The Cavaliers’ Don Carlos-Clauss (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Olympia) cut the lead to four (13-9) by defeating VMI’s freshman Jason Kontopedes (Beaverdam, Va./ Boys Ranch (Texas) by the score of 11-6 at 157. However, the lead was pushed back to seven (16-9) when Keydet junior Adam Britt (Mechanicsville, Va./ Atlee) defended his No. 15 national ranking (Intermat) and Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week honor by defeating Virginia’s Will Durkee (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shady Side Academy) by the score of 13-6 at 165.

Seventeenth-ranked junior Matt Erwin (South Vienna, Ohio/ St. Paris Graham) clinched the match for the Keydets when he scored an 8-0 major decision victory over UVa’s Brian Muir (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North) at 174. The win pushed the lead to 20-9 as the Keydets rolled to the eight-point win.

“This was a big win for our program,” said VMI head coach John Trudgeon. “We let two matches (Maryland and N.C. State) get away from us earlier in the year and we needed to get this one. Up and down the lineup, our kids wrestled hard tonight.”

Both teams will be in action again on Saturday, January 19th at the 2002 Virginia State Intercollegiate Wrestling Championships, hosted by UVa in Charlottesville, Va. The tournament begins at 11 a.m. and will be held at Memorial Gymnasium

Scoring Summary

Virginia		12VMI		20

Wgt. Opponents Result Score UVa/VMI197 Brian Toney (VMI) def. Andy DeMartino (UVa) 4-1 0-3HWT Ryan Painter (UVa) def. David Walker (VMI) 2-0 3-3125 Juan Sanchez (VMI) def. Byron Dunlap (UVa) 7-6 (OT) 3-6133 Joe Alexander (UVa) def. Oliver Ruiz (VMI) 2-0 6-6141 Mark DiSalvo (VMI) def. Steve Keleher (UVa) MD, 15-2 6-10149 Mike Parsons (VMI) def. Paul Dunstan (UVa) 7-1 6-13157 Don Carlo-Clauss (UVa) def. Jason Kontopedes (VMI) 11-6 9-13165 Adam Britt (VMI) def. Will Durkee (UVa) 13-6 9-16174 Matt Erwin (VMI) def. Brian Muir (UVa) MD, 8-0 9-20184 Jimi Massey (UVa) def. Jason Cox (VMI) 8-4 12-20

— UVa —