Virginia Wrestling Falls to #12 West Virginia, 44-3

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Jan. 25, 2002

MORGANTOWN, W.V. – The University of Virginia wrestling team (1-5) dropped a 44-3 decision to the 12th-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers (5-2) at the WVU Coliseum. WVU defeated UVa in nine of the 10 bouts in the dual en route to a 41-point victory.

West Virginia’s Ryan Kehler started off the match for the Mountaineers by pinning Virginia’s Josh Etu in 1:18 in the heavyweight class. It was Kehler’s third pin in as many matches and is now second all-time in pins at WVU.

After consecutive forfeits at 125 and 133 by UVa, WVU’s Shane Cunanan needed only 2:52 seconds to pin UVa’s Steve Keleher at 141 to give the Mountaineers a 24-0 lead. It was Cunanan’s team-leading sixth pin and third in as many matches. The Mountaineers’ Billy Smith then added a 10-2 major decision over Paul Dunstan at 149 to push the lead to 28-0.

The Cavaliers got their first and only points of the night at 157 when Tim Foley upset ninth-ranked Joe Carr, 12-9. Carr scored two takedowns in the final :30 but Foley was able to hold on for the win.

WVU’s Ryan Wilman rode UVa’s Jimi Massey for the entire second period and scored an escape early in the third for the 2-0 win at 184. West Virginia’s Tom McMath (165) added a decision and Brent Miller scored a major decision to help lead the Mountaineers. WVU’s 44 points were the most scored since February 5, 1998, when West Virginia blanked Cleveland State, 48-0.

“I’m pleased from the standpoint that we were disciplined in approaching each match with intensity,” said head WVU coach Craig Turnbull said. “We tried to stay focused and use the entire match to score points.”

Team ScoreVirginia 		3West Virginia 	44

Weight	Opponents							Result		Score UVa/WVUHWT	Ryan Kehler (WVU) def. Josh Etu (UVa) 			Fall @ 1:18 	0-6125 	Nathan Kendjorsky (WVU) won by forfeit 			Forfeit		0-12133 	Brandon Lauer (WVU) won by forfeit 			Forfeit		0-18141	#17 Shane Cunanan (WVU) def. Steve Keleher (UVa)	Fall @ 2:52	0-24149 	#20 Billy Smith (WVU) def. Paul Dunstan (UVa) 		MD, 10-2	0-28157 	Tim Foley (UVa) def. #9 Joe Carr (WVU)			12-9		3-28165 	#6 Tom McMath (WVU) def. Will Durkee (UVa)		10-3		3-31174 	#3 Greg Jones (WVU) def. Brian Muir (UVa) 			Inj. Def.	3-37184 	Ryan Wilman (WVU) def. Jimi Massey (UVa)		2-0		3-40197 	Brent Miller (WVU) def. Andrew DeMartino (UVa)		MD, 12-4   	3-44

— UVa —