/
.
No. 18 Cavaliers Down Appalachian State, 28-12
Story Links
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The 18th-ranked Virginia wrestling team picked up a 28-12 win at Appalachian State Thursday evening in Boone, N.C. Virginia won seven of the 10 weight classes and pushed its dual record to 11-3 this season.
UVa fell into an early 6-0 hole when ASU’s Jacob Earp pinned the Cavaliers’ Matt Snyder (R-Fr., Lewistown, Pa.), who was wrestling up a weight class at 133 pounds. Virginia responded with a vengeance, winning the next three matches with all of the bouts resulting in UVa bonus points.
Derek Valenti (So., Newton, N.J.) quickly knotted the team score, needing only half the first period to pin ASU’s Chris Collura at 141 pounds. Kellon Balum (Sr., Herndon, Pa.) followed with an 11-3 major decision over the Mountaineers’ Savva Kostis at 149, and Danny Gonsor (R-So., Cleveland, Ohio), ranked 17th nationally, dominated in a 17-0 technical fall over Travis Puckett. The tech fall pushed the UVa lead to 15-6.
Appalachian State (2-8) won a close bout at 165 when Kyle Blevins earned a 2-1 victory over the Cavaliers’ Beau Fisher (Sr., Grove City, Pa.), but UVa pushed the lead back to nine, 18-9, when Stephen Doty (Fr., St. Louis, Mo.) notched a 9-3 decision over Carter Downs at 174.
The Mountaineers picked up their final victory at 184 when Austin Trotman nabbed a 10-6 decision over Mike Salopek (R-Fr., North Huntingdon, Pa.) before Virginia won the final three weight classes.
No. 17 Brent Jones (Sr., Burke, Va.) recorded an 8-4 win over Dylan Temple at 197, and heavyweight Jack Danilkowicz (Sr., Green Oaks, Ill.) followed with a 4-2 decision over ASU’s Ken Altarac. Ross Gitomer (Sr., Flemington, N.J.) capped the UVa team win with an 18-8 major decision over Brett Boston at 125 pounds. The win was Gitomer’s 83rd career victory as he moved into a 14th-place tie with Gary Fischbein (1984-87) on the all-time UVa wins ledger.
UVa next travels to Philadelphia for a 1 p.m. match Sunday against Penn at The Palestra.
No. 18 Virginia 28, Appalachian State 12
125: Ross Gitomer (UVa) major dec. Brett Boston (ASU), 18-8; UVa 27-12
133: Jacob Earp (ASU) pinned Matt Snyder (UVa), 6:11; ASU 6 UVa 0
141: Derek Valenti (UVa) pinned Chris Collura (ASU), 1:31; ASU 6 UVa 6
149: Kellon Ballum (UVa) major dec. Savva Kostis (ASU), 11-3; UVa 10-6
157: No. 17 Danny Gonsor (UVa) tech fall Travis Puckett (ASU), 17-0; UVa 15-6
165: Kyle Blevins (ASU) dec. Beau Fisher (UVa), 2-1; UVa 15-9
174: Stephen Doty (UVa) dec. Carter Downs (ASU), 9-3; UVa 18-9
184: Austin Trotman (ASU) dec. Mike Salopek (UVa), 10-6; UVa 18-12
197: No. 17 Brent Jones (UVa) dec. Dylan Temple (ASU), 8-4; UVa 21-12
285: Jack Danilkowicz (UVa) dec. Ken Altarac (ASU), 4-2; UVa 24-12
* match started at 133 pounds