Men’s wrestlers experience bittersweet results at Chocolate Duals

Saturday, December 21

Hershey, PA

Liberty University Club Sports

Chocolate Duals

Three of the Flames' top-ranked wrestlers finished 3-0 in their respective weight classes Saturday at Messiah University.

Men’s wrestlers experience bittersweet results at Chocolate Duals

12/21/2024 10:03:00 PM | Men's Wrestling

Liberty finished 1-2 at the tournament hosted by Messiah University, which finished runner-up to Ithaca (N.Y.), one of the two teams to defeat the Flames.

Liberty University's men's wrestling team finished 1-2 at Saturday's Chocolate Duals hosted by Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, Pa., in its second dual tournament tune-up for the Jan. 10-11 Virginia Duals in Hampton, Va., and Jan. 31-Feb. 1 NCWA National Duals in Virginia Beach, Va.

"It was a rough day for us," Head Coach Jesse Castro said after the Flames dominated Sussex (N.J.) Community College, 40-8, before falling to Ithaca (N.Y.) College, 35-18, and Centenary (N.J.) College, 35-15. "We are going to take this experience and build on it. With the second half of the season coming up, we have to make adjustments and get better."

Against Sussex, Liberty freshmen recorded the five most decisive wins on the mat with Blaise Verdino scoring a 17-1 technical fall of Chris Casale at 133, Matox Allen pinning Carlos Delgado in 2 minutes, 26 seconds at 157, Drake Bowers defeating Aidan Hallowich by 18-2 technical fall at 165, and Paul Moore pinning Shawn Pawlowski in 3:45 at 184 before senior Gabriel Hayes and junior Wade Wheeler won their 197-pound and heavyweight bouts by forfeit.

However, in Liberty's match against Ithaca, after sophomore Aidan Scheeringa scored a 15-0 technical fall over Cosmo Damiani, Verdino had to withdraw from his match against Tomah Gummow due to injury. That started a downfall for the Flames, who lost five of their next six matches, including four by fall.

"Injuries are plaguing us as we are asking a lot from young freshmen who are going through a kind of college wrestling baptism (by fire)," Castro said.

Allen, who along with Hayes and Wheeler were the only Liberty wrestlers to go 3-0 on the day, accounted for six of the Flames' nine points earned on the mat against Centenary, pinning Gavin Denise at 157 in 2:22. Hayes provided the other three with a 4-1 win over Aaron Llanas at 197 before Wheeler picked up his second forfeit win.

Complete results are available online.

Liberty will have the next two and a half weeks off to celebrate Christmas and New Year's Day before returning to Lynchburg and traveling to Hampton Coliseum to compete in the American Division of the Virginia Duals.

Liberty 40, Sussex 8
125 - Aiden Scheeringa (Liberty) d. Roman Citro, 7-3
133 - Blaise Verdino (Liberty) t.f. Chris Casale, 17-1
141 - Michael VanderMeulen (Sussex) t.f. Rcey Ortega, 15-0
149 - Thaylor Sibblies (Sussex) d. Garrett Good, 4-1
157 - Matox Allen (Liberty) p. Carlos Delgado, 2:26
165 - Drake Bowers (Liberty) t.f. Aidan Hallowich, 18-2
174 - Syler Weber (Liberty) d. Jose Alvarenga Giron, 12-5
184 - Paul Moore (Liberty) p. Shawn Pawlowski, 3:45
197 - Gabriel Hayes (Liberty), by forfeit
285 - Wade Wheeler (Liberty), by forfeit

Ithaca 35, Liberty 18
125 - Aiden Scheeringa (Liberty) t.f. Cosmo Damiani, 15-0
133 - Tomah Gummow (Ithaca) def. Blaise Verdino by medical forfeit
141 - Isaias Torres (Ithaca) p. Rcey Ortega, 0:57
149 - Wenchard Pierre-Louis (Ithaca) p. Garrett Good, 2:48
157 - Matox Allen (Liberty) m.d. Akio Sanders, 12-1
165 - Konrad Parker (Ithaca) t.f. Drake Bowers, 19-4
174 - Jackson Gray (Ithaca) p. Ronald Black, 1:24
184 - Jake Jones (Ithaca) p. Paul Moore, 3:45
197 - Gabriel Hayes (Liberty) d. Eamon Callaghan, 3-2
285 - Wade Wheeler (Liberty) p. Charlie Turner, 1:43

Centenary 35, Liberty 15
125 - Jack Thode (Centenary) p. Aiden Scheeringa, 5:08
133 - Daniel Haws (Centenary) t.f. Aidan Cali, 15-0
141 - Joseph Innamorato (Centenary) p. Rcey Ortega, 2:06
149 - Xavier Pena (Centenary) t.f. Garrett Good, 22-6
157 - Matox Allen (Liberty) p. Gavin Denise, 2:22
165 - Mark Venson (Centenary) m.d. Drake Bowers, 10-0
174 - Reece Smith (Centenary) d. Syler Weber, 5-3
184 - Tim Pawlicki (Centenary) p. Paul Moore, 2:19
197 - Gabriel Hayes (Liberty) d. Aaron Llanas, 4-1
285 - Wade Wheeler (Liberty) by forfeit