WVU Caps Regular Season with Win at Edinboro
EDINBORO, Pa. (February 20, 2016) – For the first time since 2012, the West Virginia University wrestling team downed rival Edinboro, topping the Fighting Scots 18-15 in McComb Fieldhouse in Edinboro on Saturday evening.
The Mountaineers’ (8-10, 0-4) last win over the Fighting Scots (8-10, 6-0 EWL) also came at McComb Fieldhouse, as WVU upset then-No. 10 ranked Edinboro by a score of 18-17.
No. 17 Dylan Cottrell picked up his 27th win of the season with an upset of No. 15/16 Austin Matthews at 157 pounds, while No. 9/10 won his team-best 28th match of the year at 197. Seniors A.J. Vizcarrondo (HWT) and Ross Renzi (174) closed out their dual match careers with victories as well.
“It was a great win for our program heading into the postseason,” said WVU coach Sammie Henson. “Tony DeAngelo and Ross Renzi had key wins, while Dylan Cottrell continues to build on a solid season with another win over a ranked opponent. I’m happy to see our seniors go out with a ‘W.’””
After the Fighting Scots went up 5-0 on a tech. fall at 125, Keegan Moore returned to the lineup and picked up the win at 133 to get the Mountaineers on the board, down 5-3. A pair of first-period takedowns gave him a 4-2 lead over Edinboro’s Anthony Rivera. Rivera cut Moore’s lead to one at 4-3 with an escape in the second. Moore chose bottom to start the third and escaped to win a 5-3 decision.
DeAngelo battled for a 5-4 decision over Tyler Vath at 141 pounds as the Mountaineers took a 6-5 lead. DeAngelo scored the first takedown of the bout in the first period, though Vath escaped to put the score at 2-1. Starting on bottom in the second, DeAngelo used a reversal to take a 4-2 advantage after Vath added another escape. Vath scored a takedown following a neutral start in the third to tie the score 4-4, but DeAngelo used an escape to break the tie in the third and take the win.
Edinboro took a close win at 149 to for an 8-6 lead before Cottrell scored an upset over Matthews at 157. Cottrell scored first, taking a 2-0 lead into in the second where he added an escape for a 3-0 advantage. Matthews’s lone point of the bout came soon after on a penalty on Cottrell, who then rode Matthews through the third to add the riding time point for the 4-1 decision. WVU took a 9-8 lead, but Edinboro responded with a win at 165 to go back on top, 11-9.
Renzi scored a win in his last career dual match, topping Patrick Jennings in a 3-2 decision. Neither scored in the first, with Jennings taking a 1-0 lead on an escape in the second. Renzi started on bottom in the third, scoring an escape for the tie and a takedown for the win as the Mountaineers pushed ahead of the Fighting Scots, 12-11.
Edinboro took a 14-12 lead after winning a decision at 184 before Smith put WVU on top once more with a 3-0 decision over Vince Pickett at 197. Smith led 2-0 after a first-period takedown, pushing his advantage to 3-0 after an escape in the second. Starting neutral in the third, neither wrestler scored to hand Smith the win and give the Mountaineers a 15-14 lead.
Vizcarrondo secured the team victory, using a second-period escape for a 1-0 win over Corey Beck at heavyweight as the Mountaineers defeated the Fighting Scots 18-15.
West Virginia travels to Kansas City, Missouri, in two weeks for the 2016 Big 12 Championship. The tournament will take place at the Sprint Center on March 5-6.
West Virginia 18, Edinboro 15
125: Sean Russell (EU) tech. fall Ryan Elliott (WVU), 19-0 (5:31)
133: Keegan Moore (WVU) dec. Anthony Rivera (EU), 5-3
141: Tony DeAngelo (WVU) dec. Tyler Vath (EU), 5-4
149: No. 19 Patricio Lugo (EU) dec. Zachary Moore (WVU), 3-2
157: No. 17 Dylan Cottrell (WVU) dec. No. 15/16 Austin Matthews (EU), 4-1
165: Casey Fuller (EU) dec. Connor Flynn (WVU), 7-2
174: Ross Renzi (WVU) dec. Patrick Jennings (EU), 3-2
184: No. 5 Vic Avery (EU) dec. Bubba Scheffel (WVU), 8-4
197: No. 9/10 Jacob A. Smith (WVU) dec. Vince Pickett (EU), 3-0
HWT: A.J. Vizcarrondo (WVU) dec. Corey Beck (EU), 1-0
Follow @WVUSports and @WVUWrestling on Twitter
Return to the WV-Mat front page