Schmitt Claims His Division at Hokie Open

By Amy Salvatore
November 4, 2018

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Redshirt sophomore Matthew Schmitt went 5-0 in his pool to claim his first tournament win of his career at 133 pounds, as the West Virginia University wrestling team completed the 2018 Hokie Open in Roanoke, Virginia, with 10 top-five finishes on Sunday.

Redshirt junior Zachary Moore (157) and sophomore Nick Kiussis (165) also earned third-place finishes in their respective weight classes in the open division, while redshirt junior David Smith placed fifth in the heavyweight bracket.

In the freshman/sophomore division, WVU placed six Mountaineers on the podium, as redshirt freshman Noah Adams went 4-0 to capture the 197-pound title. Redshirt freshman KJ Fenstermacher (125) and freshman Josh Ramirez (174) also collected third-place finishes in their respective weight classes, while sophomore Hunter DeLong placed fourth at 184 pounds. Additionally, redshirt freshmen Joey Thomas and Sean Mullican each claimed a fifth-place finish in the 125-pound and 285-pound pool, respectively.

"It was a great day," first-year coach Tim Flynn said. "We needed guys to get a lot of bouts, and that is exactly what we got. Matt wrestled well to earn himself a first-place finish. Everyone competed hard today, and that was what we wanted."

Schmitt, who is ranked as high as No. 18 by The Open Mat, started the day with a win by technical fall over Tennessee-Chattanooga's Colton Landers. The Platte City, Missouri, native then picked up a 16-6 major decision over Sam Book of Virginia to advance to the quarterfinal round of competition. Schmitt later used a pair of decisions over Indiana's Garrett Pepple and North Carolina's Zach Sherman, earning himself a spot in the finals. Schmitt finished the day with a 13-3 major decision over Appalachian State's Codi Russell, his second of the event and third of the year, to claim first place overall in the 133-pound open division.

Moore cruised through the 157-pound open division, notching a tech. fall and a pair of pins before dropping a 13-4 major decision to No. 2 Hayden Hidlay of NC State in the semifinals. The Oklahoma City native bounced back in the third-place match, though, picking up an 11-4 decision over Indiana's Jake Danishek for his first third-place tournament finish of his career.

Kiussis earned a 4-1 mark in the 165-pound open division, with his lone loss coming against No. 12 Mekhi Lewis of Virginia Tech in the semifinals. The Brunswick, Ohio, native notched a pair of pins on the day, most notably pinning George Mason's Colston Diblasi in 1:02 to claim a third-place finish in his respective weight class.

At 285 pounds, Smith dropped a 4-1 decision to Virginia Tech's John Borst in the second round of competition. The Charleston, West Virginia, native capped the day with a trio of pins to finish fifth overall in his respective pool. Of note, Smith now has a team-leading four pins on the year.

Adams, a native of Coal City, West Virginia, collected three major decisions before defeating NC State's Anthony Wuest in a 10-3 decision for first place in the 197-pound freshman/sophomore division.

Additionally, Fenstermacher topped Virginia Tech's Kyle Norstrem in a 7-5 decision for third place in the 125-pound bracket, while Ramirez pinned American's Colin Shannon in under two minutes for third place in the 174-pound freshman/sophomore division.

At 184 pounds, DeLong earned a 2-2 mark on the day, picking up wins over Houston Tywater of The Citadel and D'Angelo Dewitt of Virginia for fourth place.

Thomas also notched an 11-6 decision over Virginia's Benyamin Kamali for fifth place in the 125-pound pool, while Mullican earned a 4-1 mark to finish fifth in the heavyweight division.

Of note, six other Mountaineers competed in a Gold and Blue singlet at the Hokie Open on Sunday.

Looking ahead, West Virginia will head to its final open tournament of the season, traveling to Troy, New York, for the 2018 Journeymen Collegiate Classic on Sunday, Nov. 11. It will mark the first time since 2016 that WVU will compete at the event.

For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUWrestling on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

2018 Hokie Open Results

125 (freshman/sophomore division)
KJ Fenstermacher (WVU) dec. Hunter Graf (Virginia Tech), 10-7
KJ Fenstermacher (WVU) dec. Benyamin Kamali (Virginia), 6-3
Jakob Camacho (NC State) major dec. KJ Fenstermacher (WVU), 16-3
KJ Fenstermacher (WVU) dec. Kyle Norstrem (Virginia Tech), 7-5 [third place]

Joey Thomas (WVU) major dec. Jeremiah Derby (North Carolina), 15-3
Joey Thomas (WVU) major dec. Talha Farooq (George Mason), 12-2
Kyle Norstrem (Virginia Tech) dec. Joey Thomas (WVU), 6-1
Joey Thomas (WVU) dec. Nick Daggett (UNC-Pembroke), 8-3
Joey Thomas (WVU) dec. Rylee Billings (King University), 6-3
Joey Thomas (WVU) dec. Benyamin Kamali (Virginia), 11-6 [fifth place]

133 (open division)
No. 18/19/20 Matthew Schmitt (WVU) tech. fall Colton Landers (Tennessee-Chattanooga), 19-4 [TF - 5:00]
No. 18/19/20 Matthew Schmitt (WVU) major dec. Sam Book (Virginia), 16-6
No. 18/19/20 Matthew Schmitt (WVU) dec. Garrett Pepple (Indiana), 6-3
No. 18/19/20 Matthew Schmitt (WVU) dec. Zach Sherman (North Carolina), 3-1
No. 18/19/20 Matthew Schmitt (WVU) major dec. Codi Russell (Appalachian State), 13-3 [first place]

149 (open division)
Tejon Anthony (George Mason) dec. Christian Monserrat (WVU), 4-3
Christian Monserrat (WVU) major dec. Darren Ostrander (Virginia Military Institute), 14-6
Christian Monserrat (WVU) dec. Matthew Kieta (Swampfox), 6-2
Matt Zovstoski (Appalachian State) dec. Christian Monserrat (WVU), 3-1

Kyler Rea (WVU) major dec. Justin Yorkdale (George Mason), 14-2
Tanner Smith (Tennessee-Chattanooga) major dec. Kyler Rea (WVU), 8-0
Kyler Rea (WVU) dec. Sam Martino (Virginia), 3-1 [SV-1]
Kyler Rea (WVU) dec. Tejon Anthony (George Mason), 4-1
Matt Zovstoski (Appalachian State) dec. Kyler Rea (WVU), 4-3

157 (open division)
Zachary Moore (WVU) tech. fall Joe Maclean (Virginia Military Institute), 16-0, [TF - 3:22]
Zachary Moore (WVU) won by fall Angel Najar (Appalachian State), F 0:29
Zachary Moore (WVU) won by fall Matthew Dallara (Campbell), F 0:40
No. 2/2/2 Hayden Hidlay (NC State) major dec. Zachary Moore (WVU), 13-4
Zachary Moore (WVU) dec. Jake Danishek (Indiana), 11-4

[third place] Kaleb Warner (UNC-Pembroke) major dec. Hunter Jones (WVU), 12-4
Hunter Jones (WVU) major dec. Sean Glasgow (Limestone College), 15-7
Hunter Jones (WVU) dec. Matthew Dallara (Campbell), 8-5
Zachary Barnes (Campbell) dec. Hunter Jones (WVU), 3-2

165 (open division)
Nick Kiussis (WVU) won by medical forfeit Charlie Andrews (Campbell), 7-1 [5:26]
Nick Kiussis (WVU) won by fall Trey Watson (Tennessee-Chattanooga), F 2:10
Nick Kiussis (WVU) major dec. Hunter Costa (Davidson), 12-0
No. 13/15/12 Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) dec. Nick Kiussis (WVU), 5-3
Nick Kiussis (WVU) won by fall Colston Diblasi (George Mason), F 1:02 [third place]

165 (freshman/sophomore division)
Tucker Nadeau (WVU) major dec. Kristian Scott (Unattached), 14-4
Garrett Beam (Limestone College) won by fall Tucker Nadeau (WVU), F 1:52
Tucker Nadeau (WVU) won by fall Leonardo Flores (Limestone College), F 6:47
Noah Reynolds (Bluefield College) dec. Tucker Nadeau (WVU), 11-9

174 (freshman/sophomore division)
Josh Ramirez (WVU) won by fall Jay Dominguez (Newberry College), F 0:51
Josh Ramirez (WVU) major dec. Erik Eva (Davidson), 14-0
Josh Ramirez (WVU) dec. Philip Stolfi (George Mason), 12-5
Caleb Hopkins (Campbell) won by fall Josh Ramirez (WVU), F 2:37
Josh Ramirez (WVU) won by fall Colin Shannon (American), F 1:42 [third place]

184 (freshman/sophomore division)
Hunter DeLong (WVU) won by fall Houston Tywater (The Citadel), F 2:09
Hunter DeLong (WVU) dec. D'Angelo Dewitt (Virginia Tech), 12-7
Samuel Fisher (Falcon RTC) dec. Hunter DeLong (WVU), 7-4
Martin Duane (The Citadel) dec. Hunter DeLong (WVU), 8-2 [fourth place]

Spencer Irick (Indiana) dec. Jackson Moomau (WVU), 5-1
Jackson Moomau (WVU) tech. fall Houston Tywater (The Citadel), 16-0 [TF - 5:17]
Jackson Moomau (WVU) dec. Jack Walsh (Virginia), 2-0
Jackson Moomau (WVU) dec. Blake Barrick (American), 3-2
ZeBrandon Grant (Newberry College) dec. Jackson Moomau (WVU), 6-5 [TB-2]

197 (freshman/sophomore division)
Noah Adams (WVU) major dec. Tyrie Houghton (NC State), 19-7
Noah Adams (WVU) major dec. Eli Spencer (George Mason), 14-5
Noah Adams (WVU) major dec. Ben Stacey (Tennessee-Chattanooga), 12-3
Noah Adams (WVU) dec. Anthony Wuest (NC State), 10-3 [first place]

HWT (freshman/sophomore division)
Sean Mullican (WVU) major dec. Trevor Burns (Tennessee-Chattanooga), 11-3
Mitchell Trigg (Davidson) dec. Sean Mullican (WVU), 9-6
Sean Mullican (WVU) won by DQ Chris Vasquez (King University), DQ 2:31
Sean Mullican (WVU) dec. Cade Smith (UNC-Pembroke), 8-1
Sean Mullican (WVU) dec. Keaton Kluever (North Carolina), 4-3 [fifth place]

HWT (open division)
David Smith (WVU) dec. Andrew Gunning (North Carolina), 3-2
John Borst (Virginia Tech) dec. David Smith (WVU), 4-1
David Smith (WVU) won by fall Robert Scherer (Virginia), F 2:25
David Smith (WVU) won by fall Nick Weldon (Newberry College), F 1:19
David Smith (WVU) won by fall Connor Tolley (Tennessee-Chattanooga), F 1:32 [fifth place]

Brandon Ngati (WVU) dec. Robert Scherer (Virginia), 8-2
Cary Miller (Appalachian State) dec. Brandon Ngati (WVU), 5-1
Brandon Ngati (WVU) DEC. Andrew Gunning (North Carolina), 2-1 [TB-2]
Connor Tolley (Tennessee-Chattanooga) dec. Brandon Ngati (WVU), 4-3

Rankings are listed as follows: The Open Mat/FloWrestling/Intermat

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