Cornell 28 Eastern Michigan 10

ITHACA, N.Y.-In its first home dual of the new year, the No. 2 nationally ranked Big Red wrestling team defeated Eastern Michigan, 28-10, at the Friedman Wrestling Center. The match began at heavyweight with senior Zach Hammond winning a 5-3 decision. In the second bout of the day, junior Troy Nickerson pinned his opponent in a school record, 13 seconds. Returning NCAA champion Jordan Leen won by technical fall, while senior Steve Anceravage and sophomore DJ Meagher defeated their competition by major decision.

At heavyweight, Zach Hammond took on EMU's Wes Schroder. Hammond opened with a takedown at 2:18 of the first period and would record one more before the period expired to lead 4-2. Schroder chose to start the period in the down position and quickly escaped to come within a point. In the third period, Hammond finally escaped from Schroder's clutches with 48 seconds left in the bout. Neither wrestler was able to score again before the time ran out, and Hammond came away with a 5-3 win to put the Big Red up 3-0.

At 125 pounds, Nickerson faced off against Jordan McGuire. Nickerson immediately attacked at McGuire earning the takedown and moving the Eagles' wrestler on to his back. Nickerson won by fall in 13 seconds which broke the school record for the fastest fall. The previous record of 14 seconds was held by Bruce Morgan at heavyweight from Nov. 17, 1990

At 133 pounds, sophomore Mike Grey took on Sean Clair. Clair came into the mat full of energy and received a point for a fleeing the mat penalty to Grey at 1:16. Clair took a three point lead with 30 seconds left in the period with a takedown and earned two back points. Grey chose neutral in the second period, but neither wrestler was able to score. Grey let Clair up from his opening down position looking to score and grabbed his first points with a takedown at 1:35. Grey quickly released Clair once again looking for points. Clair countered a move from Grey with 47 seconds left in the period and rode out the Big Red wrestler for the remainder of the period. With 1:11 in riding time, Clair won a 10-2 major decision.

Sophomore Corey Manson faced off against Zach Donofrio at 141 pounds. Donofrio scored the only points of the first period with a takedown with 40 seconds left on the clock. Manson chose to start the second period down and notched the only point of the period with the escape. Donofrio escaped from his opening down position in the third, and countered a shot by Manson to notch his second takedown. With 1:56 in riding time, Donofrio won a 6-1 decision to cut Cornell's lead to 9-7.

At 149 pounds, sophomore DJ Meagher took a 2-0 lead on JJ Johnson with 51 seconds left in the first period with a takedown. Meagher rode Johnson out for the remainder of the period. Meagher quickly escaped from his down position in the second period and took a 5-0 lead with a takedown with 28 seconds left on the clock. Johnson chose to start the third period down on the mat. The Eagles' grappler could not escape Meagher's hold and after a three-point nearfall and 3:14 in riding time, the Big Red wrestler won a 9-0 major decision.

After a short halftime break, Leen took the mat at 157 pounds for the Big Red against EMU's Josh Moulton. Leen took a two point lead at 2:04 of the first with a takedown and after a minute took an 8-0 advantage with two nearfalls. Moulton chose top in the second period, and with less than four seconds off the clock, Leen grabbed two more points with a reversal. Leen earned back points two more times before wining a 15-0 tech fall in 4:45.

At 165 pounds, Josh Basting faced off against Nick Hendrick. Hendrick earned two points with a takedown at 2:11, but Basting escaped to come with in one. The Eastern Michigan wrestler chose to start the second period down on the mat, but could not escape Basting for the full two minutes. Basting chose down in the third period and with two seconds off the clock made his escape to tie the match at 2-2. Basting took the lead with 25 seconds left on the clock with a takedown, and with 1:57 in riding tame won a 5-2 decision to give Cornell at 21-7 lead.

No. 5 ranked Anceravage quickly went on the attack against Chris Eggert at 174 pounds. The Big Red All-American notched a takedown at 2:33, but let Eggert up quickly looking to score points. Anceravage grabbed two more takedowns and added two back points as the clock ran out in the first period with Anceravage holding an 8-2 advantage. Eggert started the second period down on the mat, and Anceravage once again let him up before stalking him to score more points. The Big Red wrestler grabbed three more takedowns, before Eggert countered Anceravage with three seconds left in the period to notch his first offensive points with a takedown of his own. Anceravage chose neutral from the third period start. He notched two more takedowns and with 2:33 in riding time won a 19-10 major decision.

At 184 pounds, No. 16 Justin Kerber wrestled Derek Foore. With only 10 seconds off the clock, Kerber took a two point lead, and racked up 1:30 in riding time before Foore could escape. Kerber started the second period down and earned the only point of the period with a quick escape. Foore chose to begin the third period down on the mat, but was unable to escape Kerber until 20 seconds left in the bout. With 3:05 in riding time, Kerber won a 4-2 decision.

Junior Matt Panasevich took on John McClure at 197 pounds. McClure held a 2-1 slight advantage after the first period with a takedown and Big Red escape. McClure chose down in the second period and grabbed another point with an escape. With 12 seconds left in the period, he went up 5-1 with another takedown. Panasevich chose down to start the third period but was unable to escape McClure's clutches. With 2:37 in riding time, the Eastern Michigan wrestler won a 6-1 decision.

Cornell will next wrestle No. 12 Missouri on Sunday, Jan. 25 at home in Newman Arena.


Final: Cornell 28, Eastern Michigan 10

No. 2 Cornell vs. Eastern Michigan
1 p.m., Ithaca, N.Y.--Friedman Wrestling Center
Attendance: 831

Lineups
HWT: No. 13 Zach Hammond (Cornell) dec Wes Schroder 5-3
125: No. 3 Troy Nickerson (Cornell) WBF Jordan McGuire 0:13
133: Sean Clair (E Mich) md No. 12 Mike Grey 10-2
141: Zach Donofrio (E Mich) dec Corey Manson 6-1
149: DJ Meagher (Cornell) md JJ Johnson 9-0
157: No. 5 Jordan Leen (Cornell) WTF Josh Moulton 15-0 (4:45)
165: Josh Basting (Cornell) dec Nick Hendrick 5-2
174: No. 5 Steve Anceravage (Cornell) md Chris Eggert 19-10
184: No. 16 Justin Kerber (Cornell) dec Derek Foore 4-2
197: John McClure (E Mich) dec Matt Panasevich 6-1