Rutgers 28 Virginia 15; Rutgers 25 UNC Greensboro 16
Rutgers Ties School Record With 17th Victory Of The Season
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (January 17, 2009) - The Rutgers wrestling team (17-4) matched its all-time season-high in wins, defeating Virginia 28-15 and UNC Greensboro 25-16, Saturday in Charlottesville, Va. RU last earned 17 dual victories in the 1991-92 season. Freshman Scott Winston (Jackson, N.J.), redshirt sophomore David Greenwald (Union, N.J.) and senior Matt Pletcher (Eastampton, N.J.) all went 2-0 on the day to lead the Scarlet Knights.
Rutgers opened the tri-meet with a match against the host school, Virginia. The Scarlet Knights picked up two quick extra point wins as freshman Matt Fusco (Belleville, N.J.) earned a 10-1 major decision at 125 and redshirt freshman Brian Bollete (Newton, N.J.) won by forfeit at 133. After freshman Trevor Melde (Hewitt, N.J.) fell at 141, Greenwald picked up the first of his two falls on the day at 149.
Winston, ranked No. 15 in the nation, followed that with a 6-3 victory over No. 20 Jedd Moore and Pletcher won in overtime at 165, 3-1. Senior Mike Whalen (Lake Hiawatha, N.J.) at 174, sophomore McPaul Ogbonna (East Hanover, N.J.) at 184 and redshirt junior Karim Mahmoud (Wallington, N.J.) at 197 all dropped their bouts, but redshirt sophomore DJ Russo (Netcong, N.J.) pinned the Cavaliers' Calvin Cardillo in the heavyweight contest to finish off the scoring for RU.
The Scarlet Knights opened their match against UNCG losing two of their first three contests, as sophomore Mike Demarco (Lyndhurst, N.J.) fell at 125, Bollete won at 133 and Melde lost at 141. Trailing 6-3, RU reeled off four consecutive extra point wins, including pins by Greenwald at 149, Winston at 157 and Whalen at 174, and a major decision by Pletcher at 165. Ogbonna, Mahmoud and redshirt sophomore Sean DeDeyn (Bayville, N.J.) dropped their bouts but RU came out on top, 28-15.
Rutgers looks to pick up its school-record 18th victory on Sunday, when they wrestle in a tri-meet with Virginia Tech and Virginia Military Institute in Blacksburg, Va.