Following their tough tri-meet last Saturday, The Blue Jay wrestling team came into this weekend eager to prove themselves. They've improved dramatically since the season started, but their numbers never matched their spirit. With this long trip down to Virginia to take on Washington & Lee, the Jays finally found themselves on the winning side of things. Following back to back pins from freshman Hector Cintron and senior Tyler Schmidt, the Jays clinched the victory over the Generals, winning by a final score of 24-18.
Things started slowly for the Jays. Losing bouts at 125 and 133 by decision, they found themselves in a 6-0 hole. However, they were able to get all six points back at 141, when Rocky Barilla's opponent was forced to forfeit after injuring himself in the match. It was Barilla who had scored first - a takedown early in the first period. As his opponent was trying to escape, he was forced back down onto the mat, injuring his shoulder in the process. When the opponent was unable to continue, Barilla was awarded six points by injury decision. While not as nice as some of his last few, this win marked Barilla's 10th-straight victory.
The next match at 149 saw senior Michael Vecchiollo put the Jays up 9-6 with a gutsy 6-5 win. But given the seesaw nature of the sport, the lead was short-lived. Washington & Lee recovered, securing a pin at 157 - six points for the team and the lead. The two teams traded the next two matches, with Eric Levenseller winning at 165 before the Generals took 174.
With three matches left, the Jays were trailing 15-12. Unfortunately for Washington & Lee, this lead didn't last very long. At 184, Cintron overwhelmed his opponent, winning easily by pin in the first period, at 2:08. No sooner had Cintron finished than Schmidt added to their lead. His 4:08 second pin moved him to 20-8 on the year and 4-0 against conference opponents and put the Jays out of reach at 24-15.
While they dropped a minor decision from senior 285-pounder Matt Rugani, they had already secured the win. Last week, they dropped close decisions to both Muhlenberg and Ursinus - both teams had won five points, but the Jays lost by points because the other teams secured extra points through pins and major decisions. It was the opposite this week. The Jays split the 10 matches with the Generals, but pins from Cintron and Schmidt and the injury default to Barilla put them over the top.
"I felt we continued to push the pressure on our opponents and much of our team capitalized off of high scoring tilts and pinning combinations," Barilla said. "If we continue to be aggressive we can use this momentum to compete against Messiah, Stevens and USMMA in the upcoming weeks."
As tough as it is to say, these next two weeks will truly test the Jays. All three teams have nationally ranked wrestlers, and according to the NCAA rankings, Messiah currently fields the #24 team in the nation. Unseating them would be a huge accomplishment for this fledgling Jays squad.
The Jays return to action this Friday at 7 p.m. With a schedule full of tournaments and road meets, this dual-meet is the one time the Jays will be wrestling at home. It will also be senior night, where the five Jay seniors (Domestico, Keane, Rugani, Schmidt, Vecchiolo) will be honored.
