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Logan Riely | WOUB

Ohio Wrestling 3-0 at EMU Duals


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Ohio Bobcats wrestling’s 2015-16 season kicked off with a bang on Saturday, as the Green and White grapplers swept their competition in three lopsided victories.

The ‘Cats took down Michigan State 34-3, Edinboro 22-12 and Olivet College 46-3. Bonus points were a theme for Ohio, as Bobcat wrestlers won bonus points in 15 of their 30 matches. The Bobcats recorded six pins, three tech falls, six major decisions, nine decisions and just six losses.

Ohio was most dominant in its last dual of the day against Olivet College, when it put up five pins, three of which came in the first period.

Three of the Bobcats nationally-ranked redshirt seniors competed on Saturday, with their fourth, 184-pounder Andrew Romanchik likely out with a minor shoulder injury. Sparty Chino, 157 pounds, Cody Walters, 174, and Phil Wellington, 197, won all of their matches to give the senior group a 9-0 start to the season.

Walters was one of Ohio’s most dominant wrestlers on the day with two pins. Wellington added a two major decisions for the Bobcats, and Chino put up a pin and major decision.

The ‘Cats also got 3-0 performances from 133-pounder Cam Kelly and 141-pounder Noah Forrider. True freshman Kelly started his college career with a bang, and got better throughout the day. In his first college match, he won a 12-1 major decision. He followed that up with a 20-5 tech fall against Edinboro and a pin against Olivet College. After missing most of the 2014-15 season, Forrider was about as good as Kelly with a tech fall, pin and 8-3 decision.

Along with Kelly’s strong varsity debut, three other freshmen in Skakur Laney, 125, Cullen Cummings, 149, and Austin Reese, 165, were impressive with 2-1 records in their first dual-meet action. Laney, another true freshman, recorded a tech fall in his final match of the day, and lost a close 6-5 matchup against Edinboro’s Sean Russell, a former four-time high school champion in Georgia. Redshirt sophomore Cummings’ only loss was against Edinboro’s former blue-chip recruit and true freshman Patricio Lugo. Redshirt sophomore Reese finished his day with a first period pin.

Heavyweight sophomore Jesse Webb started his sophomore campaign 2-1 with a major decision and tough 1-0 loss against Ediboro’s Billy Miller.

At 184, Dakota Sizemore was the only Bobcat to not post a winning record.

The Bobcats are back in action on Saturday for the all-day Michigan State Open.