(Left-Right) Brad Beiter, Garret Smith, Head Coach Don Henry, John Marotto, Nathan Reckner, Alex Shaffer
Gannon honored five seniors prior to Saturday's final home meet of the season. Pictured here are (left-right) Brad Beiter, Garret Smith, head coach Don Henry, John Marotto, Nathan Reckner and Alex Shaffer.

Men's Wrestling Dan Teliski, Assistant Director of Athletics for Media Relations

Gannon Wrestling Team Rolls Past West Liberty 41-8 on Senior Day (Video/Photos)

THE RUNDOWN
  • Score: at Gannon 41, West Liberty 8
  • Records: Gannon (7-2), West Liberty (2-14)
  • Location: Erie, Pa. - Hammermill Center
  • The Short Story: The Gannon wrestling team won the final eight matches with bonus points coming in six of those bouts and rolled past West Liberty 41-8 Saturday afternoon on Senior Day at the Hammermill Center.

MEDIA CENTER
BOUT-BY-BOUT RESULTS

125 Pounds
  • Result: Zach Brown (WLU) def. Abraham Guarriello (Erie, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf) (GU) by decision, 5-0
  • Wrestlers' Records: Brown (N/A Overall, N/A Dual) | Guarriello (9-15 Overall, 2-7 Dual)
  • Team Score: West Liberty led 3-0
  • Notes: Dual meet started at 125 pounds ... Brown scored the only points of the opening three minutes with a takedown, before riding Guarriello out the remainder of the period ... Brown repeated the process during the middle stanza and led 4-0 after two periods ... after a scoreless third period, Brown tacked on a riding-time point for a 5-0 victory.

133 Pounds
  • Result: Bryce Humphreys (WLU) def. Casey Vollmer (Port Allegany, Pa./Port Allegany) (GU) by technical fall, 19-1 (5:38)
  • Wrestlers' Records: Humphreys (N/A, N/A) | Vollmer (5-9, 0-1)
  • Team Score: West Liberty led 8-0
  • Notes: Humphreys led 4-0 after the first period thanks to a takedown and two-point nearfall right before the horn ... Humphreys increased his lead to 11-0 in the second period with an escape, takedown and four-point nearfall ... Vollmer then managed an escape, cutting the deficit to 11-1 after two periods ... Humphreys opened the final period with a takedown, before using a four-point nearfall to end the match with 22 seconds remaining ... Vollmer was wrestling in his first dual match of the season with normal starter Carmine Ciotti (Erie, Pa./McDowell) not wrestling ... Ciotti is ranked No. 1 in NCAA Division II Super Region One and No. 11 in NCAA Division II.

141 Pounds
  • Result: John Marotto (Verona, Pa./Plum) (GU) won by forfeit
  • Wrestlers' Records: Marotto (11-9, 6-3)
  • Team Score: West Liberty led 8-6
  • Notes: Marotto is ranked No. 7 in NCAA Division II Super Region One ... Marotto won by forfeit for the second time this season, extending his current win streak to three.

149 Pounds
  • Result: George McGuire (Waterford, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf) (GU) pinned Josh Cornell (WLU), 1:26
  • Wrestlers' Records: McGuire (2-2, 2-2) | Cornell (N/A, N/A)
  • Team Score: Gannon led 12-8
  • Notes: McGuire wasted little time recording a takedown with a two-point nearfall shortly thereafter ... McGuire was then able to pin Cornell with only 96 seconds expired in the match ... McGuire was wrestling for only the fourth time this season ... McGuire wrestled last Wednesday for the first time since December 3 ... both of McGuire's victories this season have come via a pin.

157 Pounds
  • Result: Eric Lewandowski (Depew, N.Y./Lancaster Central) (GU) def. Tryston Kessler (WLU) by technical fall, 16-0 (1:43)
  • Wrestlers' Records: Lewandowski (11-3, 8-1) | Kessler (N/A, N/A)
  • Team Score: Gannon led 17-8
  • Notes: Lewandowski is tabbed No. 12 in NCAA Division II and No. 3 in NCAA Division II Super Region One ... Lewandowski dominated from the opening whistle, recording a takedown for the first points ... Lewandowski followed with three four-point nearfalls and one two-point nearfall to end the match after 103 seconds ... Lewandowski increased his team lead in technical falls to four and took sole possession of the team lead in dual victories with eight ... Lewandowski has won four consecutive bouts.

165 Pounds
  • Result: Garret Smith (Erie, Pa./Seneca) (GU) def. DeMadre Turner (WLU) by decision, 9-6
  • Wrestlers' Records: Smith (16-11, 6-3) | Turner (N/A, N/A)
  • Team Score: Gannon led 20-8
  • Notes: Smith is ranked No. 6 in NCAA Division II Super Region One ... Smith led 4-1 after one period, sandwiching a Turner escape between a pair of takedowns ... after Turner opened the middle stanza with an escape, Smith recorded another takedown for a 6-2 advantage ... Turner followed with a reversal, climbing within 6-4 after two periods ... Smith started the final period down and escaped for a 7-4 lead ... Turner answered with a takedown to pull within 7-6, but Smith countered with an escape and riding-time point for a 9-6 victory ... Smith improved to 2-0 against West Liberty wrestlers this season, pinning Tryston Kessler in 37 seconds at the Findlay Open.

174 Pounds
  • Result: Jake Stratton (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Bradley) (GU) pinned Carlos Kusic (WLU), 2:04
  • Wrestlers' Records: Stratton (18-10, 7-2) | Kusic (N/A, N/A)
  • Team Score: Gannon led 26-8
  • Notes: Stratton is ranked No. 3 in NCAA Division II Super Region One ... Kusic hit the first move with a takedown, but Stratton followed with an escape and takedown to assume a 3-2 advantage ... Kusic was able to tie the bout at three with an escape ... Stratton countered with a takedown that turned into a pin with 56 seconds left in the first period ... Stratton won his fourth consecutive bout ... Stratton remained second among Golden Knights in overall victories (19), dual wins (7) and pins (8).

184 Pounds
  • Result: Christopher Matthews (Kennerdell, Pa./Franklin) (GU) def. Nathan Dawson (WLU) by decision, 4-3
  • Wrestlers' Records: Matthews (12-8, 1-1) | Dawson (N/A, N/A)
  • Team Score: Gannon led 29-8
  • Notes: Matthews was wrestling for redshirt sophomore Nicholas Costa (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial), who is ranked No. 4 in NCAA Division II Super Region One ... Matthews was the aggressor early, taking a 2-0 lead with a takedown ... Dawson managed an escape, cutting the deficit to 2-1 after one period ... the match became tied at two during the second period when Matthews was called for an illegal move that gave Dawson a point ... Dawson then followed with an escape for a 3-2 lead after two periods ... Matthews started the final period down and tied the bout at three with an escape ... neither wrestler was able to score the rest of the way, before Matthews took a riding-time point to secure a 4-3 victory ... the win clinched Gannon's team victory with two bouts remaining ... Matthews defeated Dawson for the second time this season after previously earning a 5-1 win at the Midwest Classic ... normally a 174-pounder, Matthews wrestled at 184 pounds for only the fifth time this season ... it was his first 184-pound showing since January 7.

197 Pounds
  • Result: Ethan Budd (Port Allegany, Pa./Port Allegany) (GU) won by forfeit
  • Wrestlers' Records: Budd (7-10, 3-6)
  • Team Score: Gannon led 35-8
  • Notes: Budd won his season-high third consecutive bout ... Budd won by forfeit for the first time this season.

285 Pounds
  • Result: Nick Budd (Port Allegany, Pa./Port Allegany) (GU) pinned Chris Cook (WLU), 0:47
  • Wrestlers' Records: Budd (13-8, 6-3) | Cook (N/A, N/A)
  • Team Score: Gannon won 41-8
  • Notes: Budd is ranked No. 6 in NCAA Division II Super Region One ... Budd send the fans home early with a takedown that rolled into a pin 47 seconds into the match ... it was Budd's second pin during the last four matches.

TEAM NOTES
  • Gannon is listed among others receiving votes in the latest Wrestling Coaches Association (WCA) Top 25 Poll and sits No. 5 in NCAA Division II Super Region One.
  • West Liberty is ranked No. 13 in NCAA Division II Super Region One.
  • The Golden Knights defeated the Hilltoppers for the 11th consecutive time.
  • Gannon won its fourth consecutive dual meet.
  • The Golden Knights ended a six-meet homestand with a 5-1 record.
  • Five Gannon seniors were honored prior to the final home meet of the season - Brad Beiter (Erie, Pa./Seneca), John Marotto (Verona, Pa./Plum), Nathan Reckner (Georgetown, Pa./South Side), Alex Shaffer (Mercer, Pa./Mercer) and Garret Smith (Erie, Pa./Seneca).
  • Three regionally-ranked wrestlers didn't compete Saturday afternoon. The Golden Knights competed without freshman Carmine Ciotti (Erie, Pa./McDowell) (133, 1st regionally, 11th nationally) and redshirt sophomore Nicholas Costa (Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial) (184, fourth regionally). The Hilltoppers were missing Garrett Vulcano (197, sixth regionally).
  • Gannon's 41 points and 33-point scoring margin were its best since a 51-0 victory at American International on January 17, 2015.
  • The Golden Knights have won seven dual meets for the second time in three seasons.

UP NEXT
  • Gannon returns to action Sunday, February 12 at the John Carroll Open.
  • No team scores will be kept in the open format.
  • The Golden Knights will be competing at the event for the first time ever.
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Players Mentioned

Brad Beiter

Brad Beiter

Redshirt Senior
Hwt.
Nick Budd

Nick Budd

Redshirt Junior
Hwt.
Nick Costa

Nick Costa

Redshirt Sophomore
184
Eric Lewandowski

Eric Lewandowski

Redshirt Junior
157
John Marotto

John Marotto

Redshirt Senior
141
Chris Matthews

Chris Matthews

Redshirt Junior
165/174
George McGuire

George McGuire

Redshirt Sophomore
149/157
Nathan Reckner

Nathan Reckner

Redshirt Junior
125/133
Alex Shaffer

Alex Shaffer

Senior
157/165
Garret Smith

Garret Smith

Redshirt Senior
157/165

Players Mentioned

Brad Beiter

Brad Beiter

Redshirt Senior
Hwt.
Nick Budd

Nick Budd

Redshirt Junior
Hwt.
Nick Costa

Nick Costa

Redshirt Sophomore
184
Eric Lewandowski

Eric Lewandowski

Redshirt Junior
157
John Marotto

John Marotto

Redshirt Senior
141
Chris Matthews

Chris Matthews

Redshirt Junior
165/174
George McGuire

George McGuire

Redshirt Sophomore
149/157
Nathan Reckner

Nathan Reckner

Redshirt Junior
125/133
Alex Shaffer

Alex Shaffer

Senior
157/165
Garret Smith

Garret Smith

Redshirt Senior
157/165