SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The No. 6-ranked Gannon men's wrestling team picked up a pair of decisive dual meet victories over Shippensburg and Belmont Abbey on Saturday afternoon at the Shippensburg Duals. The Knights started off the day by downing the hosts by a score of 47-11. Later in the afternoon, Gannon topped Belmont Abbey by a 31-12 final to push its dual meet win-streak to seven. The Knights are also a perfect 7-0 against NCAA Division II competition this season.
 
Dual #1: Gannon 47, Shippensburg 11
 
Against Shippensburg, Gannon took control late in the dual with a second-round fall by Alex Faranchak at 165 lbs., followed by first-round falls by Joey Petrella (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Bishop Hartley) (174 lbs.), Joel Leise (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds) (197 lbs.) and Freddie Nixon (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) (HWT). Jacob Dunlop (Rostraver Township, Pa./Belle Vernon) also earned a dominating 16-1 technical fall over Shippensburg's Josh Jackson at 125 lbs. Gannon padded its score with forfeit wins at 133, 141 and 157 lbs.
 
Dual #2: Gannon 31, Belmont Abbey 12
 
Dunlop opened the Belmont Abbey dual with a second-round fall over Brandon Crowder to give the Knights the early lead, but the Crusaders earned a decision at 133 lbs. and first-round fall at 141 lbs. to take an early 9-6 advantage in the dual.
 
The Belmont Abbey lead didn't last long though, as Gannon's Hayden Butterfield (Erie, Pa./McDowell) knotted the score at 9-9 following an 11-7 decision over Tyler Pepe at 149 lbs. At 157, Evan Fisler (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township) gave Gannon the lead for good by earning a second-round fall victory over Mathew Daner to add six more points to Gannon's total.
 
With GU leading 15-9 at the midway point, BAC scored its final points of the day in the 165 bout, as Mitch Dean edged Gannon's Nick Young (Batavia, N.Y./Alexander) by a 9-7 decision to earn three team points for the Crusaders. Petrella pushed the Knight's lead back to six (18-12) by blanking Belmont Abbey's Connor Weeks by a 4-0 decision at 174 lbs.
 
Next up, Farenchak, wrestling two weight classes up in the 184 bout, put on an impressive performance and came away with a 22-9 major decision over Connor Billingsly of Belmont Abbey to push Gannon's team score advantage to 22-12. At 197 lbs., Leise earned six more points for the Knights with a fall victory at the 55 second mark, and Nixon wrapped up Gannon's afternoon with a 4-1 win over Belmont Abbey's Justin Wright in the heavyweight bout.
 
Leise's two fall victories on Saturday at the Shippensburg Duals have pushed his streak of consecutive fall-victories to eight.
 
Gannon's "B" Team will be in action on Sunday morning at the Jamestown Community College Open in Jamestown, N.Y. The Knight starters will return to the mat on Friday, Feb. 4 in a showdown against No. 11/13 Kutztown at the Hammermill Center.


Dual #1 Results: Gannon 47, Shippensburg 11
125: Jacob Dunlop (Rostraver Township, Pa./Belle Vernon) (GU) def. Josh Jackson (SU), Tech Fall 16-1 (3:45) [5-0]

133: Christopher Rocha-Perez (Painesville, Ohio/Riverside) (GU) won by forfeit [11-0]

141: DeAndre Reed (SU) def. Parker Loera (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) (GU), Tech Fall 20-0 (6:30) [11-5]

149: Hayden Butterfield (Erie, Pa./McDowell) (GU) won by forfeit [17-5]

157: Nick Young (Batavia, N.Y./Alexander) (GU) won by forfeit [23-5]

165: Alex Farenchak (Painesville, Ohio/Riverside) (GU) def. Josh Bachar (SU), Fall (4:39) [29-5]

174: Joey Petrella (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Bishop Hartley) (GU) def. Nyiem Flucas (SU), Fall (1:38) [35-5]

184: Drake Brenize (SU) won by forfeit [35-11]

197: Joel Leise (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds) (GU) def. Connor Livingston (SU), Fall (1:30) [41-11]

285: Freddie Nixon (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) (GU) def. Dan Schieb (SU), Fall (0:23) [47-11]
 

Dual #2 Results: Gannon 31, Belmont Abbey 12
125: Jacob Dunlop (Rostraver Township, Pa./Belle Vernon) (GU) def. Brandon Crowder (BAC), Fall (3:49) [6-0]

133: Ben Fielding (BAC) def. Christopher Rocha-Perez (Painesville, Ohio/Riverside) (GU), Dec 9-7 [6-3]

141: John Carayainnis (BAC) def. Parker Loera (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) (GU), Fall (2:22) [6-9]

149: Hayden Butterfield (Erie, Pa./McDowell) (GU) def. Tyler Pepe (BAC), Dec 11-7 [9-9]

157: Evan Fisler (Sewell, N.J./Washington Township) (GU) def. Mathew Daner (BAC), Fall (4:20) [15-9]

165: Mitch Dean (BAC) def. Nick Young (Batavia, N.Y./Alexander) (GU), Dec 9-7 [15-12]

174: Joey Petrella (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Bishop Hartley) (GU) def. Connor Weeks (BAC), Dec 4-0 [18-12]

184: Alex Farenchak (Painesville, Ohio/Riverside) (GU) def. Connor BIllingsly (BAC), Major Dec 22-9 [22-12]

197: Joel Leise (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds) (GU) def. Logan Branham (BAC), Fall (0:55) [28-12]

285: Freddie Nixon (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) (GU) def. Justin Wright (BAC), Dec 4-1 [31-12]