February 5, 2010

Box Score
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LAURINBURG, N.C.—The Limestone College wrestling team won all 10 matches en route to a 41 to negative one victory over host St. Andrews Presbyterian College in an East Region dual match Friday night in Harris Court.

Freshman Greg Polhemus (pictured) had the closest result for the St. Andrews wrestling team, losing a close 4-2 decision to his Limestone counterpart Friday.

The Saints (13-6) had three pins and three major decisions in building up to their 42-point victory. Both squads were docked one team point for coaches stepping on the mat.

The Knights (2-8) were without the services of starters Casey Gashaw, Brian Beatson, Greg Todd, and Justin Hoover -- who combined have 11 dual match wins this season -- due to various injuries.

Senior lightweight Matt Hall (Hamptonville, N.C.) set the pace for the Saints with a 10-2 major decision over sophomore Josh Tegard (Matthews, N.C.) in the first match of the evening. Hall (21-8) had four takedowns to build up his eight-point lead. Tegard almost had a late escape in the final 10 seconds that would have given Limestone the minimum three points but Hall was able to hold on for the four-point major.

A pair of pins by redshirt freshman Mike Magaha (Seaford, Del.) and No. 6 nationally ranked junior Jeremy Parker (Winchester, Pa.) increased Limestone’s lead to 16-0 after three bouts. Magaha (26-8) pinned sophomore Matt Fletcher (Stephens City, Va.) in 4:48 while Parker (27-7), who is ranked No. 2 in the region, decked freshman Patrick Wells (Hope Mills, N.C.) in 2:13.

St. Andrews came close to getting on the board in the 149-pound match but sophomore Theran Goodale (Osage, Iowa) gutted out a 10-6 decision for Limestone to keep the shutout bid alive. Knights’ freshman Luke Olsen (Bristow, Va.) used a high-crotch single leg takedown in the first couple seconds to take an early lead but Goodale rallied to take a 5-4 lead after the first period. Olsen -- who leads the Knights with 11 wins -- looked to have taking down Goodale late in the second period to regain the lead but the referee did not award the takedown as time expired. SAPC was penalized one team point after disagreeing with the no-call and Goodale (18-14) carried the momentum in the third period winning by four.

Redshirt junior Zack McKeone (Marietta, Ga.) increased the Saints lead 23-points at the midway break with an 11-5 decision at 157. McKeone (7-11) built a 5-0 advantage after three minutes with a combination of a takedown and a near fall and then held off a late charge by St. Andrews’ freshman Sterling Perry (Hampton, Va.), who had a pair of takedowns in the second stanza.

After the intermission, Limestone tacked on eight more team points with two consecutive wins by major decision. The junior duo Bryce Sopko (Brighton, Mich.) and Casey Bradley (Muncie, Ind.) posted 15-2 and 14-3 majors, respectively. Sopko (20-12) had a match-high five takedowns against freshman Richard Manwarren (Middleburg, Fla.) while Bradley (21-8) tallied three takedowns in his win over freshman Davin Morris (Winter Springs, Fla.).

With the score tied at 2-2 after two periods in the 184-pound showdown, Saints’ junior Nick Shappee (Bluffton, S.C.) started on the bottom in the third period. Shappee was able to score an escape on freshman Greg Polhemus (Virginia Beach, Va.) to take the lead for good. Shappee (12-10) kept Polhemus from scoring in the final stanza before recording the narrow 4-2 decision (riding time).

Senior Michael Walsh (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) notched Limestone’s third and final victory by fall at 197, pinning sophomore Joshua Price (Fayetteville, N.C.) in 43 seconds. Price was wrestling in his first match in over a year after returning from Iraq on January 10 after serving a tour with the 1-120th Infantry of the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team in the US Army. Walsh (12-14) was leading 2-0 before posting the first-period fall.

Junior heavyweight Andre Ellerbe (Laurinburg, N.C.) was in position to give SAPC a win in the final match leading 3-0 in the third period but freshman Charles Weber (Radford, Va.) scored all eight of his points in the final two minutes to complete the dual match sweep with an 8-4 decision. Ellerbe took the early lead with back points but Weber (6-7) fought back with a pair of take downs and a near fall in the third period for the four-point win to complete the sweep.

St. Andrews has 10 days to get healthy and prepare for a road dual at Belmont Abbey College on February 16 at 7:30 p.m. Limestone visits No. 2 nationally ranked Newberry College on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

FINAL: Limestone 41, St Andrews -1
125 – Matt Hall (LC) def. Josh Tegard (SA) by MD, 10-2 (0-4)
133 – Mike Magaha (LC) def. Matt Fletcher (SA) by PIN, 4:48 (0-10)
141 – #6 Jeremy Parker (LC) def. Patrick Wells (SA) by PIN, 2:13 (0-16)
149 – Theran Goodale (LC) def. Luke Olsen (SA) by DEC, 10-6 (-1-19)*
157 – Zack McKeone (LC) def. Sterling Perry (SA) by DEC, 11-5 (-1-22)
165 – Bryce Sopko (LC) def. Richard Manwarren (SA) by MD, 15-2 (-1-26)
174 – Casey Bradley (LC) def. Davin Morris (SA) by MD, 14-3 (-1-29)**
184 – Nick Shappee (LC) def. Greg Polhemus (SA) by DEC, 4-2 (-1-32)
197 – Mike Walsh (LC) def. Josh Price (SA) by PIN, 0:43 (-1-38)
285 – Charles Weber (LC) def. Andre Ellerbe (SA) by DEC, 4-8 (-1-41)
RECORDS: Limestone 13-6, St. Andrews 2-8
* SAPC penalized one team point during the 149-lb match for unsportsmanlike conduct (coach on mat)
**LC penalized one team point during the 174-lb match for unsportsmanlike conduct (coach on mat)