Red Raider Wrestling Wins Second-Straight, 26-14 at Millersville
Dec. 7, 2005
MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - No. 1-ranked junior Jamie Thomas (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) recorded his first fall of the season as the seventh-ranked Shippensburg University wrestling team won a dual match for the second time in as many days, defeating local and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) rival Millersville University 26-14 on Wednesday night at Pucillo Gymnasium.
Also winning for the Red Raiders (2-1) was red-shirt senior Jake Lininger (Camp Hill, Pa./Lower Dauphin) and red-shirt sophomore Kirby Fanus (Mt. Holly Springs, Pa./Boiling Springs) who each totaled major decisions. Sophomore Peter Grodziak (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) also won for the second time this season at 197 pounds, filling in for senior Corey Jacoby (Hanover, Pa./Delone Catholic).
In the new Division II rankings released this afternoon, Shippensburg remained at No. 7 while Thomas moved from No. 3 to No. 1 and Lininger moved from No. 7 to No. 6 in the individual rankings.
Millersville (0-2) opened the match with back-to-back decisions at 174 and 184 pounds to take a 6-0 lead before Grodziak, Lininger and Thomas won three straight to put Shippensburg in front for good, 13-6.
Grodziak edged out Steve Funk, 2-1 before Lininger remained unbeated with a 9-0 margin over Mike Davidowich. At 125 pounds, Thomas scored his first fall of the season in 1:17 over Jeff Schell. Red-shirt sophomore Tyler Gilson (Mifflin, Pa./Juniata) then picked up a forfeit at 133 pounds and the Red Raiders led 19-6.
However, the Marauders pulled back to within five, 19-14, after a decision from Cody Becker at 141 pounds and a major decision by Jarrett Hostetter at 149 pounds.
With the match still in doubt at 157 pounds, red-shirt freshman Chris Murray (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) convincingly defeated Malcolm Haynes 8-2 to give Shippensburg the victory. Fanus then followed with an 8-0 score against Nick Foley to provide the final winning margin for the Red Raiders.
Shippensburg will now take an extended break for final exams and the Christmas holiday before returning to action at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa on January 14. The event, hosted by the University of Northern Iowa, runs two days and features the top teams in NCAA Division II.
