Wrestling: Olivet drops matches to NCAA DI foes NIU and MSU

YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Olivet College wrestling team dropped matches to NCAA Division I foes Northern Illinois University (30-0) and Michigan State University (44-0) today at the Bowen Fieldhouse in Ypsilanti.

In the loss to NIU, the closest match came at 149 pounds where senior Kyle Witgen dropped an 8-3 decision to Gabe Morse. Against MSU, junior 174-pounder Nicholas Africano was the only Comet to lose by minor decision. He gave up a takedown in the first period before a double stall call on the Spartan wrestler gave Africano a point late in the period.

Africano went on bottom to start the second period, and was able to get out for the escape point to tie the match at 2-2. In the final 36 seconds of the period, the MSU wrestler took him down to go up 4-2 but Africano got out a short time later to make the score 4-3 at the end of two periods. Africano rode out the wrestler in the third period to erase the riding time advantage for the final 4-3 score.

Olivet returns to the mats next Saturday when it hosts the 2014 Comet Duals. Action begins at 10 a.m. inside The Cutler Event Center.