Wrestling team posts 3-0 record at Comet Duals

OLIVET, Mich. – Led by three bonus point wins by junior Ross Pennock at 157 pounds and three first-period pins by senior Rodney Harvey at 184 pounds, the Olivet College wrestling team posted a perfect 3-0 record at the 2015 Comet Duals, held today inside The Cutler Event Center in Olivet. The Comets defeated Case Western Reserve (Ohio) University, 42-9; Manchester (Ind.) University, 36-9, and University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 37-18.

Against Case, Olivet won 8-of-10 bouts, scoring bonus points in seven of the wins. Junior Michael Schmidt got the match started with a 16-0 technical fall victory at 125 pounds. After a loss at 133 pounds, junior Curtis Blackwell gained a forfeit win at 141 pounds. Junior Matt Lopez extended the Comets' lead to 17-3 with a first-period pin in 149 pounds. Pennock posted a 17-4 major decision at 157 pounds.

Junior Kevin Papak added another forfeit win at 165 pounds to make the score 29-3. The Spartans earned six team points on a fall at 174 pounds. Olivet got those points back at 184 pounds when Harvey pinned his opponent with one minute and 48 seconds left in the opening period.

Senior Thomas Hall shutout his opponent 6-0 at 197 pounds. Junior Jesse Judge capped the Comets' win by recording a pin with one minute and 40 seconds remaining in the first period.

Olivet won the first nine bouts against Manchester. Schmidt started the match with a 17-6 major decision at 125 pounds. Sophomore Jared Brickley scored a takedown with six seconds left to win 4-3 at 133 pounds. Blackwell then used a reversal in the closing seconds of the match to win a wild 18-17 decision at 141 pounds. Junior Austin Kelley won a 12-1 major decision at 149 pounds.

Pennock won by fall in one minute and 11 seconds at 157 pounds. Junior Kevin Papak posted a 7-4 decision at 165 pounds. Senior Nicholas Africano blanked his opponent, 11-0, at 174 pounds. The Comets ended their scoring with back-to-back pins. Harvey had his fall in one minute at 184 pounds, and senior Eric Boyd had his in three minutes and 54 seconds at 197 pounds.

Against Whitewater, Olivet won 7-of-10 bouts, with bonus points win in six. Schmidt took a forfeit win at 125 pounds. After a pin at 133 pounds tied the match at 6-6, Blackwell won by injury default at 141 pounds. Kelley earned a 7-3 minor decision at 149 pounds.

Pennock pinned his opponent in the first period at 157 pounds to make the score 21-6. The Warhawks cut their deficit down to three points, 21-18, with back-to-back pins. Harvey won his second straight bout with a pin in one minute at 184 pounds. Hall had a 12-2 major decision at 197 pounds. Judge claimed a forfeit win at 285 pounds for the final six team points.

The Comets are now off until Saturday, Dec. 5, when they compete at the 2015 Ohio Northern Polar Bear Invitational in Ada, Ohio.