Wrestling team has 2-2 record in first day of competition at NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals

The Olivet College wrestling team split its four matches today at the 2009 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Comets, ranked No. 18 in the latest NWCA Top 30 poll, opened the day with a 25-17 loss against No. 19 Luther College. They bounced back to beat unranked Wabash (Ind.) College, 33-15. Olivet then beat Johnson & Wales (R.I.) University, 33-9, and ended the day with a 21-16 loss against Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.) College.

Against Luther, Olivet fell behind, 9-0, in the team score. Senior Rob Yahrmarkt (Sparta) put three team points on the scoreboard with a 15-11 win at 141 pounds. A technical fall at 149 pounds stretched Luther's lead back to 11 points at 14-3. Senior Jason Brew (Sparta) at 157 pounds and senior Kyle Vanderhyde (Sparta) at 174 pounds posted 16-2 and 15-4 major decision victories to make the score 17-11. Junior Joe Bargerstock (Livonia/Churchill) knotted the score at 17-17 with a thrilling first period pin in 2:23. Luther won the match with technical fall and minor decision victories in the final two weight classes.

Against Wabash, Olivet won seven of 10 matches to pull out the easy win. Winning by forfeit was senior Sean Misko (Casco/Richmond) at 285 pounds. Brew and Yahrmarkt pinned their opponent in 5:46 and 4:24, respectively. At 133 pounds, sophomore Adam Wilson (Battle Creek/Harper Creek) posted an 18-0 technical fall win in 4:45. Vanderhyde had a 12-4 major decision win. Freshman Justin Fleeson (Belleville) won 5-2 at 125 pounds and freshman Trevor Tyler (Roscommon) won 6-2 at 165 pounds.

For the second time in less than a month, the Comets defeated Johnson & Wales. Olivet gained the win with wins in seven weight classes. After Fleeson lost 10-4 at 125 pounds, Wilson recorded a fall in 32 seconds. A 1-0 loss for Yahrmarkt at 141 pounds tied the match at 6-6. The Comets put the match away with four consecutive wins. Junior Ben Hitchcock (New Lothrop/Montrose) got things rolling with an 11-5 minor decision at 149 pounds. Brew recorded a 20-4 tech fall victory 15 seconds into the third period.

Sophomore Jim Neal (Marysville) got a forfeit win at 165 pounds. Vanderhyde overwhelmed his opponent with a 23-11 major decision win at 174 pounds. Olivet earned its final nine team points when sophomore Aaron Sullenger (Alpena) tallied a first period pin in 1:02 at 197 pounds and Misko posted a 3-0 win at 285 pounds.

Against Concordia, Brew and Vanderhyde improved to 4-0 on the day with wins. Brew tallied his second straight 20-4 tech fall win, while Vanderhyde had his fourth straight major decision win (13-4). Misko also earned a major decision victory (16-5). Wilson posted his third win on the day with a 5-1 minor decision.

With today's split, the Comets will compete against Heidelberg (Ohio) College in the seventh-place match tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. CT.