The wrestling team, now ranked second in the country, continued its winning ways Dec. 9, dispatching the Rochester Institute of Technology in the RIT Dual 31–6 and improving its overall record to 3–1 on the season.
The Bombers, riding high off their win at the Spartan Invitational meet Dec. 5 in York, Pennsylvania, got things rolling right off the bat, with freshman Ferdinand Mase taking down RIT sophomore Andrew Flanagan in the 125-pound weight class in the night’s first match 7–2.
The featured match of the night saw Ithaca junior captain Jimmy Kaishian face off against RIT junior Jake Sepor.
After racing out to an early 2-0 lead, Kaishian fell behind when Sepor rallied with two reversals and a near takedown near the end of the first period. Collecting himself during the break, Kaishian came out with more intensity and with three swift takedowns, extending his lead to 8–3.
Despite Sepor’s late takedown in the second period, Kaishian, who is ranked fifth in the nation in the 133-pound weight class, was able to hang on for the 8–5 victory.
Sophomore Nick Velez, also ranked fifth in the country in his weight class, won his match over RIT freshman John Donohue 10–9 in the 165-pound weight class. Donohue did, however, make the match intriguing, turning a 10–4 deficit late in the final period with quick takedowns and points off stalling calls to make the match a respectable 10-9 final.
RIT sophomore Sam Weinger was one of the few bright spots for RIT, winning his 14th fourteenth match of the season in a 9–4 win over junior Joe Sprung at 285-pounds.
Although Sprung never led, he did manage to bring the score from 5–1 to 5–4 with an impressive display of power and athleticism before Weinger got a late escape and takedown to secure the victory.
Sophomore Jaison White won by major decision, and scored the most points by a Bomber Wednesday night, in the 174-pound match, defeating RIT freshman McKenzie Callahan 19–9.
The match was just RIT’s second of the year, and the loss drops their record to an even 1–1 on the season.
The Blue and Gold conclude their action for the fall semester against SUNY Oswego at noon Dec. 12 in Ben Light Gymnasium.
