Rutgers Wrestling Bows to Navy, 18-13
Jan 11 | Wrestling
RU was without two key starters - Marc Rosenfeld (Brick, NJ) and Greg Austin (Seaville, NJ) - for the third-consecutive competition. Freshman Shaun Sehar (Harrisburg, PA) fell to Sam Gray at 125, 7-3, to open the match, but sophomore Andrew Tilles (Devon, PA) countered with an 8-6 win at 133 to even the match score, 3-3. At that point, Navy won four in a row; culminating in a 8-3 win by Frank Edwards over Chris Ressa (Andover, NJ) at 165.
Facing a 15-3 deficit with four matches to go, RU fought back to win at 174, as Andy Roy (Wall, NJ) dominated Andrew Hemminger, 10-1, and Rudy Medini (Colonia, NJ) held off Travis Manion, 8-4, to cut the lead to 15-9 with two matches remaining.
At 197, senior Ryan McGrath (Columbia, NJ) scored a 3-1, overtime victory over Jim Letchford to cut the lead to 15-13 heading into the final match. Senior Frank Sabatino (Hazlet, NJ) was scheduled to face Steve Kovach, ranked as high as seventh nationally in the final and deciding match, but Kovach (out for the year with torn knee ligaments) was replaced by John Blackford, wrestling his first-ever dual meet, who beat Sabatino, 5-4, to secure the team victory for Navy.
Rutgers returns to action on Saturday, February 18, when it travels to Lancaster, PA for a tri-meet with Franklin & Marshall and Wagner College. RU will then return home on Wednesday, January 22 for a dual match vs. instate rival Rider University.
Navy 18, Rutgers 13
125- Sam Gray (N) dec. Shaun Sehar (RU), 7-3
133- Andrew Tilles (RU) dec. Mike Simon (N), 8-6
141- Nate Gulosh (N) dec. Jon Rodriquez (RU), 8-1
149- Pat Lukanich (N) dec. Gene Zannetti (RU), 6-1
157- Michael Carbonaro (N) dec. Amir Khan (RU), 5-3
165- Frank Edwards (N) dec. Chris Ressa (RU), 8-3
174- Andrew Roy (RU) maj. dec. Andrew Hemminger (N), 10-1
184- Rudy Medini (RU) dec. Travis Manion (N), 8-4
197- Ryan McGrath (RU) dec. Jim Letchford (N), 3-1; ot
HWT- John Blackford (N) dec. Frank Sabatino (RU), 5-4
