CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland State University wrestling team hosted its first dual of the season Friday afternoon, but it came up short to visiting Lock Haven, 35-9, in Eastern Wrestling League action inside Woodling Gymnasium.
Sophomore Evan Cheek and redshirt junior Nick Corba both picked up bonus-point victories to lead the CSU cause.
"We wrestled hard," head coach Ben Stehura said. "The guys gave good effort, but we just gave up too many points on the mat. I thought we wrestled really well on our feet and on top, but we're young, and we need to continue to work out of the bottom position, and that was the difference today."
The dual started at 125 pounds where redshirt junior John Martin put up a tough fight but eventually fell to Lock Haven's Jake Field. After a scoreless first period, Field took a 3-0 lead in the second stanza and would hold on to claim a 4-1 win.
With CSU trailing, 8-0, after the first two weight classes, Cheek tried to get momentum back with the hosts. After falling behind, 2-0, in the first period, Cheek posted an escape and a takedown to hold a one-point edge after the opening three minutes. He notched another escape and takedown in the second to take a four-point lead into the third period. Cheek used a pair of takedowns, a point for his opponent stalling and a point for riding time to wrap up a major decision win.
Senior Nick Montgomery used a pair of first-period takedowns at 149 to open up an early 4-1 lead, but he was not able to hold on.
After a CSU setback at 157 pounds, sophomore John Vaughn suffered a tough loss at 165. After a scoreless first period, Vaughn used a second-period takedown to take a 2-0 lead entering the final frame. Jared Siegrist of Lock Haven would respond in the final period and came away with a 4-3 win, due in part to a stalling call on the Vikings.
Lock Haven kept its winning ways going at 174 pounds before Corba could break the Bald Eagles' streak.
Corba used a takedown and four near fall points to take a 6-0 lead after one period. He produced another takedown in the second period before twice being awarded with near fall points to end the match via technical fall before it reached the five-minute mark.
CSU dropped the final two bouts of the dual to set the final margin.
Cheek moved his team-leading win total to 17 on the season, and he now has 13 bonus-point wins. Corba improved his record to 13-6 on the season. He now has there victories each from falls, technical falls and major decisions.
Cleveland State will remain at home in EWL action as it hosts Bloomsbury next Friday, Feb. 3.
Friday's dual was initially scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 26, but the dual was postponed one day when Lock Haven had transportation issues en route to Cleveland.
Lock Haven 35, Cleveland State 9
125: Jake Field (LHU) over John Martin (CSU) - 4-1 dec. | LHU leads, 3-0
133: DJ Fehlman (LHU) over Spencer Dusi (CSU) - 16-0 TF 4:55 | LHU leads, 8-0
141: Evan Cheek (CSU) over Lewis Williams (LHU) - 11-3 MD | LHU leads, 8-4
149: Kyle Shoop (LHU) over Nick Montgomery (CSU) - 20-4 TF 4:22 | LHU leads, 13-4
157: Jonathan Ross (LHU) over Grant Turnmire (CSU) - 9-0 MD | LHU leads, 17-4
165: Jared Siegrist (LHU) over John Vaughn (CSU) - 4-3 dec. | LHU leads, 20-4
174: Adam Mackie (LHU) over Devon Pingel (CSU) - Fall 2:02 | LHU leads, 26-4
184: Nick Corba (CSU) over Gavin Caprio (LHU) - 15-0 TF 4:55 | LHU leads, 26-9
197: Tristan Sponseller (LHU) over Collin Kelly (CSU) - 12-0 MD | LHU leads, 30-9
285: Thomas Haines (LHU) over Michael Furbee (CSU) - 18-1 TF 4:27 | LHU wins, 35-9