Wrestling Marches Past Mount Union in Compelling OAC Dual

2/8/2022 9:37:00 PM | By: Joe Ginley '16, SID

Jesse Kanatzar's win at 195 ensured a JCU victory.

ALLIANCE, Ohio -- In the final dual meet of the 2021-22 campaign, John Carroll Wrestling emerged victorious with a satisfying conquest of a familiar foe.

Facing off against a Mount Union team that's skyrocketed up to ninth in the NWCA's Tournament Team Rankings, the Blue Streaks scuffled at first. Three veteran wrestlers suffered defeats, but the men of Mark Hawald did not panic.

Rather, the Blue Streaks conquered seven of the next eight bouts for a win over the Purple Raiders. The triumph marks the program's first over Mount Union since February 16, 2016, as Mount Union had won 11 of the last 12 duals between the two teams. Tonight's win showcased the depth and resilency of the Blue Streaks, ranked No. 22 in the NWCA's Dual Team Rankings and No. 25 in the NWCA's Tournament Team Rankings. JCU finishes with a 7-2 dual record, 6-1 vs. Ohio Athletic Conference foes.

#22 John Carroll 21, Mount Union 13
February 8, 2022 – McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex – Alliance, Ohio

125: #7 Jack Stanley (UMU) over Kyle Murray (JCU) (Dec 5-0) 3-0 UMU
133: #8 David Massey (UMU) over #4 Andrew Perelka (JCU) (Dec 6-2) 6-0 UMU
141: #2 Jordin James (UMU) over #10 Jarrod Brezovec (JCU) (MD 14-5) 10-0 UMU
149: Kale Buckiso (JCU) over #5 Luke Hernandez (Mount Union) (Dec 7-6) 10-3 UMU
157: #14 Luke Reicosky (JCU) over Jeff Dunfee (UMU) (Dec 2-1) 10-6 UMU
165: #13 Patrick McGraw (JCU) over Chris Anderson (UMU) (Dec 6-3) 10-9 UMU
174: Stefan Farian (JCU) over Alex Carrother (UMU) (Dec 6-4) 12-10 JCU
184: George Lassnick (UMU) over Anthony Rizzo (JCU) (Dec 8-7) 13-12 UMU
197: Jesse Kanatzar (JCU) over Warren Gentile (UMU) (Dec 8-4) 15-13 JCU
285: Connor Bizjak (JCU) over Unknown (For.) 21-13 JCU

HIGHLIGHTS:

149: Kale Buckiso righted the ship after a rough start for the Blue Streaks. Tough defeats to two ranked Purple Raiders set JCU back 10-0 before Buckiso got the Blue Streaks on the board. The youngster paired up with No. 5 Luke Hernandez, a 2019 All-American. Buckiso didn't disappoint. The Jefferson Hills, PA native found himself in a slight hole after the first, 2-1, due to an early takedown. Buckiso surrendered an escape and takedown before getting the points back before period's end. Buckiso opened the third with an escape and then delivered a clutch takedown with 45 seconds to go. While he allowed an escape, Buckiso did not cede any more points, preserving a monumental 7-6 victory.

157: Luke Reicosky persevered in a very defensive affair. His foe got a second-period escape, and Reicosky managed a 1-pointer to start the third. A penalty point provided the difference in this very narrow 2-1 matchup.

165: Patrick McGraw demonstrated why he's ranked 13th in the country with a 6-3 decision. The Saint Ignatius product gave up a takedown to start, but responded in kind to the tune of a 4-2 lead after the first. His opponent managed an escape in the second period, but McGraw got it back in the third, enough for a 6-3 win.

174: Stefan Farian stepped up in a huge way with a colossal win. No. 14 Daniel Devera was originally on the projected lineup, but Farian had to step in. The Richfield native performed admirably, snatching a first-period takedown and snagging a third-period takedown that proved to be the difference in a 6-4 conquest.

197: Jesse Kanatzar provided the knockout blow for JCU in this one. Despite JCU winning four straight bouts, the dual was in jeopardy after a loss at 184. In stepped Kanatzar to save the day. At minimum, the freshman needed to avoid a pin to ensure JCU didn't lose. John Carroll enjoyed a baked-in advantage of a 6-point forfeit at 285. The Tallmadge grad didn't wrestle over-anxiously, bursting out of the gates for a 4-0 lead after the first. His opponent made things interesting in the third with a takedown, but Kanatzar did his job well with an 8-4 decision.

UP NEXT

The Blue Streaks will host the John Carroll Open on Sunday. The final competition of the regular season will provide a chance for the team's youngsters to gain experience before the end of the season. Regionals loom not far in the distance for the Blue Streaks in the last week of February.

Print Friendly Version

Related Videos

Related Stories

Sponsors