AU’s wrestling team lost to No. 25 Old Dominion University 20-15 to extend their losing streak to three in a row, despite victories by seniors Mike Cannon and Kyle Borshoff.
Old Dominion got off to a quick lead with two victories. First, ODU’s James Nicholson, who is No. 7 in the nation, defeated AU senior Jasen Borshoff, who is No. 16 in the nation. The match was in the 125-pound weight class and Nicholson won by a score of 4-3.
The next ODU victory was a major decision in the 133-pound class. Justin LaValle was able to defeat AU’s Thomas Williams by a score of 10-2. Old Dominion’s victory pushed them to a 7-0 lead.
AU was able to pick up its first win of the night in the 141-pound weight class. Redshirt senior Jordan Lipp defeated Craig Wilson by a score of 6-5. While it was not a major victory, it put AU on the board and made the score 7-3. The Eagles were able to follow Lipp’s win with another victory in the 149-pound weight class.
Nationally ranked No. 11 Kyle Borshoff extended his winning streak to 11 matches in a row and remains undefeated on the season. He recorded his fourth fall of the season with a victory over ODU’s Cam Watkins. It took just 3:59 seconds for Borshoff to win and he gave AU the lead 9-7.
Old Dominion came storming back however, taking the next three matches. First Joey Sheridan defeated AU’s Sean McCarty 8-2 in the 157-pound weight class. Then No. 13 Chris Brown of ODU recorded a technical fall against AU’s Tanner Shaffer, with a final score of 21-6. Finally, Eric Decker of Old Dominion defeated AU’s Phillip Barreiro by a score of 4-2.
The three-straight wins pushed ODU into the lead by a score of 17-9. Fortunately for the Eagles, the next match featured their star, and No. 4 in the nation, Mike Cannon. Cannon is undefeated in 2010 and he had 10 straight wins coming into the match. He got AU back in to the meet with a 9-3 victory over Joe Budi in the 184-pound weight class.
Despite cutting ODU’s lead to just five, the Eagles would split the next two matches to seal their fate. First national ranked No. 14 Jesse Strawn of Old Dominion defeated Kenneth Clessas 9-6. AU freshman Blake Herrin then defeated ODU’s Grant Chapman 7-3, but it was already too late for AU. The Eagles would get three points from the win and the final score would be 20-15.
With their third straight loss, AU moved to 4-4 on the season in dual meets. There is one more regular season meet before the EIWA Championships. AU’s next match will be Feb. 20 at Bucknell University.
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atomlinson@theeagleonline.com.
