American University’s wrestling team’s first meet of the year ended in a 20-12 team loss to the Big 10 Michigan State Spartans on Nov. 2.
Fans were also treated to a new hospitality area in Bender Arena that served wine, beer and alcoholic seltzers to patrons 21 years or older — in addition to normal concessions.
The meet day began with a belated honoring of Hispanic Heritage Month. Celebrations included a Mariachi band rendition of the national anthem and special “Vamos Eagles!” T-shirts being thrown out into the bleachers by wrestlers to fans during weight-class announcements. At match intermission, the Capoeira DC martial arts dance group performed.
“I was really impressed with the energy… home field advantage is a real thing if your fans come out and are loud,” head coach Jason Borrelli said about fan involvement and events at the meet.
American’s wrestlers experienced that energy early-on as the first bout of the day in the 125-weight class ended in an exciting close 18-17 victory for redshirt Eagle freshman Coen Bainey. The win was Bainey’s first college wrestling match.
Bainey started the first period with 2 quick takedowns, and he never lost the intensity as Spartan redshirt freshman Caleb Weiand fought back, forcing a points tie at the end of the third period. With one point added for Bainey’s control of the riding time, AU took the win by decision and gained 3 team points to open the scoring.
“To go from about to pin a kid to all of the sudden you’re fighting to get your hand raised… for him to figure that out and score eighteen points in his [first] college match; that’s a positive for me,” Borelli said.
Michigan State struck back quickly to tie, the team scoring with a Spartan victory in the 133-pound weight class. Eagles senior Shamil Kalmatov was unable to get a point in a low-scoring 0-2 victory by escape and riding time for Spartan redshirt junior Andy Hampton.
At the first timeout, fans were treated to an AU wrestling rendition of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” in light of a raffle giveaway during the meet for an AU student to win two tickets to Carey’s “Christmas Time” concert at Capital One Arena on Dec. 1.
After fans’ laughter subsided, Eagles senior Jack Maida quickly took control of his 141-weight class bout with MSU redshirt freshmen Jaden Crumpler, achieving a 3-point takedown to open the match. Maida kept control of his opponent, adding to the riding time until Crumpler managed a 1-point escape at the end of the first period. American had the choice of starting position into the second period of the bout, and Maida smartly chose the down position to gain a 2-point reversal when he switched Crumpler’s hold. While Crumpler gained a reversal himself in the third period, Maida won the bout by a 6-4 decision.
However, American’s lead in team scoring of 6-3 would be their only lead of the day as the Spartans secured wins in the 149 and 157-pound weight classes.
Redshirt freshman Gage Owens in the 149-weight class and redshirt senior Jack Nies in the 157-weight class both were unable to come up with the points needed to win after their respective hard-fought battles. Owens managed a buzzer-beater 3-point takedown at the end of his bout with MSU redshirt freshman Clayton Jones, but it was not enough as Jones controlled the riding time and won by decision with the riding time point.
In the 165-pound weight class, Eagle redshirt freshman Kaden Milheim battled Spartan redshirt senior DJ Shannon and gave American’s crowd something to cheer for as a quick spin of limbs in the second period resulted in a 3-point takedown and Milheim stacking up riding time. Shannon warred back, getting an escape and reversal while gaining control of the riding time advantage in the beginning of the third period. Milheim regained control at the end of the bout with another escape and takedown, leading to his 7-3 win by decision.
American’s wrestlers came out of intermission less successful than the previous weight class matches. Redshirt sophomore Caleb Campos, senior Lucas White, and redshirt sophomore Liam Volk-Klos were each unable to add to team scoring victories with their defeats in the 174, 184 and 197 weight class matches.
While ultimately beaten, Campos’ duel with Spartan Ceasar Garza showed grit in avoiding a larger gap in scoring that would result in a win by major decision – which would have given the Spartans four points instead of the three points awarded by a normal decision win.
“He scored a last takedown to make it 17 to 12 and to cut into the dent a little bit, and only give up three points for the team instead of giving up four,” Borelli said. “And in a tight duel, that matters a lot.”
The only loss not by decision in the entire meet was Volk-Klos’ 21-6 loss to a technical fall to MSU redshirt freshman Remy Cotton.
In the final bout of the day, AU graduate student Will Jarrell gained the win in the heavyweight class bout. After no-scoring in the first period, Jarrell opened the second with an escape and a leg-sweep for the 3-point takedown against his opponent, redshirt freshman Max Vanadia.
While Jarell held control of his opponent for the majority of the period, Vanadia managed a 2-point escape to bring the duel close going into the third period. Bender Arena swelled with anticipatory applause as the third and final period began. Vanadia gained a 2-point reversal and began to chew at Jarrell’s riding time deficit, until Jarrell broke the hold on his hands to gain an escape point and stop Vanadia’s gain of riding time at the end of the time. With a point added for his advantage of riding time, Jarrell won by a 6-4 decision to close the meet.
“We showed some toughness and grittiness to figure out how to win, but now we’ve got to work on technique,” Borelli said, “The theme of the day was we didn’t finish well and also we weren’t very good on the mat. I feel like Michigan State exposed us a little bit in the top, bottom position… and we got to get better there.”
American’s wrestlers will travel to Maryland for their third match of the season on Nov. 16 against the University of Maryland Terrapins after their second match against the Clarion Golden Eagles at Bender on Nov. 10.
This article was edited by Connor Sturniolo, Delaney Hoke and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks and Nicole Kariuki.
