Wrestling Loses to No. 3 UPJ at Grapple at the Garden, 36-6
NEW YORK, N.Y. (Nov. 27, 2016) - On Sunday, the LIU Post wrestling team lost its first dual of the 2016-17 season, falling to No. 3 University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, 36-6, at the fifth-annual Grapple at the Garden at Madison Square Garden.
Freshman
Anthony Sparacio (North Babylon, N.Y.) got the Pioneers (1-1) out to a strong start at 125, earning a 5-2 decision over red-shirt freshman Zeke Beatty (Uniontown, Pa.) to stake his team to a 3-0 lead.
However, the Mountain Cats (5-0) reeled off seven straight victories after Sparacio's win to close the door on the match.
Senior
Vinny Turano (Wantagh, N.Y.) dropped a hard-fought 6-3 decision to freshman Chris Eddins (Greensburg, Pa.) at the 141-lb. discipline.
In the 174-lb. bout, sophomore
Dan Arkow (Merrick, N.Y.) fell 4-1 to senior John Blankenship (New Florence, Pa.), who entered the match as the ninth-ranked wrestler in the country at his weight class.
Freshman
Dan McClure (Westhampton Beach, N.Y.) grappled to a tightly-contested 11-7 loss against red-shirt freshman Levi Niebauer (Corrolltown, Pa.) at 184 lbs.
The green and gold's only other win on the day came at 197, where junior
Jake Horton (Medford, N.Y.) pulled out a 9-4 victory over sophomore Tyler Oliver (New Florence, Pa.).
Head Coach
Joe Patrovich and his LIU Post squad return to the mat on Friday (Dec. 2), when they face New York University at 7 p.m. at the Pratt Recreation Center in Brookville.
LIU Post 6, Pitt-Johnstown 36
125: Anthony Sparacio (LIU) def. Zeke Beatty (UPJ), 5-2
133: Nolan Link (UPJ) def.
Jack Gold (LIU) via pinfall (6:25)
141: Chris Eddins (UPJ) def.
Vinny Turano (LIU), 6-3
149: Cole Landowski (UPJ) def.
Jesse Meaney (LIU) via major decision, 8-0
157: Cody Law (UPJ) def.
Jackson Mordente (LIU) via technical fall, 26-11
165: Tyler Reinhart (UPJ) def.
Ed Ramirez, Jr. (LIU) via pinfall (1:31)
174: John Blankenship (UPJ) def.
Dan Arkow (LIU), 4-1
184: Levi Niebauer (UPJ) def.
Dan McClure (LIU), 11-7
197: Jake Horton (LIU) def. Tyler Oliver (UPJ), 9-4
285: Allan Beattie (UPJ) def.
Freddy Vidal (LIU) via injury default