Kyle Dake won his fourth Southern Scuffle championship when he edged Penn State’s David Taylor 3-2 in a highly anticipated match at 165 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Taylor put an effective ride on Dake in the second, racking up over a minute and a half of riding time. However, the Cornell wrestler was able to escape to take a 1-0 lead.

In the third, Taylor took the bottom position and got the reversal to pull ahead 2-1. The Nittany Lion then pushed riding time over a minute once again before Dake scored a reversal at the edge of the mat to take a 3-2 lead (a call that is currently being discussed around the wrestling community).  In order to preserve the advantage and get riding time under a minute, the Big Red wrestler had to ride Taylor out and while Taylor came close to an escape in the waning seconds, no further points were scored.

Dake wasn’t the only Cornell title winner. Mike Nevinger got things started for the Big Red when he won the championship at 141 pounds. The former Letchworth Central star earned a 3-2 decision over the Citadel’s Undrakhbayar Khishignyam. During the tournament, Nevinger outscored his opponents 25-7 and added a pin on his way to the title.

Nahshon Garrett continued his impressive freshman campaign with a third place finish at 125 pounds. The California native went 5-1 with four bonus points wins at the event.  (His loss was a 3-1 decision against Penn State national runner up Nico Megaludis). In his victories, Garrett outscored the opposition 68-11.

Also grabbing bronze was Duanesburg High graduate Nick Gwiazdowski of North Carolina State. He continued his strong redshirt season with a 5-1 mark at the Scuffle.

Army’s Connor Hanafee picked up a fifth place finish at 141 pounds when he topped Oklahoma State’s Julian Feikert, 7-4. Hanafee lost his opening bout and then bounced back with five consecutive victories in the consolations, including two in sudden victory, to get into the medal picture.

Cornell 149-pounder Chris Villalonga also collected fifth place honors despite injury defaulting in his consolation semifinal match.

Villalonga’s teammate Jace Bennett grabbed seventh at 197 pounds after a 9-3 win over Air Force’s Joshua Mohr. Bennett had five wins at the tournament. Four were by bonus points, including two pins and a technical fall. Marshall Peppelman placed eighth at 174 pounds for the Big Red.

At 133 pounds, future Big Red wrestler Mark Grey, who competes for the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club this year, made the podium when he defeated another New York-based grappler, Army’s Jordan Thome 2-0 in the seventh place match.  It was the second time Grey topped Thome during the event.

 

Here are the results for the Championship matches plus the other placement bouts for New York wrestlers.

Championship Matches

125 Pounds: Nico Megaludis (Penn State) decision Matt Snyder (Virginia), 8-4

133 Pounds: Jon Morrison (Oklahoma State) decision Chris Dardanes (Minnesota), 3-2

141 Pounds: Mike Nevinger (Cornell) decision Undrakhbayar Khishignyam (Citadel), 3-2

149 Pounds: Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) major Cole Von Ohlen (Air Force), 21-8

157 Pounds: Jedd Moore (Virginia) decision  James English (Penn State), 3-1

165 Pounds: Kyle Dake (Cornell) decision David Taylor (Penn State), 3-2

174 Pounds: Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) decision Logan Storley (Minnesota), 7-6

184 Pounds: Ed Ruth (Penn State) decision Steve Bosak, 7-3

197 Pounds: Quentin Wright (Penn State) pin Jake Meredith (Arizona State)

285 Pounds: Dom Bradley (Missouri) decision Tony Nelson (Minnesota), 2-1

 

Third Place Matches

125 Pounds: Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) major Josh Martinez (Air Force), 17-5

285 Pounds: Nick Gwiazdowski (Duanesburg HS, NC State) win by medical forfeit Alan Gelogaev, Oklahoma State

 

Fifth Place Matches

141 Pounds: Connor Hanafee (Army) decision Julian Feikert (Oklahoma State), 7-4

149 Pounds: Chris Villalonga (Cornell) win by medical forfeit over Dylan Ness (Minnesota)

 

Seventh Place Matches

133 Pounds: Mark Grey (Finger Lakes Wrestling Club) decision Jordan Thome (Army), 2-0

174 Pounds: Cody Walters (Ohio) decision Marshall Peppelman (Cornell), 4-1

197 Pounds: Jace Bennett (Cornell) decision Joshua Mohr (Air Force), 9-3