Columbia
Dual
JAN 13 -
Guilderland is forced to forfeit four matches, but wins seven of 11
matches in a
26 - 46 loss against Suburban Council rival, Columbia. While the
Dutchmen struggle to field a full lineup, team members have been looking
strong and showing constant improvement.
The night's matchup began at 171 lbs, and featured Senior Captain Eugene
Sellie returning from a lengthy illness. Despite missing over a
week in the practice room, Sellie looked dominant in a 10 - 2 victory
over his opponent, giving the Dutchmen their only lead of the evening.
Heavyweight, Kevin McCarthy, put points on the board for the team after
a 9 - 6 battle at 285. McCarthy continues to improve and is
showing promise as a Section II contender. McCarthy was followed
by eighth grader, Michael Lainhart, who notched a 5 - 2 win at 96 lbs.
Lainhart is also looking to make a run at the Section II tournament in
February.
Beginning at 119, the Dutchmen put together a cluster of wins, bringing
the team score within only a few points of even. Kevin Bates got
the action started with a solid 13 -2 win to secure the major decision.
Travis Wolanski pinned his opponent at 130 lbs, as he closes in on the
100th win of his career. We could expect Travis to reach the
milestone this weekend at the Middletown Tournament. Wolanski's
pin was followed by another major at 140 lbs, where Senior Captain Ben
Moon owned the mat and a
13 - 3 decision.
With the team score in the books
and a forfeit still to come, it seemed that there would be no real
highlight to the evening, until Christian Kernozek's 152 lb matchup
proved otherwise. With a small but comfortable lead in the third
period, Kernozek looked to clinch the win with one more takedown.
Both he and his opponent lowered their levels and collided head first,
causing Kernozek to come up from the mat with a gash over his left eye.
The wound appeared to be significant, as it was pouring blood and
hindering Kernozek's vision. However, the 152 lber requested that
he be allowed to finish the match, so the wound was temporarily sealed
in order to resume action. Kernozek not only finished the match,
but scored another takedown in the process before heading to the
emergency room for stitches. Congratulations to Christian,
tonight's Dutchmen Award Winner, and to the rest of the team, who all
continue to wrestle tough in the face of adversity.
KMM
