BOONE, N.C. — App State Wrestling completed a busy week with a doubleheader split Sunday in Varsity Gym, as the Mountaineers won 38-6 in a SoCon dual against Bellarmine and lost 36-6 against No. 9 Cornell.
Unofficially ranked No. 26 in the NWCA Coaches Poll as the top team in the others receiving votes category, App State (9-4, 6-1 SoCon) won the first nine matches against Bellarmine (13-5, 3-4) before the Knights received six points via an injury default in the final match.
Ethan Oakley (133 pounds) and
Will Miller (165 pounds) capped 2-0 days by flirting with bonus points in decisive decisions against the Big Red (11-4).
With two matches apiece on Thursday and Sunday, the Mountaineers went 3-0 in SoCon duals with one nonconference loss over a span of about 74 hours. They close the regular season next Sunday at home against Gardner-Webb and host the SoCon Championship tournament on Saturday, March 9 at the Holmes Center.
Oakley led 3-1 after one period against Cornell's Ethan Qureshi and had two takedowns in the third period of a 10-4 decision. Miller led 7-0 entering the third period against Brody Oleksak and increased the lead to 10-1 (with the riding time point clinched) before settling for an 11-5 decision.
Ike Byers,
Jeremiah Price (making his dual debut) and
Luke Uliano dropped decisions against Cornell, which finished with four bonus-point wins and one victory via a forfeit.
Against Bellarmine, a second-period pin from
Carson Floyd at 197 highlighted six bonus-point victories from the Mountaineers. Byers, Uliano,
Chad Bellis,
Cody Bond and
Tomas Brooker also earned bonus points.
Bond fell behind 7-2 in the first period before scoring 19 straight points in a 22-8 major decision, as he turned a 7-3 deficit into a 9-7 lead against Zac Cowan during a second-period rideout that included a pair of three-point near falls in the last 30 seconds of the period.
Anthony Conetta improved to 2-0 in his dual career and 1-0 in SoCon duals with a 1-0 victory decided by a third-period escape against Gray Ortis in the next match at 157 pounds, and Miller won a 3-1 decision against Grant O'Dell at 165. O'Dell brought a 25-5 overall record to Boone, including a 13-5 record against NCAA competition and 5-1 mark in SoCon duals.
The Knights, who aren't eligible to compete at the SoCon Championship tournament as they complete their four-year Division I transition, started the season with a 13-0 record that included eight wins against non-NCAA programs. That winning streak included a 3-0 start to the SoCon schedule, with victories against Presbyterian, Gardner-Webb and Davidson.
The 2023-24 season is presented by Hungry Howie's and Penn Station.
#26 App State 38, Bellarmine 6
125: Chad
Bellis (APP) def. Damion Ryan (BU), 18-2 tech fall
133: #27
Ethan Oakley (APP) def. Trayce
Eckman (BU), 10-3 dec.
141:
Ike Byers (APP) def. Chase Hall (BU), 14-2 maj. dec.
149: #21
Cody Bond (APP) def. Zac Cowan (BU), 22-8 maj. dec.
157:
Anthony Conetta (APP) def. Gray Ortis (BU), 1-0 dec.
165: #22
Will Miller (APP) def. Grant O'Dell (BU), 3-1 dec.
174:
Luke Uliano (APP) def. Cole Nance (BU), 21-4 tech fall
184:
Tomas Brooker (APP) def. Sam Schroeder (BU), 17-1 tech fall
197:
Carson Floyd (APP) def. Justin Hoffer (BU), fall (4:15)
HWT: Thadd Huff (BU) def.
Jacob Sartorio (APP), injury default
#9 Cornell 36, #26 App State 6
125: #15 Brett Ungar (CU) def. Chad
Bellis (APP), 15-0 tech fall (4:52)
133: #27
Ethan Oakley (APP) def. Ethan Qureshi (CU), 10-4 dec.
141: Josh Saunders (CU) def.
Ike Byers (APP), 5-3 dec.
149: #20 Ethan Fernandez (CU) def.
Jeremiah Price (APP), 11-5 dec.
157: #7 Meyer Shapiro (CU) def. #19
Tommy Askey (APP), 20-4 tech fall
165: #22
Will Miller (APP) def. Brody Oleksak (CU), 11-5 dec.
174: Benny Baker (CU) def.
Luke Uliano (APP), 13-7 dec.
184: #6 Chris Foca (CU) def.
Tomas Brooker (APP), fall (1:07)
197: #7 Jacob Cardenas (CU) def.
Carson Floyd (APP), 15-0 tech fall
HWT: Ashton Davis (CU) won by forfeit
Attendance: 526
