Match Results
WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. (Jan. 30) – The Waynesburg wrestling team gave West Liberty State, the 12th-ranked team in Division II, all they could handle on Saturday night in a road dual match. The Yellow Jackets held a slim lead after eight bouts and seemed poised for an upset, before the Hilltoppers came back to grab a 21-16 win.
The match started with freshman 125-pounder Alex Crown picking up a win by forfeit that gave his team a 6-0 lead. After West Lib bounced back with a major decision win at 133, seniorAbdul Yusuff put together a terrific effort to beat Matt Cunningham by 9-0 major decision.
Leading 10-4, the Jackets got their biggest win of the night when sophomore 149-pounder Jesse Byerly beat West Liberty’s Mitch Smith by 6-5 decision. Smith came into the night with a 21-1 record, was ranked second in Division II at 149 and placed fourth at the Division II national championships last year. The win put the Jackets up 13-4.
The Hilltoppers battled back with three-straight victories at 157, 165 and 174 pounds to take their first lead at 15-13. However, junior 184-pounder Corbin Semple put the Orange and Black back ahead (16-15) thanks to an 8-1 decision over Derrick Williams. It was his seventh-straight win and his 20th victory of the year.
West Lib finished the night with back-to-back decision victories at 197 and 285 pounds to close out the night.
The Jackets return to the mats to face another highly ranked Division II program in Gannon for a road contest on Wednesday night.