BEREA, Ohio – Senior All-American Stanley Bleich (North Ridgeville/Elyria Catholic) won his 100th and 101st career matches both against top-three nationally-ranked opponents to lead the No. 6 nationally-ranked Baldwin Wallace University wrestling team to a pair of Ohio Athletic Conference victories against No. 3 nationally-ranked and crosstown rival John Carroll University and Otterbein University inside the Lou Higgins Center Fieldhouse.
BW (2-0, 2-0 OAC) opened the day with 50-0 shutout victory against Otterbein (0-2, 0-2 OAC). The Yellow Jackets closed out the day with a 26-16 come from behind victory against John Carroll (1-1, 1-1 OAC) in the third and final match of the afternoon. The Blue Streaks defeated the Cardinals in the second match of the day by a score of 36-13.
#6 BW vs Otterbein
The Yellow Jackets won all 10 matches for the shutout victory. Freshman 125-pounder David Panda (Columbia, Md./Atholton) got things started in a big way as he won his first collegiate match by pinfall in just one minute. Senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC 133-pounder Dante Ginetti (Poland/Seminary) won by forfeit. Sophomore 141-pounder Zachery Anderson (Elyria/Midview) pinned his opponent in 2:46. Senior All-OAC and Academic 149-pounder Tanner McHugh (New Ringgold, Pa./Tamaqua) earned a major decision by a score of 16-5. At 157 pounds, Bleich, who is the No. 3 nationally-ranked wrestler at 149 pounds, won a major decision by a score of 12-4 over the No. 1 nationally-ranked wrestler to secure his 100th win. Senior 165-pounder Ryan Orr (Wadsworth) picked up a 4-0 decision. Sophomore 174-pounder Joseph Koplow (Newbury/Kenston) won by pinfall in 2:22. Sophomore All-OAC 184 pounder Lucas Salmon (Sandusky/Perkins) won by pinfall in 4:18. Sophomore All-American 197 pounder Doug Byrne (Wickliffe), who is the No. 6 nationally-ranked wrestler at 184 pounds, won by pinfall in just 37 seconds. Sophomore 285-pounder Drew Levis (Elyria) won by a 4-0 decision for the shutout victory.
#6 BW vs #3 John Carroll
BW won six of 10 matches, including the final three to pick up the victory. Panda got things rolling for the Yellow Jackets as he won his second match of the day at 125 pounds with a 15-3 major decision. McHugh tied the match up at 9-9 when he won by a 20-7 technical fall at 149 pounds. Bleich picked up his second victory against a nationally-ranked opponent as he defeated the No. 3 nationally-ranked wrestler with a 3-1 decision at 157 pounds to regain the lead. After two JCU wins, BW took the lead for good as Salmon won by a 16-1 technical fall at 184 pounds. Byrne sealed the matched as he won by pinfall at 5:44. Levis closed out the match with a 3-2 decision.
The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Sunday, January 31 when it hosts OAC dual matches against Ohio Northern University and Wilmington College at 1 and 3 p.m. John Carroll will also make a return trip to Berea to face the Quakers at 1 p.m. and the Polar Bears at 3 p.m.
BW concludes the OAC regular season schedule when it travels to Alliance for dual matches against Heidelberg University and the No. 9 nationally-ranked University of Mount Union at 1 and 3 p.m. in the Peterson Fieldhouse inside the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex.
