SANDUSKY, Ohio – Senior All-American and two-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference 197-pounder Zeckary Lehman (Akron/Revere) claimed his 100th career victory as the No. 7 Nationally-Ranked Baldwin Wallace University wrestling team went 4-0, with one victory over a top-25 opponent, at the Kalahari Duals, hosted by Heidelberg University.
BW vs Defiance
BW (5-1, 1-1 OAC) got on the board with freshman 125-pounder Jack Stanley (Brecksville / Brecksville-Broadview Heights), who secured the opening bout with a forfeit to take a 6-0 lead. Junior 133-pounder Chad Craft (Dayton/Northmont) seized a 9-6 decision, giving BW an early 9-0. Senior All-American and Academic All-OAC 141-pounder Charlie Nash (Norwalk) grabbed a 20-4 technical fall to give the Yellow Jackets a 14-0 lead. Junior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC 149-pounder Tanner McHugh (New Ringgold, Pa./Tamaqua) handed his opponent a 9-4 decision to give BW a 17-0 lead. Junior two-time All-OAC and Academic All-OAC 157-pounder Stanley Bleich (North Ridgeville/Elyria Catholic) beat his opponent with a 17-7 major decision to give the Yellow Jackets a 21-0 lead. Senior All-OAC 174-pounder Benjamin Hooff (Worthingon/Thomas Worthington) claimed a 7-4 decision to take a 24-0 lead. Freshman 197-pounder Doug Byrne (Wickliffe) took down his opponent with a 16-1 technical fall. Sophomore heavyweight Jarod Miller (Greenville, Pa./Reynolds) secured the 39-3 victory over Defiance with an 11-0 major decision.
BW vs #25 Olivet (Mich.)
Stanley sealed a 3-0 decision in the opening bout and Craft claimed a 2:08 pin to give BW an early 9-0 lead. Hooff was the next Yellow Jacket victory at 165, and he grabbed a tight 4-3 decision to increase BW's lead to 15-7. Freshman 184-pounder Luke Salmon (Sandusky/Perkins) secured a 3-2 decision to give the Yellow Jackets an 18-10 advantage. Senior 197-pounder Lehman seized his 100th career victory with a 6-3 decision, giving BW a 21-10 lead. The Yellow Jackets defeated Olivet with a final of 21-13.
BW vs Adrian (Mich.)
Stanley won the first bout with a 15-5 major decision, giving the Yellow Jackets an initial 4-0 advantage. Craft followed with a 16-0 technical fall to extend the lead to 9-0. Nash won his bout with an 18-0 tech fall, to give BW a 14-0 advantage. McHugh managed a tight 3-2 decision to extend the Yellow Jacket lead to 17-0. Giving BW a 21-0 lead with an 18-5 major decision was Bleich. Hooff claimed a 9-5 decision to increase the Yellow Jacket lead to 24-0. Freshman 184-pounder Griffin Rathburn (New Albany/Bishop Hartley) reeled in a 3-2 decision to give BW a 27-3 lead. Lehman earned a 50-4 decision over the No. 7 Individually ranked, Devin Pringle, to extend the Yellow Jacket lead to 30-6. Adrian secured the final bout, but BW would come away with the 30-12 victory.
BW vs Wisonsin-Oshkosh (Wis.)
Stanley secured the first match with a 5-4 decision and Craft followed with a 16-0 tech fall to give the Yellow Jackets an 8-0 advantage. Nash extended the lead to 11-0 after a 4-2 decision. Mchugh won a 4-1 decision to give BW a 14-0 advantage. Increasing the lead to 18-0 was Bleich, who seized an 18-5 major decision. Junior 165-pounder Dalton Leightner (Ravenna/Rootstown) secured a 16-0 tech fall to extend the BW advantage to 23-0. Wisconsin-Oshkosh won the final four bouts, but it would not be enough as the Yellow Jackets closed the match with a final of 23-18.
BW is back in action on Sunday December 29 for the Citrus Invitational in Fort Lauderdale, Florida hosted by John Carroll University. Matches begin at 10 a.m.
