Wrestling team wins 26-13 at Trine

ANGOLA, Ind. – The Olivet College wrestling team won 7-of-10 bouts and rolled to a 26-13 win over Trine (Ind.) University tonight at Hershey Hall in Angola, Ind. The Comets, ranked No. 7 in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) poll, improve their dual match record to 17-5, with the 17 wins being the most for a season since 1999-2000 when they won 20 matches.

The match started at 165 pounds, where sophomore Matt Willming (Chesterfield Twp./Anchor Bay) dropped a 5-2 decision. The Comets then won three straight matches by minor decision. Sophomore Connor Sharp (Schoolcraft) scored a takedown in the closing seconds to pull out a 4-3 win at 174 pounds.

Junior Josh Crawford (Birch Run) used an escape to start the third period and then a takedown halfway through the period to secure a 6-5 win at 184 pounds. Senior Justin Leonard (Webberville) won 5-0 at 197 pounds.

Junior Logan Renas (Big Rapids) kept the winning going with an 18-0 technical fall victory at 285 pounds and push Olivet's lead to 11 points, 14-3. Trine made the team score 14-9 when sophomore Henry McKeown (Bellevue/Olivet) was pinned during the second period of the 125-pound bout.

At 133 pounds, sophomore Robbie Bidlingmaier (Chesterfield Twp./Anchor Bay) got those six team points for Olivet back in a hurry, as he pinned his opponent with 1:19 left in the first period. Junior Kenny Richmond (Brighton) helped the Comets take 23-9 lead with an 8-2 win at 141 pounds.

Sophomore Gage Pederson (Hastings) capped Olivet's win with a 6-0 shutout decision at 149 pounds and make the score 26-9. Freshman Dan Fleet (Ada/Lowell) fell to Elias Larson, ranked No. 1 in the NWCA poll at 157 pounds, 14-0.

The Comets are off until next Tuesday, Feb. 7, when they host Alma College at 7 p.m.