The Elizabethtown College wrestling team came into Saturday’s East/West Duals at Messiah College with three wins on the season. The Blue Jays fought hard enough to earn a victory at the Duals, but they faced stiff competition in all three matches.
In the team’s first match of the day, they faced 27th ranked Thiel College out of Greenville, Pa. First-year Chris Kummerer gave the Blue Jays an early one-point lead at 7-6 after his 12-3 major decision at 149 pounds. Junior Chad Lammer put Etown in position to take the lead after his 7-3 decision at 141 pounds.
Senior Zeke Zimmer earned his 20th victory of the season with a 10-8 decision, and sophomore Luke Fernandez’s 5-2 win at 184 pounds tied the match at 13 with two matches to go. Thiel wrapped up the win, 23-13, with a major decision at 197 and the only pin of the match at 285.
Etown faced number 23 Waynesburg Univesity in their second match of the day. The Yellow Jackets began the match with back-to-back pins and held a 12-0 lead before Lammer earned his second win of the day with a 9-4 decision at 141 pounds.
Waynesburg won the next three decisions and took a commanding 25-3 lead into the 174 pound bout. Zimmer won his match at 174 pounds, 10-1 to cut the deficit to 18. For the second match in a row, Fernandez followed Zimmer’s victory with a victory of his own at 184 pounds. Fernandez’s 17-3 major decision was the last win for the Blue Jays against Waynesburg. The Yellow Jackets defeated Etown 35-11.
In the Blue Jays’ final match of the day, they faced off against Washington & Jefferson College. Etown jumped out in front with a major decision at 125 pounds from first-year Philip Torresani. Washington & Jefferson used a pin to take a 6-4 advantage after the second match.
Lammer completed his undefeated afternoon with his third victory at 141 pounds. Kummerer earned his second victory of the day via forfeit, as the Blue Jays took a 13-6 lead over the Presidents. Washington & Lee earned three straight victories at 157, 165 and 174 pounds to take an 18-13 lead over the Blue Jays with three matches left.
Fernandez won his match at 184 pounds via forfeit to help Etown regain the lead at 19-18, however, the Presidents would take the last two matches and win the match 25-19.
The Blue Jays finished the day with three losses, but Lammer and Fernandez both went unbeaten in their respective weight classes. Zimmer and Kummerer both finished the day with two wins each.
Etown will take off this weekend and return to action Friday, Jan. 30 in Wheaton, Ill. at the Pete Willson-Wheaton Invitational.
