Jan. 19, 2007
Ohio's Updated Statistics
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DEKALB, Ill. - The Ohio wrestling squad fell just shy of its second consecutive Mid-American Conference victory to open the season, dropping an 18-13 decision to Northern Illinois Friday.
"We had at least two matches that we not necessarily should have won, but maybe could have," Head Coach Joel Greenlee said. "Honestly, I think we kind of let one slip away from us tonight."
The Bobcats (11-4, 1-1) made vast strides compared to their meeting with the Huskies last season, when Northern Illinois came to Athens and earned a 29-9 win. Ohio made things considerably closer this time around.
Sophomore Terry Jackson (Uhrichsville, Ohio) got the ball rolling for the Bobcats with an 11-0, major decision win over Justin Metcalfe at 133 pounds. The win was Jackson's fifth consecutive as he moved his season record to 8-3.
"I thought Jackson did a great job," Greenlee said. "He worked hard and got a major decision."
Sophomore Albert Madsen (Strongsville, Ohio) followed Jackson's win with one of his own, a 10-7 win over Chad Vandiver. The win gave the Bobcats a 7-0 lead after two matches.
The Huskies responded by winning the next five matches of the event, but the wins did not come easy. Freshman Clay Tucker (Martins Ferry, Ohio) gave Northern Illinois' Mike Grimes all he could handle, but the end result was a 12-7 loss. Grimes entered the contest ranked first in the MAC at 149 pounds and ranked ninth in the country. Sophomore Jake Frerichs (Uniontown, Ohio) also battled at 157 but the outcome was also a loss, this time a 3-2 decision in overtime against Kalen Knull.
Northern Illinois went on to win the next three matches, all by minor decision outcomes. Sophomore Jacob Ison (Batavia, Ohio) gave ninth-ranked Johnny Galloway a run for his money but fell by a score of 5-2.
After losses at 174 and 184, sophomore Larry Reichard (New Albany, Ohio) brought the Bobcats to within five points at 15-10 with a 4-2 victory over Nick McClone. The win was Reichard's fifth consecutive victory as he improved to 15-9 on the season.
Senior Marcus Adelman (Batavia, Ohio) continued his hot streak as he took down the Huskies' David Benner by a score of 2-0. The win was Adelman's fifth straight as he cut the Northern Illinois lead to 15-13. Adelman moved to 12-7 on the season with the win.
"(Adelman) is starting to get a little confidence," Greenlee said. "Last season he was banged up a little with injuries but now he is gaining his confidence back."
With just one match remaining, the dual meet came down to the 125 pound weight class. Ohio freshman Seth Morton (Canal Winchester, Ohio) had his hands full with junior Pat Castillo, the ninth-ranked wrestler in the country at 125 pounds. Morton battled until the end, but eventually fell by a score of 8-6.
"Morton wrestled his tail off tonight," Greenlee said. "In the end he lost, but he wrestled great."
The Bobcats have just one day off before three more dual meets Sunday at the Wendy's Big Classic Duals hosted by Ashland University. Ohio will take on Appalachian State at 10:00 a.m., Ohio State at noon and Cleveland State at 4:00 p.m.
Northern Illinois 18, Ohio 13
125: Pat Castillo (NIU) dec. Seth Morton (Ohio), 8-6
133: Terry Jackson (Ohio) maj. dec. Justin Metcalfe (NIU), 11-0
141: Albert Madsen (Ohio) dec. Chad Vandiver (NIU), 10-7
149: #9 Mike Grimes (NIU) dec. Clay Tucker (Ohio), 12-7
157: Kalen Knull (NIU) dec. Jake Frerichs (Ohio), 3-2 (OT)
165: #9 Johnny Galloway (NIU) dec. Jacob Ison (Ohio), 5-2
174: Danny Burk (NIU) dec. Antione Love (Ohio), 8-3
184: #16 Duke Burk (NIU) dec. Nick Terbay (Ohio), 11-4
197: Larry Reichard (Ohio) dec. Nick McClone (NIU), 4-2
HWT: Marcus Adelman (Ohio) dec. David Benner (NIU), 2-0
