Feb. 20, 2009
ATHENS, Ohio - After falling behind early, Ohio came back to win six of the last seven bouts to defeat Mid-American Conference rival Eastern Michigan, 21-12, and earn its third league victory of the season in The Convo Friday night. The Bobcats (9-8-1, 3-1 MAC) dominated the final three matches against the Eagles (7-11, 1-4 MAC), scoring three consecutive major decisions to close out the dual.
Beginning at 197 pounds, sophomore Chris Iammarino (Lyndhurst, Ohio) took EMU’s John McClure to overtime but suffered a takedown to lose by sudden victory, 5-3. Another tight match at heavyweight followed, as redshirt freshman Justin Powell (Youngstown, Ohio) battled David Wade tooth and nail but dropped a 5-2 decision, as the Eagles jumped out to a 6-0 lead.
At 125 pounds, EMU won its third-straight bout with a 9-5 decision by Chris Jenkins over freshman Tim Silvers (Eaton, Ohio). Jenkins scored a takedown and near fall in the first period and never let up, dropping Silvers to 9-18 on the year.
Ohio roared back, however, as redshirt sophomore Quentin Keyes (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) took Sean Clair to overtime in a low-scoring match and pulled out the win with a takedown to win by sudden victory, 4-2. Keyes improved to 16-11 on the season, while Clair fell to 11-10.
In another tight match, sophomore Germane Lindsey (Cincinnati, Ohio) was tied, 4-4, after the first period against David Pienaar in the 141-pound bout, then scored an escape in the second and a takedown in the third to earn a 7-6 decision, pulling the Bobcats closer to the Eagles, only down 9-6. Lindsey moved to 9-6 on the season and Pienaar dropped to 15-9.
149 pounds saw another match go to overtime, as junior Seth Morton (Canal Winchester, Ohio) and J.J. Johnson were tied at three at the end of regulation. Johnson scored a takedown as time expired in the first sudden victory period to win, 5-3. Johnson now owns an 18-9 season mark, while Morton stands at 13-11.
Down 12-6, Ohio reeled off wins in the final four bouts, starting with redshirt junior Clay Tucker (Martins Ferry, Ohio) against EMU’s Josh Moulton. Tucker dominated the first two periods and went on to win a 7-4 decision, moving Ohio to within three points of the Eagles. Tucker earned his team-leading 19th win, while Moulton fell to 15-14 on the year.
The Bobcats would take the lead for the first time of the night when redshirt freshman Tommy Weinkam (Cincinnati, Ohio) earned a shutout major decision, 8-0, over Nick Hendrick. Weinkam controlled the entire match and picked up his 11th win of the season. His victory set the tone for the remainder of the dual, as Ohio took a 13-12 lead that it never relinquished.
Nick Purdue (Genoa, Ohio), another redshirt freshman, followed Weinkam at 174 and continued the momentum, defeating senior Don Funk by major decision, 13-1, also in dominating fashion. Purdue improved to 17-10 on the season, second on the team in wins.
In the final bout, Ohio slammed the door shut as sophomore Erik Schuth (Spencerport, N.Y.) almost never let redshirt freshman Tommy St. Louis off the mat, winning a 13-1 major decision for his seventh win in his last eight matches. Schuth is now 11-4 on the year at 184 pounds.
The Bobcats are tied for second in the conference with No. 7 Central Michigan (16-3-1, 3-1 MAC), whom the Bobcats face on Sunday to finish the regular season. Kent State clinched the league title and a 5-0 sweep with an upset of the Chippewas Thursday night.
The showdown with CMU kicks off at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 22 in The Convo. Fans unable to attend can view live stats of the match here.
Ohio 21, Eastern Michigan 12
125: Chris Jenkins (EMU) dec. Tim Silvers (Ohio), 9-5
133: Quentin Keyes (Ohio) dec. Sean Clair (EMU), 4-2 OT
141: Germane Lindsey (Ohio) dec. David Pienaar (EMU), 7-6
149: J.J. Johnson (EMU) dec. Seth Morton (Ohio), 5-3 OT
157: Clay Tucker (Ohio) dec. Josh Moulton (EMU), 7-4
165: Tommy Weinkam (Ohio) major dec. Nick Hendrick (EMU), 8-0
174: Nick Purdue (Ohio) major dec. Don Funk (EMU), 13-1
184: Erik Schuth (Ohio) major dec. Tommy St. Louis (EMU), 13-1
197: John McClure (EMU) dec. Chris Iammarino (Ohio), 5-3 OT
285: David Wade (EMU) dec. Justin Powell (Ohio), 5-2
