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Ohio State dominates Virginia wrestling, 30-7

No. 4 Buckeyes jump all over No. 10 Cavaliers before Sulzer puts Virginia on scoreboard

<p>No. 2 senior Nick Sulzer was a bright spot in the loss, Virginia's first at home since Nov. 27, 2011. He overwhelmed Ohio State sophomore Justin Kresevic for a 23-8 technical fall. </p>

No. 2 senior Nick Sulzer was a bright spot in the loss, Virginia's first at home since Nov. 27, 2011. He overwhelmed Ohio State sophomore Justin Kresevic for a 23-8 technical fall. 

Nationally-ranked programs clashed Monday night at John Paul Jones Arena. No. 4 Ohio State — perhaps motivated by its defeat at the hands of No. 10 Virginia Tech Sunday — entered the bout on a mission to reverse its misfortunes, overwhelming ninth-ranked Virginia 30-7.

“I could either let pride sink in and be embarrassed by this or I could be thankful,” coach Steve Garland said. “I’m thankful for our support, I’m thankful for the guys I’m called to lead, but it does hurt to lose this badly.”

Monday’s loss was the first home defeat the Cavaliers suffered since Nov. 27, 2011 when they fell to Virginia Tech 18-13.

Ohio State (4-1) struck first at 125 pounds to grab an early lead. No. 10 redshirt freshman Nathan Tomasello easily handled sophomore Will Mason 18-8 for the major decision victory. Mason fought valiantly, but he could not crack the defense of Tomasello.

Two top-10 wrestlers squared off at 133 pounds, but once again the Buckeyes emerged on top. No. 8 junior Johnni DiJulius won 6-2 against 10th-ranked sophomore George DiCamillo. The two wrestlers were evenly matched for the majority of the contest, but DiJulius capitalized on the opportunities presented.

Senior Logan Stieber, for one, displayed why he is the top-ranked 141-pounder in the nation. Stieber worked an early takedown on No. 11 senior Joe Spisak and turned him for a first-period pin and six points for Ohio State.

“When you face tough opponents they will expose you,” senior Nick Sulzer said. “We were exposed in a lot of areas, and we can only build on it from here.”

Virginia junior Chris Yankowich came out flat in a 149-pound match the Cavaliers desperately needed. Buckeye senior Randy Languis filled in for No. 4 junior Hunter Stieber and cruised to a 12-5 victory. Yankowich fought free for a late-match escape to make the final score closer, but the match was never in question.

Ohio State continued to roll at 157 pounds. Seventh-ranked senior Josh Demas handed redshirt freshman Andrew Atkinson an 8-3 defeat. Atkinson appeared unfazed by the caliber of his opponent, keeping the contest close until the end. In the closing minute of the match, Atkinson nearly tied it up — but he could not finish the takedown set up by a beautiful throw-by.

Second-ranked Sulzer put the first points on the board for Virginia wrestling in emphatic fashion. Sulzer imposed his will on sophomore Justin Kresevic to the tune of a 23-8 technical fall. Sulzer was in complete control all match — all eight of Kresevic’s escape points were gifts from Sulzer. The victory was the 95th of Sulzer’s career, which placed him alongside 2011 All-American Derek Valenti for 11th most in program history.

Sulzer recorded no back points in his bout, so his technical fall was worth only four points. With four matches remaining the Cavaliers trailed 19-4.

Virginia narrowed the gap once again at 174 pounds. Tenth-ranked junior Blaise Butler snuck by No. 13 junior Mark Martin with a 4-2 decision victory. Butler was aggressive early — scoring a takedown in the match’s first 20 seconds — but Martin was able to knot up the match by the end of the second period. Butler started the third period on bottom and promptly worked free for the go-ahead escape point, and the Buckeye lead dwindled to 19-7.

Ohio State nixed any chance of a Virginia comeback with a decision victory at 184 pounds. Seventh-ranked junior Kenny Courts bested senior Billy Coggins 6-4, which gave the Buckeyes an insurmountable 22-7 lead.

Freshman Chance McClure jumped headfirst into the fire against No. 7 freshman Kyle Snyder at 197 pounds. McClure made his dual-meet debut for Virginia due in part to an injury to junior Zack Nye and lost by major decision 20-6.

“Everyone we sent out there was prepared and ready to go,” Sulzer said. “I couldn’t be prouder of our effort, but sometimes you face someone who is better.”

Eleventh-ranked sophomore Nick Tavanello ended a night of Ohio State domination with a 13-4 major decision win against senior Collin Campbell at heavyweight.

Garland wanted Monday’s tussle to be a showcase of talent and a test for the NCAA tournament. Instead, a tough loss presents a different albeit useful opportunity.

“A great team humbled us,” Garland said. “When we’re humbled we become ready to listen, learn, and make changes. It hurts right now, but it’s going to be good for us in the long run.”

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