Athletics Headlines: Wrestling First Wrestling Dual Win Of The Season

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January 18, 2007

Wrestling First Wrestling Dual Win Of The Season

The Missouri Baptist University Men’s Wrestling Team won their first dual meet of the season as they narrowly squeaked by the Bulldogs of Truman State University 23-20. The dual meet win also gives the Spartans of Missouri Baptist University a 1-0 record at home this season.

The dual started at the 125-pound match that pitted MBU junior Michael Aitch (Kirkwood, MO) against Truman’s Kazuyuki Hashimoto. Aitch came out firing and scored a pin fall for the Spartans with 42 seconds left in the first period. The Bulldogs of Truman retaliated by winning the 133-pound match by pin fall and the 141-pound match by a 7-2 decision. Sophomores Nathaniel Troupe (Kuna, ID) and Gerald Harris (St. Louis, MO) helped the Spartans regain the lead 14-9 by recording major decisions in the 149 and 157-pound weight classes.

Truman State then took a considerable lead by recording a major decision and receiving a forfeit in the 165 and 174-pound matches, bringing the score to 20-14 in favor of Truman. Junior Nigel Kinworthy (184) of St. Charles, and freshman Ike Okenwa (197) of St. Louis, helped the Spartans rally back to tie the dual meet score to 20 all leading up to the final bout.

Senior Jared Bonnell (Farmington, MO) secured the exciting 23-20 win for the Spartans by defeating Truman’s Loyde Braidlaw 7-3. After a grueling start to the wrestling season, MBU shows signs of promise as they look to finish the end of the season on a high note in early March. Up next for the Spartans will be the Denker Open, which will be held on the campus of the University of Central Missouri on Saturday, January 20th. The next dual meet for the Spartans will be a home meet against NAIA-power Missouri Valley College. That dual will be on Wednesday, January 24th, at 7PM.

MBU 23 Truman State 20
125: Aitch (MBU) Fall 2:18 Hashimoto (TSU)
133: Robert (TSU) Fall 3:29 Wise (MBU)
141: Vogt (TSU) 7-2 dec. Lobosco (MBU)
149: Troupe (MBU) 17-7 maj. dec. Bainbridge (TSU)
157: Harris (MBU) 27-14 maj. dec. Isbell (TSU)
165: Mitchell (TSU) 23-8 tech. fall Siesner (MBU)
174: Clanahan (TSU) winner by forfeit
184: Kinworthy (MBU) 9-4 dec. Schultz (TSU)
197: Okenwa (MBU) 8-4 dec. Doeschat (TSU)
285: Bonnell (MBU) 7-3 dec. Braidlaw (TSU)