Sports
Ohio Falls to Northern Iowa
By: Rachel Cherry
Posted on:
After losing the first four bouts, the Ohio Bobcats wrestling team was unable to come back against the University of Northern Iowa Panthers on Friday.
The Bobcats (6-5, 4-3) lost the home Mid-American Conference match 27-16. UNI won six of ten matches and added bonus points to dominate the dual.
Coach Joel Greenlee believed that the wrestlers lost by getting in bad positions and being too lazy.
Ohio, starting with four losses in a row, derailed any momentum they could have had to win the match. Coach Greenlee believes the starting weight had a big role on how the matches panned out.
“I think it’s a whole different meet if we started at 125 then if we started at 165,” he said.
Ranked 8th in the nation at 165, UNI’s Bryce Steiert, pinned Ohio’s Austin Reese during the second period in what had been a somewhat close match. UNI maintained control by following up with three major decisions, bringing the score to 18-0.
Things picked up for the Bobcats when HWT Zach Parker won by injury default. Ohio’s Shakur Laney won his high-scoring bout at 125 pounds 17-12.
In a key matchup at 133 pounds between two nationally ranked wrestlers, UNI’s #9 Josh Alber beat #15 Cameron Kelly 7-2. Noah Forrider proved to be a key contender for the MAC individual tournament with a major decision win.
Kyle Kaminski made his dual debut at 149 pounds for the Bobcats but was pinned by #8 Max Thomson in the second period. 157-pounder Cullen Cummings had a comeback 7-2 win to finish out the match.
Ohio travels to Clarion in a non-conference matchup Friday evening.