HEIDELBERG RESULTS
BALDWIN WALLACE RESULTS
MUSKINGUM RESULTS
BEREA, Ohio – Otterbein ventured up north with a lot more on its mind than just wrestling Saturday morning, traveling to compete in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Quad Meet at Baldwin Wallace.
The Cardinals went 1-2 on the day as a group, dropping duals against Heidelberg and the No. 5-ranked Yellow Jackets before culminating with a 36-18 victory over Muskingum. Otterbein now holds an 8-10 record and concludes OAC duals with a 2-4 mark.
The team, making its second trip to the Cleveland area this week after a narrow 25-21 dual at John Carroll, left early in the morning to alleviate weather concerns and have also been operating with heavy hearts/minds after teammate
Joey Tromba was
recently diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The redshirt sophomore, a 165-pounder from Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School, is currently at the Cleveland Clinic undergoing tests and chemotherapy.
"It has been a tough week with a lot on our minds," head coach
Brent Rastetter said. "The guys battled as best they can in support of Joey, who is now battling way more than just an opponent on a wrestling mat. He never complains about anything and has inspired us all through his demeanor, outlook and perspective. We are so thankful for the support shown to Joey and the entire Tromba family."
Otterbein dropped a 28-18 matchup with Heidelberg to begin Saturday's slate, unfortunately starting with a forfeit at 125 pounds again before junior
Jackson Lakso grabbed another win in his new class of 133 lbs. He held on to emerge with a 7-6 decision against Mason Brainard, securing his 20th victory of the season.
The Berg (9-5, 2-1 OAC) opened a 15-3 advantage shortly after that before the Cards responded behind wins from
Joey Bradberry at 157 and
Denver Aydelott in the 165-pound bout. Bradberry delivered a nice pin just 1:42 into the first round while Aydelott posted a 10-3 decision.
The Student Princes pulled away down the stretch, countering Otterbein's usual powerhouses in the heavier divisions with strong talent of their own. Dylan Roth, ranked No. 7 nationally at 184 pounds, pinned
Jarrod Setliff early in the third round to clinch the dual.
Junior
Corbin Bunsold, who is very close with Tromba and visited him in the hospital earlier this week, squared off against No. 10-ranked Tyler Hammack in a nationally-ranked matchup at 197 lbs. Hammack ultimately prevailed with a hard-fought 7-2 decision, handing Bunsold just his second defeat of the year.
Heavyweight
Drew Kasper finished the dual with a pin of his own at the 4:38 mark en route to the first of his three bonus-point victories on the day.
Otterbein then matched up with host BW, winning a pair of matches but falling by a final score of 36-7 to a Yellow Jacket lineup littered with nationally-ranked wrestlers.
Donny Didion preserved a 6-4 decision at 174 pounds while Kasper finished things off with a 10-2 major.
The Cardinals ended the day on a high note, taking a 36-18 victory over Muskingum behind six bonus-point victories. Didion and Kasper recorded pins while four others won via forfeit.
Kasper, ranked No. 10 nationally in the latest poll, went 3-0 on the day and finishes undefeated in the OAC for a third-straight year. He spent his first two seasons at 197 before moving up to 285/heavyweight this winter, where he currently holds a perfect 19-0 overall record.
Lakso, ranked all season at 125 pounds, went 2-1 as he adjusts to his new 133-pound weight class. He currently sits 21-3 overall and finishes a combined 5-1 within the league.
Bunsold, 19-2 this year and 4-1 against the OAC, along with Didion (3-1), also finish with winning records inside the rugged conference.
Otterbein will be back in action next weekend, heading to the Wheaton Invitational in Illinois spanning Friday and Saturday.
