Feb. 11, 2007

KENT, Ohio - The Ohio wrestling team nearly took down No. 25 Kent State Sunday in Ohio's final road dual meet of the season, but the Golden Flashes held off the Bobcats in a 19-16 Ohio loss.

"I think we wrestled pretty hard," Head Coach Joel Greenlee said. "All of the things we've been preaching all season are coming together. I think our entire lineup wrestled well today. Most of the matches could have gone either way."

Ohio (16-7, 2-2) fell to an early 9-4 deficit as Kent State (15-2, 4-0) won three of the first four matches. The Bobcats battled back, winning the 157, 165 and 174-pound matches capped off by a pin for 16-9 advantage. Kent State turned the tables in the end, however, as the Flashes won the final three matches for the win.

"We had them right where we wanted them but let it slip away," Greenlee said.

The Bobcats held a 16-15 lead heading into the final match, but senior Marcus Adelman (Alliance, Ohio) was unable to wrestle due to an injury. Adelman is 10-1 in his last 11 matches.

After Kent State wins in the first two matches, Sophomore Albert Madsen (Strongsville, Ohio) was the first Bobcat to record a win with a 16-6 major decision at 141 pounds. Madsen improved to 9-7 on the season with the win.

After a loss at 149 put Kent ahead 9-4, sophomore Jake Frerichs (Uniontown, Ohio) recorded a 3-1 win in quadruple overtime to make the score 9-7 at the midway point. Frerichs improved to 15-7 on the year.

"That was a huge win," Greenlee said. "Jake is real consistent and studies what he does on the mat. We'd like to get him a little more aggressive on his feet but he had done real well."

Frerichs' win was the beginning of three straight matches that went Ohio's win. Redshirt freshman Jacob Ison (Batavia, Ohio) followed with yet another win at 165 pounds. Ison defeated Sli Bostelman for the second time this season, this time by a score of 8-2. Ison is now 29-9 on the season and leads the team in wins and pins. The win put the Bobcats ahead by a score of 10-9.

Junior Antione Love (Gahanna, Ohio) gave the Bobcats a seven point advantage when he earned a first round pin of Aaron Miller at 174 pounds. Love took down Miller in just 1:35. He is now 21-6 on the season and a perfect 8-0 in matches decided by a pin. He had not started the last two Ohio dual meets after a major decision loss against Ashland.

"I think he just looked hungrier today," Greenlee said. "He wants to go out there and prove himself and that's what he did."

Love's pin put the Bobcats up 16-9 and in prime position to bring down the Flashes but Kent State reeled off victories in the final three matches to improve to a perfect 4-0 in Mid-American Conference action.

Ohio has one final dual meet on the schedule before the MAC Championship in Buffalo, N.Y. The Bobcats host No. 5 Central Michigan this Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at the Convocation Center in Athens.

Kent State 19, Ohio 16
125: Chad Sportelli (KSU) dec. Seth Morton (Ohio), 7-4
133: Danny Mitcheff (KSU) dec. Terry Jackson (Ohio), 3-1
141: Albert Madsen (Ohio) maj. dec. Clayton Stark (KSU), 16-6
149: Jason McGee (KSU) dec. Clay Tucker (Ohio), 4-0
157: Jake Frerichs (Ohio) dec. Kurt Gross (KSU), 3-1 (4OT)
165: Jacob Ison (Ohio) dec. Sli Bostelman (KSU), 8-2
174: Antione Love (Ohio) fall Aaron Miller (KSU), 1:35
184: Eric Chine (KSU) dec. Nick Terbay (Ohio), 6-3
197: Ardian Ramadani (KSU) dec. Larry Reichard (Ohio), 3-1
HWT: Jermail Porter (KSU) maj. dec. Joe Ellwood (Ohio), 9-1