Braves grapplers falter on Senior Night

By Curtis Brooks
Sports Editor

February 23, 2012

Photo by Mindy Hubbard

Junior Mike Williams attempts to pin Newberry wrestler Sean Byrnes on Feb. 7. Williams won a 6-0 decision over Byrnes.

The Black and Gold wrestling team hosted No.2 Newberry College on Feb. 7 in the Braves' final home match of the season, falling 33-9.

Newberry won the first five matches of the night on the way to defeating 17th-ranked UNCP.

After forfeits by UNCP in the 125- and 133-pound weight classes, Newberry was able to defeat Braves freshmen wrestlers Daniel Ownbey, Kristoff Thomas and K.D. Dixon in their respective weight classes to take a 25-0 lead.

Ownbey was pinned in the 141-pound matchup by B.J. Young, who was ranked No. 4 in the country in the weight class.

Thomas lost a 10-4 de- cision to No. 8-ranked Deral Brown before Dixon fell to Taylor Knapp by a 9-1 major decision in the 157- pound match.

Braves junior All-American Mike Williams was finally able to put the Black and Gold on the board in the 165-pound contest, as the No. 3-ranked Williams grabbed a 6-0 decision over sixth-ranked Sean Byrnes.

Photo by Mindy Hubbard

(left) Graduate assistant Rashaad Saunders, assistant coach Byron Sigmon, Shiheem Bryant, Shane Nolan, Jake Ferguson, head coach Othello Johnson and student assistant Timmy Allen. Bryant, Nolan and Ferguson were all honored on Senior Night.

The Wolves pushed their lead back to 30-3 after UNCP senior Jake Ferguson lost a 16-1 technical fall decision to Travis Sheehy in the 174-pound bout.

Braves senior Shiheem Bryant picked up a 2-1 overtime win over fifth- ranked Mitchell Brown in the 184-pound match, followed by fellow senior and No. 8-ranked Shane Nolan's 3-2 tiebreak win over 10th- ranked Zach Anderson in the 197-pound bout.

UNCP's James De La Riva fell in the final match to the fifth-ranked Jake Elkins in the heavyweight bout by a 3-1 decision after Elkins notched a takedown in the final 25 seconds to top De La Riva.

The senior class of Ferguson, Bryant and Nolan were all honored prior to the match before wrestling their final home matches inside English E. Jones Center donning the Black and Gold.