Wrestling Suffers Pair of WHAC Dual Defeats to Start New Year
January 10, 2025
(Howell, MI)-- The Cleary Cougar wrestling team started off the new year with a pair of dual meets against the Marian University Knights, and the Siena Heights University Saints Friday evening at Parker Middle School in Howell.
vs. Marian:
- Ja'Marcus Smith earned a major decision victory in 125 lb. over Preston Haines by a score of 15-5 to earn four team points for the Cougars
- Marian's Landon Bertsch would tie the match with a major decision of his own, defeating Mariano Lopez 10-0 in the 133 lb.
- Jake Lynn earned the final three team points for the Cougars, as he earned a 14-10 decision victory over Dylan McKelvey in the 141 lb.
- Ryan Weaver, Jack Gruno, Wyatt Clements, Lenton Patrick, and Tunde Oroye all suffered defeats to the Knights in their matches.
Marian would win the match 40-7.
vs. Siena Heights:
- In the 125 lb., Mariano Lopez would earn a forfeit victory for the Cougars, earning six team points
- Ja'Marcus Smith earned his second victory of the day in 133 lb. after defeating Nolan McDowell by a 19-3 technical fall (5:18), earning five team points
- SHU's Randy Frailey would earn a technical fall after defeating Jake Lynn in 141 lb.
- Ryan Weaver earned six team points for Cleary after a medical forfeit during the match, and Jack Gruno earned a forfeit victory in 157 lb. for six more team points
Cleary led 23-5 through the first five matches, but would lose each of the final five matches to drop the dual by a 31-23 score.
The Cougars will be back in action next Friday, January 17, when they travel to Rochester to take on the Rochester Christian Warriors in a WHAC dual. The action gets under way at 6:00 PM.
