PHOTO GALLERY  / TIM DARLING'S PIN (VIDEO)

KUTZTOWN, PA (November 24, 2010) — Tim Darling (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) and Justin Grant (Easton, PA/Easton) each won both matches during the Kutztown University wrestling squad's tri-meet against visiting Delaware Valley College and Elizabethtown.

 

Unfortunately, despite their efforts, the Golden Bears fell short in both meets as Del Val escaped with a 21-19 victory, while the Jays topped KU by a 32-9 margin. 

 

“I haven't sat through one of these days in a long time,” said Kutztown head wrestling coach Rob Fisher. “We just didn't wrestle well at all. Not a great effort. We'll just have to get back in the room and get to work.”

 

Returning All-American Darling kicked off his day wrestling up at 184-pounds, but the added weight meant little to the end result, as Darling decked Del Val's Mike DiGregorio with a double bar in just 1:15. 

 

Back down at his normal weight of 174 for the Elizabethtown dual, Darling notched a takedown out of a scramble in the first, then added an escape and riding time for a 4-1 decision over the Jay's Jim Gentile. 

 

Grant, the Golden Bears' heavyweight, squared off against Del Val's Zeke Pyle in the opener, and came away with a 6-5 win. But with the team score still in reach for the Bears to pull out a come-from-behind victory when Grant took the mat, the sophomore big man wasn't happy just to get the “W”.

 

“I was upset with myself after that first match,” said Grant. “We needed a pin from me and we could have won that meet. I consider it a loss because I wasn't able to do what I needed for my team.”

 

Grant got his pin, but against Elizabethtown. After falling behind 1-0 on a locked hands call, Grant cut the Jays Tim Katzman loose for one, then tied the match at 2-2 with a takedown. Taking down to start the third, Grant scored a reversal, putting Katzman on his back in the process. Grand got the slap of the mat in 5:16.

 

“I'm not satisfied with the way I've wrestled so far,” said Grant. “I had a shaky freshman year, and I really want to make things happen this year. I want to make nationals, and I know I have to step up my game if I'm going to make that happen.

 

Also picking up wins on the day were Kyle Johnson (Stewartsville, PA/Wyoming Seminary) (125), Austin Williams (Pen Argyl, PA/Pen Argyl) (133). Johnson decked Del Val's Matt Ellis in 1:57, while Williams notched a 13-4 major decision over James Delillo.

 

“We need to get back in the room and really get to work,” said Grant. “We are really not wrestling well as a team right now. We've got to work to improve every spot in the line-up. That's how you build a program.”  

 

Kutztown returns to action next weekend when it competes in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championships at Bloomsburg University.

 

--KU--