KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- Kibwe McNair (Lansdale, Pa./Methacton) stunned 11th-ranked Nate Smith, throwing the Pitt-Johnstown 157-pounder to the mat late in the first period to pick up a huge pin and No. 11 Kutztown earned decisions in the final three bouts to earn its first win over the No. 13 Mountain Cats since 2014, 22-14, in a PSAC dual at Keystone Arena Friday night.
The win keeps the unbeaten Golden Bears (8-0 overall, 3-0 PSAC) in firm contention for the conference title with a trip to Erie to face nationally-ranked Gannon and Mercyhurst looming next weekend, while Pitt-Johnstown was dealt its first defeat (10-1, 3-1 PSAC).
KU got off to a great start with senior
Matt Wilde (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown) recording a takedown in the first and another in the third to hold off Matt Siszka, 5-2, in the 125-pound match.
Fourth-ranked
Collin Wickramaratna (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) raced out to a 4-2 lead over Mason Myers at 133 and continued to double up his Mountain Cat opponent, 6-3, after two periods. The Marlton, N.J., native took control with an early third-period reversal and tacked on two more takedowns on his way to a 13-5 major decision. The victory was Wickramaratna's 11th in a row dating back to Nov. 20.
Pitt-Johnstown answered back with a hard-fought 2-0 decision from Caleb Morris in the 141-pound bout and sixth-ranked Jacob Ealy gave the visitors an 8-7 lead with a technical fall at 149. Ealy showed why he is a returning All-American, racking up six takedowns and six back points in a 19-4 win.
The Mountain Cats were favored at 157 with the 13-2 Smith taking on true freshman McNair, who has seen time at both 149 and 157 this season.
The Methacton grad wasn't having it. McNair freed his left leg from Smith's grasp and strong-armed him to the mat, securing the only fall of the night 1:50 into the first period.
It proved to be a swing match for the Maroon and Gold. The momentum UPJ hoped to carry through to its nationally-ranked entries at 165 and 174 was gone. Despite coming out on the wrong side of their results, Kutztown's
AJ Bencivenga (Cranford, N.J./Cranford) and
Ethan Baney (Hanover, Pa./South Western) battled for seven minutes and did not allow the Mountain Cats precious bonus points.
Eighth-ranked Dillon Keane could only muster a 6-2 decision over Bencivenga at 165 and fourth-ranked Brock Biddle, a three-time All-American, earned a 7-1 decision over Baney.
Though UPJ went back in front, 14-13, with Biddle's win, the bottom of Kutztown's lineup responded with back-to-back-to-back decisions.
Matthew Weinberg (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan), who joined the team just a few weeks ago, collected his third win in three duals as a Golden Bear with an 11-7 win over Gage Arnold at 184.
Brian Kennerly (Drexel Hill, Pa./Upper Darby) followed with a pair of takedowns in a 6-2 triumph against Dakoda Rodgers and top-ranked
Andrew Dunn Jr. (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) scored a pair of takedowns to outlast Oggie Atwood, 6-3, in a matchup of unbeaten heavyweights.
The Golden Bears snapped UPJ's six-match winning streak in the series with Friday night's result. Kutztown is off until next weekend when they are scheduled to face No. 6 Gannon Friday, Feb. 4, and No. 19 Mercyhurst, Saturday, Feb. 5, in matches that will likely determine this year's PSAC dual champion.
#11 KUTZTOWN VS. #13 PITT-JOHNSTOWN
FRIDAY, JAN. 28, 2022 | KUTZTOWN, PA. | KEYSTONE ARENA |
| WT. |
MATCH |
KU |
UPJ |
| 125 |
Matt Wilde (KU) dec. Matt Siszka (UPJ), 5-2 |
3 |
0 |
| 133 |
#4 Collin Wickramaratna (KU) major dec. Mason Myers (UPJ), 13-5 |
7 |
0 |
| 141 |
Caleb Morris (UPJ) dec. KJ Fenstermacher (KU), 2-0 |
7 |
3 |
| 149 |
#6 Jacob Ealy (UPJ) tech. fall Michael Cusick (KU), 19-4 (6:18) |
7 |
8 |
| 157 |
Kibwe McNair (KU) pinned #11 Nate Smith (UPJ), 1:50 |
13 |
8 |
| 165 |
#8 Dillon Keane (UPJ) dec. AJ Bencivenga (KU), 6-2 |
13 |
11 |
| 174 |
#4 Brock Biddle (UPJ) dec. Ethan Baney (KU), 7-1 |
13 |
14 |
| 184 |
Matthew Weinberg (KU) dec. Gage Arnold (UPJ), 11-7 |
16 |
14 |
| 197 |
Brian Kennerly (KU) dec. Dakoda Rodgers (UPJ), 6-2 |
19 |
14 |
| 285 |
#1 Andrew Dunn Jr. (KU) dec. Oggie Atwood (UPJ), 6-3 |
22 |
14 |
