PICTURED ABOVE: Max Gierke's pin in the final minute of the first period earned him a victory and secured the dual match win for the Thunder.
Wheaton, Ill. – The Wheaton College wrestling team hosted University of Chicago for a dual match on Friday night in King Arena. The Thunder won the match 25-21 in dramatic fashion.
Chicago led the Thunder 21-19 entering the final match of the night, a contest at 285-pounds between
Max Gierke of Wheaton and Chicago's Patrick Mulkerin. The two-point edge for the Maroons meant that the winner of the matchup at 285-pounds would determine the victorious team in the dual match. Gierke took an early 2-0 lead with a takedown and in the final minute of the first period he gained position and won the match by fall at the 2:13 mark of the match to give Wheaton the dramatic dual match win.
Wheaton started the match with a victory at 125-pounds as
Carlos Fuentez earned a win by forfeit. Chicago's Devan Richter won by fall at 133-pounds and the Maroons earned wins at 141 and 149-pounds to take an 18-6 lead in the team score. Chicago's Steve Bonsall won a 10-8 decision at 157-pounds to extend the Maroons' lead to 21-6. Bonsall's victory was Chicago's final points of the night.
Wheaton's
Stephen Aiello recorded an escape and a takedown in the second period of his matchup at 165-pounds against Michael Sepke on his way to earning a 3-1 decision that cut Chicago's lead to 21-9. Thunder senior
Logan Walkup (PICTURED LEFT) defeated Chicago's Nick DiNapoli in an 11-3 major decision to cut the Maroons' lead to 21-13.
A four-point near fall in the third period helped lead Thunder senior
Jared Fekete (PICTURED RIGHT) to a 6-1 decision over Chicago's Jason Lynch at 184-pounds. Fekete's win trimmed Chicago's team-scoring lead to 21-16.
Mikey Swider defeated John Jayne in a 2-0 decision at 197-pounds to cut Chicago's advantage to 21-19 and set up the winner-take-all match at 285-pounds between Mulkerin and Gierke.
Tonight's win improves Wheaton to 5-3 in dual matches this season. Wheaton will host the 35-team Pete Willson-Wheaton Invitational next Friday and Saturday in King Arena. Friday's opening round will begin at 11:00 a.m.
Wheaton College 25, University of Chicago 21
125-pounds: Carlos Fuentez (Wheaton) won by forfeit
133-pounds: Devan Richter (Chicago) def. Josiah Fitzjerrells, by fall (6:38)
141-pounds: Grant Morrison (Chicago) won by forfeit
149-pounds: Kahlan Lee-Lermer (Chicago) won by forfeit
157-pounds: Steve Bonsall (Chicago) def.
Frank Aiello (Wheaton), 10-8 decision
165-pounds: Stephen Aiello (Wheaton) def. Michael Speke (Chicago), 3-1 decision
174-pounds: Logan Walkup (Wheaton) def. Nick DiNapoli (Chicago), 11-3 major decision
184-pounds: Jared Fekete (Wheaton) def. Jason Lynch (Chicago), 6-1 decision
197-pounds: Mikey Swider (Wheaton) def. John Jayne (Chicago), 2-0 decision
285-pounds: Max Gierke (Wheaton) def. Patrick Mulkerin (Chicago), by fall (2:13)
