Highlights

CORTLAND, N.Y. – The sixth-ranked Ithaca College wrestling team put an emphatic finish on its regular-season dual-meet schedule on Wednesday evening when the squad traveled to face ECWC rival SUNY Cortland in the third-annual Rumble and Tumble Meet in conjunction with both institutions' women's gymnastics programs. IC dominated proceedings on the mats, pulling away from the Red Dragons for a convincing 36-6 victory, which improved the Bombers' record to 11-4 for the year.
 
Ithaca entered the night riding a three-match winning streak in the heated rivalry between the two local rivals dating back to the 2015-16 season. The Bombers were commanding from the start in extending that streak another year on this night, winning 8-of-10 bouts, while also adding an exhibition victory to kick off the night's action. In total, IC scored bonus points in five of those bouts in a runaway win. Although the margin of victory did not match Ithaca's record-setting mark from last year's 46-0 shutout, Wednesday did mark the second consecutive year that the Bombers defeated the Red Dragons by a margin of 30-points or greater.
 
125 LB: Ferdinand Mase (ITHACA) def. Benjarmin Lloyd (CORTLAND) | MD: 14-3
133 LB: Tito Colom (ITHACA) def. Matt Maquet (CORTLAND) | MD: 14-6
141 LB: Alex D'Angelo (CORTLAND) def. Dylan Earl (ITHACA) | DEC: 10-3
149 LB: Colin Murphy (ITHACA) def. Jeremy Pond (CORTLAND) | DEC: 10-9
157 LB: Jawan Jones (ITHACA) receives forfeit
165 LB: Austin Whitney (ITHACA) def. Demitereus Henry (CORTLAND) | DEC: 6-4
174 LB: Eze Chukwuezi (ITHACA) def. Charlie Buckley (CORTLAND) | MD: 10-2
184 LB: #1/1 Jake Ashcraft (ITHACA) def. Morgans Kevin (CORTLAND) | FALL: 1:57
197 LB: Dylan Dubuque (CORTLAND) def. Dalton Elias (ITHACA) | DEC: 11-8
285 LB: #5/6 Jake O'Brien (ITHACA) def. Ben Klei (CORTLAND) | FALL: 4:18
EX: Dymir Davis-Carruth (ITHACA) def. Mark Rivera (CORTLAND) | DEC: 8-3
 
The tone for the night was set before the initial bouts even got underway, as sophomore Dymir Davis-Carruth notched a commanding win in a brief exhibition session immediately prior to the match. The second-year 197-pounder posted two takedowns in the opening period en route to an 8-3 win. The Bombers built on that performance moving forward with a quick start at the 125-pound and 133-pound weight classes.
 
Senior captain Ferdinand Mase put Ithaca on the scoreboard first, continuing his strong run of performances in recent weeks with another bonus-point outing. He set the trend for IC on the night by getting into his offense quickly, hitting Cortland's Benjarmin Lloyd with a barrage of early shots. He connected on a couple first-period shots, while he also turned Lloyd to his back for four near-fall swipes in the first three minutes. He went on to pull away for the easy major decision by a 14-3 major decision with over three-minutes of riding time.
 
Junior Tito Colom doubled the Ithaca advantage in his 133-pound against Matt Maquet. Cortland's man had battled Colom tough over recent matchups between the two grapplers, but Maquet proved to be no match for IC's third-year talent. While the matchup was close early, Colom really wore Maquet down over the final two periods, amassing just enough points for the major decision with a final takedown with just over 20-seconds remaining. He would win by a 14-6 final score. Ithaca led 8-0 through two bouts.
 
Ithaca showcased a couple of its up-and-coming youngsters over the next two weight classes, as first-years Dylan Earl and Colin Murphy got the nods at 141-pounds and 149-pounds, respectively. For the most part, IC's rookies impressed with some solid performances in a hostile environment.
 
Cortland was able to get on the board for the first time at 141-pounds, as Alex D'Angelo notched three points for the home team with a decision. Earl showed a lot of heart in the bout, grinding through several scramble situations to limit D'Angelo's scoring. Although his offensive opportunities did not really materialize over the seven minutes, strong defense by Earl down the stretch limited the damage for the Bombers to just an 8-3 decision.
 
It did not take long for Ithaca to get the points back, as Murphy impressed in his debut in the dual lineup with a thrilling comeback victory over Jeremy Pond at 149-pounds. It was actually Pond that controlled the first two periods of the bout. The Red Dragons' 149-pounder won a few scramble battles and began to pull away, leading 8-4 through five minutes of action. However, Murphy flipped the match on its head in the third. Beginning in the neutral position, Murphy connected on a single leg to bring Pond to the mat and then he followed it up by turning Cortland's man to his back for four near-fall points to surge into the lead at 9-8. He would see out the bout on his feet, defending off a couple late attempts by Pond to clinch the 10-9 decision.
 
The margin widened further at 157-pounds without even needing to wrestle. With Cortland's Zach Zuppan unable to make weight, IC senior Jawan Jones received the forfeit. The six team points extended Ithaca's lead to 20-3 at the halfway point.
 
The 165-pound bout was one of the feature battles of the night. One of the ECWC's most talented young stars in Cortland rookie Demitereus Henry got the nod against the Cortland transfer in Ithaca's Austin Whitney. The first period was heated between the two grapplers with both players needing injury time after some furious scrums on the mat. The second period was the difference, as Whitney was able to score a pair of takedowns to pull ahead. It was a sweet return for the former Red Dragon, as Whitney held off Henry late for the 6-4 decision.
 
Ithaca's Eze Chukwuezi was the third IC rookie to get a nod when he took the mat for IC against Charlie Buckley at 174-pounds. The bout turned out to be one of the most impressive of the year by the Bombers' young star, as Chukwuezi smothered Buckley with his strength advantage in a 10-2 major decision. The triumph ultimately clinched the match for Ithaca, widening the lead to an insurmountable 24-3 with just three bouts remaining.
 
Senior captain Jake Ashcraft (1^st NWCA | 1^st d3wrestle) continued his dominant charge down the stretch at 184-pounds with another impressive victory. Cortland's Morgans Kevin was no-match for the nation's top-ranked 184-pounder. Ashcraft immediately connected on a single leg in the opening seconds and immediately got to breaking down the overmatched Red Dragon with a methodical approach on the mat. After battling for about a minute of riding time, Ashcraft locked in the cradle and pinned the Cortland grappler at 1:57 of the first period. It was fifth consecutive victory by fall during this latest run over the past 10 days.
 
Cortland was able to score three more team points in a competitive battle at 197-pounds. Junior Dalton Elias went toe-to-toe in a back-and-forth battle against Cortland's Dylan Dubuque. Both wrestlers enjoyed leads through the middle two periods; however, Dubuque was able to gain a little separation in the waning moments of the middle frame. He would limit Elias in his offensive options during the third period in an 11-7 decision that cut Ithaca's lead to 30-6.
 
Senior captain Jake O'Brien (5^th NWCA | 6^th d3wrestle) sent Ithaca and its fans to the exits on a high note with a dominant effort in the final bout of the evening. Clearly the stronger and more experienced grappler, he easily separated from Cortland's Ben Klei in the early moments. He would ultimately lock in his fourth fall of 2019, taking Klei to his back at 4:18.
 
Ithaca will be back in action in 10-days when the squad sends it top options at each weight class to the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships at Brockport. Action is slated to begin on Saturday, February 23, and will conclude on Sunday, February 24.